Griz MBB Outlook + PDF of Preseason Prospectus

2013-14 MONTANA BB OUTLOOK

TWO-TIME DEFENDING LEAGUE CHAMPON GRIZZLIES RETURN TWO-PLUS STARTERS

MISSOULA, MONTANA (9/20/13) – A three-peat is a daunting task for any team at any level, but that’s the goal for the two-time defending Big Sky Conference University of Montana Grizzlies’ basketball team for the 2013-14 season. The Griz begin practice Tuesday, Oct. 1.

That’s the way it works when you are coming off back-to-back 25-7 regular-season records, and have gone 34-2 in Big Sky games the past two years. The Griz are coming off their fourth straight 20-win season and second straight NCAA tournament berth. Montana has gone 93-35 overall and 56-12 in the Big Sky over the past four seasons.

Eighth-year head coach Wayne Tinkle, the league’s coach of the year the past two seasons, returns two-plus starters and nine letterman from his record-setting squad of a year ago.

Montana was one of the top shooting teams in the country a year ago, starting from the free throw line where it set a school record of 76.7% (499-of-651), which ranked them fifth in Division 1. The Grizzlies were ranked (out of 345 teams) 35^th in the nation in field goal percentage (46.5%, 760-of-1635) and 45^th in three-point percentage (37.2%, 219-of-589).

Leading the returnees is 6-5 senior guard-forward Kareem Jamar, who was the Big Sky Conference MVP last season and an Associated Press honorable mention selection. Other returning starters are 6-9 senior center Eric Hutchison (27 starts), and 6-2 junior guard Jordan Gregory (21 starts).

Last season Jamar led UM in rebounding (5.9 rpg), assists (4.0 apg), and blocks (tie, 0.7 pg), was second in scoring (14.2 ppg), and was the only player to start all 32 games.

Gregory was fourth in scoring at 8.2 points a game, and was an all-league honorable mention selection. Hutchison averaged 3,3 points and 2.1 rebounds a game last year.

“It’s certainly his (Jamar) turn to be a leader,” Tinkle said. “He’s kind of been waiting in the wings as far as that leadership goes. We’ve had a lot of great talks about being a senior and really having to step it up on and off the court. He’s learned from others in the past who maybe didn’t do things the right way, or did things the right way. He’s got no excuses not to lead us in the right way, and I know that he is ready for that challenge.”

Hutchison started most of last season and missed some action because of an injury. He is a solid defensive contributor and shot 54.8% (40-of-73). Andy Martin, a sophomore center, showed very good athleticism for a 7-footer, and may push the senior for the starting job.

Also back are 6-2 junior guard Keron DeShields, 6-5 sophomore forward Nick Emerson, Martin, 6-7 junior forward Mike Weisner, 6-7 sophomore forward Jake Wiley, and 6-0 sophomore guard Morgan Young.

DeShields was sixth in scoring (6.6 ppg) and started in nine games. Weisner was seventh in scoring (6.0 ppg), second in the league at 45.6% from three-point range, and one of just three players who played in all 32 games. Martin led the Griz in blocks (.75 a game), and started four times as a true freshman.

“We’ve got guys with good experience in Jordan Gregory, Keron and Hutch,” Tinkle said. “Hutch has logged a lot of minutes and he’s played with some of the best bigs our school’s ever had in (Derek) Selvig and (Brian) Qvale. He’s had an unbelievable off-season, and I think that Hutch is as ready as anybody to come back for his senior year.

“Mike did a lot of good things for us last year, and he’s a guy that you can’t take for granted because he’s made big plays and hit big shots,” Tinkle said. “The thing that impressed us the most about Mike is that we told him that he’d have to defend and rebound in his spot for us to play him, and he did that. I can think back to the Weber State regular-season game, and we were playing him and Spencer at the four and five, and Mike was holding guys off the glass and did a nice job defensively. He’s geared up and ready to take on more as a junior.

“Then you look at some of the guys who have had limited rolls,” Tinkle said. “Andy Martin had his moments (last season), and he’s going to vie for playing time and should vie for the starting spot. Jake Wiley probably had as good an off-season as any Grizzly players has had in the past several years. He’s going to be pushing guys. We’ve got some good pieces who know what it took to get to where we have gone the past couple of seasons.

The Griz lost two veteran starters in guard Will Cherry and forward Mathias Ward, both seniors, while forward Spencer Coleman, who will not be returning for his senior season, had 18 starts a year ago. Ward (24 starts), who was lost for the season due to an injury, led UM in scoring (14.8 ppg), while Cherry (21 starts) was third (13.3 ppg), and Coleman was fifth (7.6 ppg).

Cherry was a three-time first team all-league pick, and was twice named the Big Sky’s defensive player of the year. He is Montana’s all-time leader with 104 career starts and 265 career steals, and is seventh in school history with 1,484 points.

Ward was a second team all-conference selection last season. He played in 118 career games and scored 933 points.

Tinkle and his staff of Kurt Paulson, Jono Metzger-Jones, and Kerry Rupp also added four preps, a junior college transfer, and have one redshirt returning.

The high school additions are 6-0 guard Mario Dunn Jr. (Salesian HS, Oakland, Calif.), 6-4 guard Brandon Gfeller (Colfax HS, Wash.), 6-5 guard-forward Jack Lopez (Jannali HS, Bankstown Australia), and 6-4 guard-forward Daine Muller (Billings Skyview HS, Mont.).

