On February 9th, 2026, Hellgate High School’s newspaper, the Hellgate Lance, posted a story about the 2026 GOAT Game.
In the story, titled, “Hellgate Students, Teachers Criticize ‘Pay to Win’ Nature of GOAT,” the reporter claimed that Big Sky won the GOAT game due to spending more on decorations, writing, “The loss was made even harsher when the student body realized the clear advantage that Big Sky had from the start: their student section decorations.”
To better understand each school’s budget for the event and generally how money played a role in this year’s GOAT game, the Big Sky Sun Journal spoke with Emma Keffeler, Big Sky’s student government advisor and Spanish teacher, and Hellgate’s student government advisor, Velita Rholl.
These conversations showed that Big Sky and Hellgate do have their own ways of fundraising and paying for school functions like GOAT.
According to Keffeler, Jennifer Courtney, Big Sky’s principal, sends out an Amazon WishList to families in her weekly email, where parents, students, and family can purchase items for school related activities. Big Sky also has their own booster club, which contributes to a lot of student activities.
Hellgate does not have a booster club, so they rely on student government and a variety of other fundraisers throughout the year.
When discussing funding for the GOAT game specifically, Keffeler said Big Sky’s total student government spending was $158.37. This price tag includes the plane balloons that were hung within the student section, the “DANGER ZONE” balloons, camo equipment, and other various items.
Big Sky also had donations from parents, like the cloud fluff in the student section, and from companies that have been working with Big Sky for numerous years, according to Courtney. These companies included Pepsi, Culligan Water, Rodda-Miller paint, and others, and some of their donations included the printed heads of players, sticks for signs, filming, water, and shirts for band and choir, Keffeler said.
“It took a full team effort to procure all the things that we had for the GOAT Game,” Courtney said.
Big Sky’s booster club paid for and donated aviators, dog tags, snacks, and shirts for athletes, but all other decorations and props for GOAT were purchased by student government or donated by parents and company sponsors, Keffeler explained.
“The Booster Club is a great asset that we have. They are involved in basically anything that has to do with our students,” Keffeler said.
One of the most talked about moments during the GOAT game was when Big Sky rolled out a massive school flag toward the end of the girls’ basketball game that went over the whole student section. Keffeler said this flag was funded collaboratively by the Big Sky Booster Club, student government, and the prom budget. Keffler said that it was around $700.
“The flag was bought back in August and was originally for state football, but we didn’t make it, so we decided to save it for the GOAT game and that was a great idea,” Keffler said. She also went on to say that when they were buying it, they wanted it to be for any game, not just the GOAT Game.
When asked about Hellgate’s budgeting and financial support for GOAT this year, Rholl from Hellgate said that the student government had spent “somewhere between $300-$450.”
Rholl said their budget went to art supplies and student section props, including light sabers. Hellgate made some of their light sabers right in their own school with a 3D printer, Rholl explained, and the light sabers were designed by students.
Rholl said that the student government also paid for blow up light sabers and cutouts, including Yoda, for their Star Wars theme.
“I think one of the biggest costs was reimbursing the shop for supplies for 3D printing,” Rholl said.
In the story posted by Hellgate, the reporter talks about how students and staff put in the work for the GOAT game. The story has a quote from Hellgate’s senior class president, saying, “I thought it was the best job of leading it that we’ve ever done when it comes to cohesive cheering.”
Courtney and Keffeler also emphasized that Big Sky couldn’t have had a successful GOAT game without students taking the time and effort into making decorations and helping set up for the game.
“Not everything was purchased. It was a lot of energy putting those things together, and because it was so thoughtfully done, it did look like they were bought things,” said Keffeler.
Keffleler said that there were close to 30 people, ranging from parents to booster club members and also just students who wanted to help at the Adams Center before GOAT.
Keffeler also said that there were student government officers who came in to work weekends, evenings, and lunches leading up to the GOAT game all to make the supplies in the student section.
“It was really amazing to see,” said Keffeler.
Courtney echoed Keffeler’s thoughts. “I think what’s really important about the culture of a school is that everyone is involved. I think that’s what makes this event so important, it isn’t just students, families get to be involved,” said Courtney.
Courtney stated that this year her family was able to represent her father -in -law, who was a member of the military service, at GOAT this year as part of the Top Gun theme. Her father-in-law passed away before Courtney’s time as principal.
“How incredible is that, that’s why it didn’t matter who paid for what, or how much money was spent, it’s what brought the unity of this event, it’s bigger than Big Sky,” Courtney said.