Chris Kemp, a 6-7, 238-pound JC transfer from Baltimore, who played at West Texas College, should compete for a starting berth. Also back is 6-2 guard Riley Bradshaw (Corvallis HS, Mont.), who redshirted last year after transferring from Utah State.

Also new to the program is 6-8 junior center Martin Breunig from the University of Washington, who will not be able to play until next season due to NCAA transfer rules.

“We do have a lot of new additions to the team,” Tinkle said. “We love the returners and the experience that we’ve got, but we’re going to need some of these new guys to contribute.

“We’ve got to combine those veterans and returning guys with the incoming players,” he said. “It’s going to take some time. We’ve got a tough preseason in a while. It’s going to be a fun ride, and we just hope to get everything lined up by the time we roll into conference play.

“Mario is going to have to play minutes right away, much like Keron when he was a freshman backing up Will,” Tinkle said. “We’re expecting him, by the time he gets four or five games under his belt, that he’s ready to go. He has to understand what it takes strength and conditioning-wise at this level.

“Brandon Gfeller, I’m not sure if he will be ready this year,” Tinkle continued. “He works hard and can shoot it from anywhere. He’s worked on his game off the dribble and his mid-range game. We’ve got to see if he can defend and rebound in his spot. He might be competing for some back-up time at the two or at the three.

“Chris Kemp is a very powerful post player,” Tinkle said. “He’s a wide body at around 6-6, 240, and he gets off the floor well. He has really strong hands and is just a tireless worker. He’s got a ways to go, as far as footwork and learning our concepts on both ends. But we think the battle at the four spot, with Mike, and Jake, and Chris – there’s going to be some battles.

“Jack Lopez, the Australian, is 6-5, a good athlete, and probably a two-three,” Tinkle said. “We hope that he can back up Kareem at the three spot right away. He’s a good shooter and can really run the floor, although we’ve got to work on his skill level a little.

“The big guy, Mark Breunig who transferred from UW, he’s going to be a load,”he said. “He’s got good hops and he works his tail off. Obviously he’s got to sit this year out.”

COACH TINKLE TALKS POSITION-BY-POSITION

POINT GUARD

“We feel pretty good about the guard spot, although some of the players may be a bit unproven. We’re going to have to fill a pretty big void. Will Cherry had a great impact on our program the past four years. Keron DeShields got some invaluable experience last year with Will’s injuries, and performed well for us. We are very excited about what Mario Dunn is going to bring to our point guard position.

“We’ve also got Kareem Jamar who played minutes there (point guard) last year and he played very well, as did Jordan Gregory. We feel pretty confident about what we have, we just need a couple of them to emerge as our leaders, and that will give us a lot more flexibility with the other positions.

“Jack Lopez we think will be able to play the two and the three. He can really shoot it and needs to work on his skills a little bit. Moran Young is a guy who just gets better and better – who knows where he will figure in. So we feel pretty comfortable with those two guard positions and the depth that we have.”

TWO GUARD

“Jordan really stepped up for us and played really big down the stretch. We are excited about him playing off the ball because of his shooting ability. Then we’ve got Brandon Gfeller, who is as good of a shooter as I’ve seen. He works hard and has good size and length. Riley Bradshaw will also be in the mix when he becomes eligible around Christmas, and he can play both of those positions. We like his play-making ability and size.”

GUARDS:

Riley Bradshaw, 6-2, 180, Fr., RS, 24.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg (prep averages)

Keron DeShields, 6-2, 182, Jr., 2V: 6.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 79.4 FT%

Mario Dunn Jr., 6-0, 170, Fr., HS (his high school did not keep individual stats)

Brandon Gfeller, 6-4, 180, Fr., HS, (prep stats NA)

Jordan Gregory, 6-2, 185, Jr., 2V, 8.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 88.1 FT%

Daine Muller, 6-4, 200, Fr., HS, 22.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg (prep stats)

Morgan Young, 6-0, 180, So., 1V, 0.4 ppg, 0.0 rpg (8 games)

THREE POSITION

“At the three we’ll start Kareem there, but we like the fact he has some versatility. We can move Kareem to the point or the two, or the four. We’ve got a couple of guys, especially in league, like Gfeller at almost 6-4 can play the three spot. Jack Lopez can play there, as can Nick Emerson, who has gotten better.

“We’ve played Mike exclusively at the four, but he’s really worked on his athleticism and conditioning and strength, so we feel now that he’s closer to being able to defend at the three. So we could go big and put Kareem at the two and Mike at the three, and really have some shooters and some play-makers at that position. That’s going to be a key position for us.”

POWER FORWARD

“At power forward we have Chris Kemp, who is big and strong. He’s athletic and a very good rebounder, and finishes around the rim. Jake Wiley had a great off-season, and he’s added some size and strength. I know he’s one of our better post players we have as far as athleticism goes.

“Mike can slide in there as well. So at the four spot I think we have more solid strength and toughness there than we did a year ago, where it was just mostly Mathias. Mike got some great experience too, when Mathias went down.”

FORWARDS:

Kareem Jamar, (G-F), 6-5, 210, Sr., 3V: 14.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.0 apg, 49.4 FG%

Chris Kemp, 6-7, 238, Jr., JC, 7.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg (JC stats)

Nick Emerson, 6-5, 206, So., 1V, 0.0 ppg, 0.3 rpg (12 games)

Jack Lopez (G-F), 6-5, 210, Fr., HS, (prep stats NA)

Mike Weisner, 6-7, 185, Jr. 2V, 6.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 90.0 FT%

Jake Wiley, 6-7, 190, So., 1V, 1.0 ppg, 0.6 rpg (20 games)

CENTER

“Hutch also had a great off-season, and he’s really excited about his senior year. We threw so much at Andrew and he got better and better. We really had hoped to redshirt him, but I think the fact that he got some playing time and had to play in some big games will help him this year. He had a very good off-season. Somehow we’ve got to get his metabolism slowed down so he can start to put on some bulk, but he and Hutch – that combination is going to be good for us.

“We also have the flexibility to go small and put Chris Kemp there against some teams. I am excited about our front court, because we do have some interchangeable parts, and we have more strength and toughness then maybe a year ago.”

CENTERS

Eric Hutchison, 6-9, 230, Sr., 3V, 3.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg

Andy Martin, 7-0, 223, So., 1V, 2.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, .75 blk pg (28 games)

Martin Breunig, 6-8, 210, Jr. (Will not play until the 2014-15 season due to NCAA transfer rules)

THE SCHEDULE

The Griz have several difficult road contests, and they open their regular-season on the road at Minnesota (Nov. 12) and at South Dakota State (Nov. 14). The Gophers were 21-13 last season. SDSU was 25-10 last year, including a 68-67 double overtime win over the Grizzlies in Missoula.

“It’s a very challenging schedule, especially early,” said Tinkle, who sports a 141-78 career record at his alma mater. “But we like it that way. We’re going to be tested. We’re going to be able to develop some toughness. Our guys are going to have to be ready to answer the challenge.

“It’s gotten more and more difficult to get teams to come to Missoula,” said Tinkle who has been named the league’s “Coach of the Year” the past two seasons. “Our non-league schedule will be a great experience for us in terms of preparing for the Big Sky race.”

Montana’s home opener is Friday, Nov. 22, against the University of San Francisco Dons, a team that beat the Griz 78-68 a year ago. The Grizzlies have three other non-conference home games against Idaho, St. Martin’s and UM-Western.

The Griz are on the road again after the USF contest, playing at Washington (Nov. 26) and at Hawaii (Nov. 29). UM’s other non-league road game is at Idaho on Dec. 28.

Montana starts its Big Sky slate hosting Northern Arizona and Sacramento State, Thursday and Saturday, Jan. 2 & 4. UM’s home games will start at 7:05 p.m.

“There are some Big Sky teams that return a lot of talent with a ton of experience,” Tinkle said. “Weber lost a couple of key guys, but they’ve got big pieces back. Northern Colorado and North Dakota are two teams that were playing their best basketball at the end of the year, and they’ve got everybody back.

“Probably the top four teams along with us will be Weber, Northern Colorado, and North Dakota, as far as the coaches and media voting goes in the pre-season polls,“ Tinkle said. “But, I know the rest of the teams have worked hard and are going to be better. Sacramento State is very improved, and I know that Bill (Evans) at Idaho State will have those guys playing a lot better. Northern Arizona did a nice job last season, and Eastern Washington and Portland State always seem to have good talent. Southern Utah lost a lot of good players, but coach (Nick) Robinson does a good job, and I am sure he will have them geared up.

“I think this could be as competitive a league as we’ve seen in awhile,” Tinkle said. “The past couple of years there have been a couple of us who have ran away from the pack, and I am not sure if that’s going to happen this year.”

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Week 4 Preview

By Brandon Lawrence, FCS Assoc

In yet another matchup of Big Sky and Southland teams, Stephen F. Austin and quarterback Brady Attaway hope to take down No. 3 Montana State on Saturday.

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - What's in the recipe for a good rivalry? Is it the proximity between two teams and what city or state they call home, a la Boston and New York? Is it based on an occurrence in the past that may have caused ill feelings toward one another? The answer is likely a mixture of those things sprinkled into one concoction, some more prevalent than others. But in the FCS, with so many programs located in the eastern half of the country, how do western teams develop and refine a rivalry? Perhaps the Big Sky and Southland conferences, with no real geographic location similarities other than being located on the western side of the FCS map, have found a way to make it work. The last few seasons are prime examples. Take Sam Houston State, a team that has been to back-to-back national championships. The Bearkats were able to reach the national plateau by taking down some pretty formidable opponents. Opponents from the Big Sky Conference. Last season, Sam Houston State advanced past Cal Poly, Montana State and Eastern Washington in consecutive weeks to reach the national title game. How about in 2011? The Bearkats defeated Montana State and Montana before losing in the title game. Without natural non-conferences rivals to play week in and week out, it seems logical that two conferences with a longstanding history and recent playoff feud should be entwined in such a way. "It's always tough down in our region to find FCS games to play. There just aren't a whole lot of FCS schools down this way," Sam Houston State coach Willie Fritz said. "So the more that we can get out and play top-notch teams in other conferences throughout the nation I think is very good for the Southland Conference." While the Bearkats face future Southland opponent Incarnate Word on Saturday, it's hard to believe the team isn't looking past this weekend just a bit to its next matchup against Eastern Washington in Huntsville, Texas - one of the more highly anticipated games this season. In 2009, Stephen F. Austin contributed to the building blocks of a conference rivalry by knocking Eastern Washington out of the playoffs on its way to being eliminated by Montana of, you guessed it, the Big Sky Conference. The Lumberjacks can pile on to that rivalry this weekend, when the team hosts third-ranked Montana State in Nacogdoches. Bobcats coach Rob Ash is very aware of the importance of this game, not just for the team's record, but looking ahead to possible playoff seeding. "This is a key matchup, not just for Montana State and Stephen F. Austin, but for our respective conferences," Ash said. "It stems out of the last two or three years the fact that we've run into that conference so frequently in the playoffs. It seems like the NCAA playoff selection committee seems to pair us up. I suppose it does have a geographical base, although we're not really that close. "But we've played Sam Houston a couple of times. Montana has played Sam Houston a couple of times. Cal Poly has played them, Eastern has played those guys in the playoffs. Stephen F. Austin played Montana in the playoffs three or four years ago. McNeese has been against our teams in the playoffs many times. So I think the rivalry kind of stems out of the fact that we frequently run into Southland teams early and often in the playoffs." Stephen F. Austin coach J.C. Harper said he's thankful teams like Montana State are willing to make the trip down to Texas to contribute to this growing rivalry. "I think that it's a really great thing we have going on, kind of similar to the Big 10 and Pac-12 this past weekend," Harper said. "When you break down the NCAA playoffs and they go by regions, us being in the West region with the Big Sky, I think it makes it where there's kind of like a rivalry. ... It's really neat to see such great teams come to Nacogdoches in east Texas, so we're very thankful." Regardless of what the score is once the final whistle blows, both Ash and Harper will have enjoyed the competition between two FCS power conferences with a rapidly growing reputation for knocking each other's teeth out come playoff time. The following is a game-by-game breakdown for The Sports Network FCS Top 25 and other select games (all times ET): Saturday, Sept. 21 Columbia (0-0) at No. 21 Fordham (3-0) Kickoff: 1 p.m. What to know: There's so much more to this game than just football. Fordham and Columbia meet annually to battle for the Liberty Cup between two of the three Division I institutions in New York City that sponsors football. The Liberty Cup was born in 2002, and is designed to honor alumni as well as members of the various New York state agencies whose lives were lost in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The host school donates the proceeds of the game to a scholarship fund. Ultimately, those proceeds come from supporters itching to see this anticipated game. This is Columbia's first game of the season, and the Lions face a Fordham team that has recently moved into the Top 25 with three seriously impressive wins over two CAA Football opponents and one FBS program (Temple). The Lions are impressed by their Stanford transfer quarterback Brett Nottingham, but Fordham has weapons of its own. Quarterback Michael Nebrich and running back Carlton Koonce are just two of Fordham's standouts this season. And with the especially difficult portion of the schedule behind them, the Rams are looking ahead to a possible playoff bid if the winning continues. Prediction: Fordham 34, Columbia 14 Jacksonville State (3-0) at Georgia State (0-3) Kickoff: 2 p.m. What to know: It's tough for any team in the Ohio Valley Conference to compete right now with what Eastern Illinois is doing, but let's remember Jacksonville State is also 3-0. Sure, the Gamecocks needed two overtimes to finish off Division II North Alabama last Saturday, and haven't faced anything close to what they'll see on Nov. 16 when they travel to face Eastern Illinois. But this weekend's matchup with FBS opponent Georgia State could yield another Jacksonville State victory. The Panthers are 0-3, and have lost twice at the Georgia Dome to FCS programs (Samford in Week 1 and Chattanooga Week 2). Last weekend, they were tormented by West Virginia, 41-7. Prediction: Jacksonville State 28, Georgia State 20 No. 4 Towson (3-0) at North Carolina Central (2-1) Kickoff: 2 p.m. What to know: Towson is one of two unbeaten teams in the CAA and is very serious about winning the conference outright and receiving an automatic bid to the playoffs. Especially after last year's disappointment when the selection committee decided not to include the Tigers, this year's Towson team isn't taking any chances at missing the postseason again. And realistically, there aren't many ways to stop Terrance West. It's possible to limit him, but stopping him is near impossible. Delaware State did a decent job of limiting him to 82 rushing yards, but look again, West had five rushing touchdowns. North Carolina Central is absolutely a tough Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference opponent, but no match for Towson, which has scored 49 points in its last two games. With Bethune-Cookman facing FBS Florida State this weekend, a loss to Towson shouldn't set North Carolina Central any further back in the MEAC pecking order. Prediction: Towson 38, North Carolina Central 20 Southern Illinois (1-2) vs. Southeast Missouri State (0-2) Kickoff: 2 p.m. at Busch Stadium in St. Louis What to know: This is the first football game being played in Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. That's big news to the 26 players on Southeast Missouri's roster who are from the greater metropolitan St. Louis area. Junior receiver Mike Cyliax is from St. Louis, and grew up watching the Cardinals play, and said he is very much looking forward to playing in the stadium with his family and friends in attendance. The Redhawks can't just take it all in, though. There's still a football game to be played, and Southern Illinois is coming off a lopsided win over Charleston (W.V.), in which the Salukis totaled 450 yards of offense. Three running backs carried the ball over 10 times last Saturday and will likely work again against a patchy Redhawks defense. Prediction: Southern Illinois 24, Southeast Missouri State 14 Oklahoma Panhandle State (1-2) at No. 9 Montana (2-0) Kickoff: 3 p.m. What to know: Montana has one more task before the Grizzlies sink their teeth into the Big Sky portion of their schedule. Oklahoma Panhandle State stands in the way before that happens. Montana quarterback Jordan Johnson had a record week for the Grizzlies in a 55-17 rout of North Dakota last Saturday. The junior completed 15 of his 19 pass attempts for 354 yards and five touchdowns, with an efficiency rating of 322.3. In other words, look out Panhandle State. Couple Jordan Canada's 104-yard, two-touchdown performance to Johnson's stats and you get a one-sided victory. The Grizzlies also held North Dakota receiver Greg Hardin, who led the nation entering Week 3 with 370 receiving yards, to just 46 on five receptions. Montana should roll right by Panhandle State in this one. For reference, the Aggies lost in their opening week to another FCS squad Lamar, 75-0. Prediction: Montana 52, Oklahoma Panhandle State 7 Harvard (0-0) at San Diego (1-1) Kickoff: 3 p.m. What to know: Welcome to the party, Ivy League. It's the traditional mid-September start for the Ivies and Harvard makes the cross-country trek to face the Pioneer Football League's Toreros, who are coming off a bye. San Diego was picked as the favorites to win the PFL's first automatic bid to the FCS postseason, but have a challenge this weekend against Harvard. The Crimson will have to handle Mason Mills, who passed for 313 yards and three touchdowns in the Toreros' win over Western New Mexico two weeks ago, and also the efficient run game. Joe Ferguson impressed in Week 2 with 156 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Bug Rivera added a score on the ground. What Harvard has going at the moment is the element of surprise. There is no game film or scouting report from last week on the Crimson, so San Diego will have to overpower them the best way it knows how. Prediction: San Diego 21, Harvard 14 No. 16 Stony Brook (1-1, 1-0 CAA) at No. 20 Villanova (0-2, 0-0) Kickoff: 3 p.m. What to know: This game could be the matchup of the week, depending on which Villanova team shows up. Or, possibly, the Villanova team we've seen this year is the only side to the program. The Wildcats have underperformed immensely through their two games, but have also suffered an excruciating number of injuries to some key players. The bye week they just had may have cleared up a few bruises and got the team back on track. Stony Brook is coming off a five-overtime loss to FBS Buffalo and is looking forward to its first matchup with Villanova as a CAA member. One of the main reasons Villanova hasn't been successful through two games is due to the lack of its high-powered rushing attack. Neither quarterback John Robertson nor tailback Kevin Monangai has eclipsed the net 100-yard mark in a game, which is unusual. This game is one to keep an eye on. Can Stony Brook knock Villanova, which started the season ranked fifth in the country, out of the Top 25? Prediction: Villanova 27, Stony Brook 21 No. 6 South Dakota State (3-0) at Nebraska (2-1) Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. What to know: The good news for South Dakota State is that UCLA just went into Nebraska's Memorial Stadium and dismantled the Cornhuskers, 41-21. Maybe that took some wind out of the Huskers' sails. The Jackrabbits will need yet another solid performance out of Zach Zenner, the nation's leading rusher with 540 yards (not just the FCS, Zenner has more yards through three weeks than anyone on the FBS, Division II and Division III levels). His nine total touchdowns through three games will need to continue against Nebraska. On the other hand, the Huskers defense has allowed 163.7 yards per game to opposing running backs and held them to just three touchdowns through three games. Warm that arm up, Austin Sumner. If Nebraska can cancel out your running game, looks like you'll be taking to the air frequently. Prediction: Nebraska 34, South Dakota State 21 Delaware State (0-2) at No. 1 North Dakota State (2-0) Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. What to know: What's more dangerous than this North Dakota State team? How about a North Dakota State team coming off a bye week? Traditionally, bye weeks are better served after more than two games have been played, although injuries tend to occur more often in the early season when players are still getting into playing shape. So with an extra week of rest, the Bison should be set to go this Saturday in Fargo, the site of this weekend's ESPN "College Gameday" show. Give credit to Delaware State for being a MEAC team that scheduled some extremely tough competition in the early season, with opponents like Delaware, Towson and NDSU. Maybe seeing this talented opposition will help out when the Hornets get into their conference schedule, but for the third straight week we can expect another DSU loss. Prediction: North Dakota State 48, Delaware State 13 BISON ARE BEST Since the start of the 2011 season, two-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State has the best winning percentage of any Division I school: 1. North Dakota State (Missouri Valley), 30-2 (.938); 2. Alabama (SEC), 27-2 (.931); 3. Oregon (Pac-12), 27-3 (.900); 4. Lehigh (Patriot), 23-3 (.885); 5. LSU (SEC), 26-4 (.867); 6. Boise State (Mountain West), 25-4 (.862), and Stanford (Pac-12), 25-4 (.862); 8. Harvard (Ivy), 17-3 (.850); 9. Northern Illinois (MAC), 25-5 (.833) Source: North Dakota State University Athletics No. 7 Northern Iowa (2-0) at Northern Colorado (1-2) Kickoff:3:35 p.m. What to know: Northern Iowa is another team coming off an early bye week looking to build on its early season success, and a game with Northern Colorado should be a nice way to ease back into the team's schedule. The Bears have dropped two straight contests against Wyoming and Colorado State-Pueblo, and have relied heavily on their passing game in those losses. That's OK with the Panthers, whose defense averages 188 yards per game to opponents' passing attacks (and has allowed just three touchdowns through the air this season). Northern Colorado has had some problems hanging onto to the football as well, turning the ball over a combined five times in the team's two losses. UNI's David Johnson should be able to continue his success on the ground. The junior is second in the nation with 171 rushing yards per game. His Panthers could easily be 3-0 for the first time since the 2007 season. Prediction: Northern Iowa 38, Northern Colorado 17 No. 22 Lehigh (2-0) at Princeton (0-0) Kickoff: 6 p.m. What to know: After two consecutive come-from-behind victories, Lehigh would probably like to get a decisive victory right about now to prove it's still tops in the Patriot League. Monmouth put a nice scare into Lehigh last Saturday, although if someone looked only at the stat sheet from that game, it would appear to be more of a one-sided Mountain Hawks' victory. Lee Kurfis became the first receiver in Patriot League history to record consecutive games with 200-plus receiving yards. The one thing going for both Lehigh and Monmouth Saturday (or not going, from the defensive perspective) was the number of big plays. Four combined offensive touchdowns were scored from 20 yards or more. That's what Princeton has to deal with this weekend. All eyes will likely be on Caraun Reid up the middle, who will try to disrupt Brandon Bialkowski's rhythm in the pocket. Let's see how the Mountain Hawks handle the fresh legs of Princeton. Something to also keep in mind: the Mountain Hawks had to deal with the midweek arrest of a player and the suspension of four heading into the game. Prediction: Lehigh 33, Princeton 24 Wagner (1-2) at Delaware (2-1) Kickoff: 6 p.m. What to know: Hopefully Wagner, last year's Northeast Conference champion, can put last week's loss to Syracuse out of its mind. A 54-0 beatdown sticks with anyone, regardless of the fact that it came at the hands of an ACC team. But after two straight losses, the first of which to Division II Merrimack, the Seahawks can't be all that confident. Now consider that Delaware is 2-0 at home this season and has posted 93 points against its opponents at Delaware Stadium. And last week's loss to Navy was just a little blip on the radar. Blue Hens quarterback Trent Hurley is enjoying a proficient season, throwing for 718 yards through his first three games, and is 60-of-85 on pass attempts. The struggle for Wagner to find a set starter at quarterback continues, as Matt Misely saw the most action against 'Cuse. He completed 4-of-11 attempts for 11 yards, while Chris Andrews completed just one pass on eight attempts for 14 yards. The Delaware defense will be all over whichever quarterback is under center. Prediction: Delaware 28, Wagner 17 Hampton (0-3) at No. 15 Coastal Carolina (3-0) Kickoff: 6 p.m. What to know: Can we just skip ahead to Oct. 19 when Coastal Carolina and Liberty meet up in Lynchburg? Both Liberty and Coastal are off to hot starts, but Coastal is the one ranked in the nation's Top 25 at 3-0. Liberty is currently 2-1 and faces Richmond. We'll get there. Here's what you really need to know about this game: Hampton concedes an average of 200.7 rushing yards to opponents each game. Coastal's Lorenzo Taliaferro is sixth in the nation with a 139-yard average rushing per game and has scored five ground touchdowns. Through three games, Hampton has been underwhelming, giving up an average of 34.3 points per game to opponents while scoring only 14.3 points per game. Yes, a lot of stock will be put into the Oct. 19 game with Liberty to determine the supreme ruler of the Big South, but for now Coastal will stick ahead of the Flames as far as its record is concerned. Prediction: Coastal Carolina 35, Hampton 17 No. 19 Bethune-Cookman (3-0) at Florida State (2-0) Kickoff: 6 p.m. What to know: For the second week in a row, Bethune-Cookman will take on an intra-state FBS squad. This matchup may not pan out the same way for the Wildcats, though. Florida State enters Week 4 of the season ranked eighth in the FBS and has already disposed of Pittsburgh, 41-13, and Nevada, 62-7. The Seminoles are a very offensively based team, averaging 575 total yards per game. It will be quite the task for the Wildcats to try to handle the speed Florida State's players possess. The bright side for BC-U is that this game is just a test and ultimately a loss won't count against the team in the MEAC standings. The Wildcats, who beat FIU last week, get a week off after playing Florida State, then start up conference play with Delaware State. Prediction: Florida State 52, Bethune-Cookman 18 Liberty (2-1) at No. 23 Richmond (1-2) Kickoff: 6 p.m. What to know: The Kent State game aside, Liberty finally gets an opponent that will test its durability and skill. Richmond is a bit wounded coming off a 12-10 loss to Gardner-Webb, one of Liberty's Big South foes. The Flames will make the short trip to Richmond for the first time, but, more importantly, it's the first time Richmond coach Danny Rocco will face his former Liberty squad, which he coached for six seasons. Should Richmond drop to 1-3, the Spiders would have to make serious headway into their CAA schedule to battle back and earn a playoff bid. Liberty didn't need an especially big performance from anyone last week. Josh Woodrum barely cracked the 100-yard passing mark (101 on the day), while Desmond Rice was three yards shy of 100 rushing (though he did score three touchdowns on the ground). The Spiders boast the sixth-best scoring defense in the nation , however, averaging 11.7 points per game to its opposition. Richmond will have to accumulate more on the offensive side to avoid a 1-3 start and a probable drop from the Top 25. Prediction: Liberty 25, Richmond 20 Charlotte (2-1) at No. 17 James Madison (2-1) Kickoff: 6 p.m. What to know: Charlotte started the season strong, posting two decisive wins over Campbell and Chowan. But perhaps those wins were a bit deceptive, especially after seeing the 49ers get demolished by North Carolina Central last Saturday. As a startup football program, Charlotte was out to almost a surprising start behind freshman quarterback Matt Johnson, who threw for eight touchdowns in the first two weeks. But against N.C. Central, Johnson was a turnover machine, tossing five interceptions. The opponents keep getting tougher for Charlotte. James Madison, led by linebacker Stephon Robertson, will force the 49ers into mistakes. And if Idreis Augustus can scamper for two touchdowns for N.C. Central, imagine what Dae'Quan Scott will be able to do carrying the ball. Expect the growing pains to continue for Charlotte, which looks to move up to the FBS level in a couple years. Prediction: James Madison 32, Charlotte 14 No. 3 Montana State (2-1) at Stephen F. Austin (1-2) Kickoff: 7 p.m. What to know: The Bobcats fared very well under the new leadership of sophomore quarterback Jake Bleskin in Saturday's home win over Colorado Mesa. By now, the nation is aware of DeNarius McGhee's separated shoulder and rough timeframe for recovery, which leaves Bleskin with some anticipated playing time ahead. This week will be his first real test. Stephen F. Austin enters Saturday's matchup just 1-2 on the year, but as one of the more explosive offensive teams in the country. The Lumberjacks average 516.7 yards of offense and 34.3 points per game behind quarterback Brady Attaway. The Montana State defense will be busy trying to limit him and top receiver Mike Brooks. The all-time series between these two teams stands at 4-1 in favor of Montana State, but in Nacogdoches the teams are knotted up, 1-1. The goal here for the Bobcats, as simple-minded as it may sound, will be for the offense to outgain and outscore the Lumberjacks offense. In other words, if Bleskin can keep pace with Attaway, the Bobcats won't have much trouble. Both of these teams are capable of producing, so it will come down to which one makes the fewest mistakes. Prediction: Montata State 31, Stephen F. Austin 24 Incarnate Word (2-1) at No. 5 Sam Houston State (2-1) Kickoff: 7 p.m. What to know: You think it will be hard for the Bearkats not to look past Incarnate Word to their matchup with Eastern Washington on Sept. 28? It'll be difficult, that's for sure. But Sam Houston State will do well to pay close attention to the Cardinals because they'll be joining the Southland Conference at the start of next season. Still, with such an anticipated contest on the horizon, the Bearkats may have a bit of tunnel vision. That's not to say Sam Houston is on upset alert this weekend. The Bearkats will do just fine against a Cardinals team that lost its only Southland matchup (and FCS matchup, for that matter) to Central Arkansas, 58-7. Though the Cardinals are allowing just 41.7 yards rushing to opponents this season, they haven't faced Timothy Flanders yet. Flanders, about to become the Southland's all-time leading rusher, is currently 14th in the nation in rushing yards per game with 109.7. If he can do damage against the Texas A&M defense (170 yards, two touchdowns), he should be able to make a significant dent against UIW. Prediction: Sam Houston State 50, Incarnate Word 13 No. 13 Central Arkansas (1-2) at Missouri State (0-3) Kickoff: 7 p.m. What to know: It's the battle of the Bears, although this one may be a little lopsided. The Missouri State Bears actually hold a 3-1 advantage in Springfield over the Central Arkansas Bears, but this year the scale is not tilted in Missouri State's favor. Missouri State did just get a phenomenal performance out of running back Vernon Scott (189 yards, two touchdowns) in a heartbreaking loss to Murray State in the final minute of regulation. Although Central Arkansas was upset last week by UT Martin, that shouldn't happen again. This season, Central Arkansas quarterback Wynrick Smothers hasn't looked entirely comfortable without his two favorite receivers from a year ago. He's thrown five interceptions in the team's last two games. This underperforming UCA squad needs this game against a struggling Missouri State team to get things back on track and the record back to .500. Prediction: Central Arkansas 42, Missouri State 23 No. 8 Eastern Illinois (3-0) at Northern Illinois (2-0) Kickoff: 7 p.m. What to know: Eastern Illinois isn't much of a surprise anymore. Not that the Panthers are stunning anyone with their early season success, but the way in which they've won games has been taking some spectators aback. Everyone knew about the dynamic duo of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and wide receiver Erik Lora before the season began. But whatever expectation you had prior to the season, regardless of how big or small that expectation was, the two have blown it out of the water to date. That's a fact. Now Eastern has a chance at really proving its ability against FBS Northern Illinois. This could be the second win over an FBS squad for the Panthers after downing San Diego State in Week 1. Though Northern Illinois holds a 24-10-1 series lead, you can't deny Eastern's hot streak offensively versus its previous three opponents. NIU seems like the best choice here because of its FBS status, but the game may be closer than people think. Prediction: Northern Illinois 45, Eastern Illinois 38 South Dakota (1-1) at No. 25 Northern Arizona (1-1) Kickoff: 7 p.m. What to know: Although South Dakota was picked to finish last in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, this team isn't one of those bottom-feeding, underachieving squads that will be a pushover. The Coyotes aren't about to give up on what will be an up-and-down season. The reason for any up and down the team might experience is due to its difficult schedule. The Coyotes face Northern Iowa, Illinois State, Youngstown State, Montana, South Dakota State, and North Dakota State IN A ROW to close out the season. Come on, how is that fair? Throw in this matchup with No. 25-ranked Northern Arizona and you get one character-building schedule. Although the Lumberjacks haven't seen the production they'd like out of running back Zach Bauman this season, the team as a whole has been efficient enough to maintain its early 1-1 record. The Lumberjacks should be able to jump above the .500 mark in this one. Prediction: Northern Arizona 27, South Dakota 14 Gardner-Webb (2-1) at No. 10 Wofford (2-1) Kickoff: 7 p.m. What to know: This Gardner-Webb team is flying pretty high after its 12-10 upset over Richmond last Saturday. The celebration seems pretty quick, though, because the Runnin' Bulldogs have to turn around and face yet another Top 25 opponent in Week 4 in Wofford. And if Gardner-Webb is hot, Wofford is on fire. The Terriers rebounded after an embarrassing Week 1 loss to Baylor to defeat The Citadel and Georgia Southern in back-to-back weeks. It seems the Terriers have rightfully moved into the Top 10 after some offensive uncertainty to start the season. In last week's win over Georgia Southern, the Terriers did a great job limiting the unbelievably explosive Eagles' rushing attack to just (using "just" loosely) 342 yards. If Wofford could limit the Eagles to 20 points while managing to score 30 against one of the better teams in the country, Gardner-Webb shouldn't be too much of a task. Prediction: Wofford 28, Gardner-Webb 15 Tennessee State (2-1, 0-0 OVC) at Tennessee Tech (2-1, 0-0) Kickoff: 8 p.m. What to know: Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State meet up in this early season Ohio Valley Conference matchup, then rebound next weekend with non-conference schedules again. And there's a lot at stake in this one. Both teams enter this game 2-1 - Tennessee State having only lost by a field goal to Bethune-Cookman in the first week, and Tennessee Tech to FBS powerhouse Wisconsin. Both teams are looking to compete with Eastern Illinois, the OVC favorite. We know Tennessee State's defense is strong, last weekend giving up 16 points to Jackson State - the most points surrendered in a single game by the Tigers, who have played some of the top teams from the MEAC (Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M) and SWAC (Jackson State). Tennessee Tech has enjoyed the luxury of a light schedule, but that will change with the Tigers on Saturday. Prediction: Tennessee State 27, Tennessee Tech 14 Weber State (1-2) at No. 12 McNeese State (3-0) Kickoff: 8 p.m. What to know: As if getting blown out wasn't enough of a demoralizer for Weber State, the Wildcats capped their 70-6 loss to Utah State on another down note. After scoring their first and only touchdown of the game against the Aggies with 50 seconds remaining in regulation (to make the score 70-6), the Wildcats had their extra point attempt blocked. The proverbial kick when the team was already down. Now the Wildcats have to turn around and face McNeese State, a team with the second-best scoring offense in the FCS. That doesn't bode well for Weber State, since the Wildcats have the second-worst scoring defense in the FCS. In Weber State's only win this season, the Wildcats still gave up 40 points to Stephen F. Austin. While McNeese State averages 51.7 points per game, Weber State allows an average of 60 per game. How's that for a chops-licking matchup for McNeese State? Prediction: McNeese State 55, Weber State 21 Idle Teams: No. 2. Eastern Washington (2-1) No. 11. New Hampshire (1-1) No. 14. Georgia Southern (2-1) No. 18. Cal Poly (1-2) No. 24. UT Martin (2-1) Last Week's Record: 15-8 (.652) Season Record: 49-24 (.671)

Veteran tennis team opens fall schedule Friday

The Montana women's tennis team, the Big Sky Conference tournament runner-up the last two years, will open its fall schedule this week when the Grizzlies travel to Boise, Idaho, for the Jack Taylor Classic.
The three-day tournament will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Boise State's Appleton Tennis Center.Coach Steve Ascher is in his sixth year at Montana, and his 2013-14 team is one top-heavy with experience. Of the team's seven members, two are seniors and four are juniors. Only redshirt freshman Mackenzie Rozell is an underclassman.Despite the team's familiar faces that returned to campus last month, this fall feels like previous falls to Ascher: fresh and full of promise."Even though everyone is returning, I still feel like it's a brand-new season, in terms of my perspective," Ascher said."Everyone was focused and improved over the summer. Now I'm excited to see how those improvements play out in competition. I'm excited to see where we're at."With so much experience returning, Ascher should see a team that competes for singles and doubles flight titles in Boise this weekend.Montana lost just one player from last year's team, albeit a key component in the 2012-13 team's success in Heather Davidson, who played No. 1 singles and doubles for the Grizzlies.This year's senior class is made up of Maddy Murray and Ashley Mackey. The loaded junior class features Sasha Carter, Haley Driver, Precious Gbadamosi and Laurence Pelchat.

All four players were recognized by the Big Sky Conference following last year's successful sspring that ended with a 15-8 record, a 9-1 league mark and a spot in the Big Sky tournament championship match, opposite Sacramento State, for the second straight year.
Gbadamosi earned first-team All-Big Sky honors after going 10-0 in singles and 8-2 in doubles during league play. Carter (9-1 singles, 8-2 doubles) was named second team, Driver (7-2 singles, 8-1 doubles) and Pelchat (8-2 singles, 5-5 doubles) were honorable-mention selections.The Grizzlies played at the same tournament last fall and had matches against players from Boise State, BYU, Colorado State, Eastern Washington, Idaho, Montana State, Seattle, Utah State and Weber State.As of Wednesday, Ascher did not know what teams are scheduled to send athletes to this year's tournament, and that's fine with him."I'm not too concerned with who we're playing at this point in the season. The important thing for our players is that every time they step on the court, they shouldn't care who it is across the net," he said."Obviously some teams have more value and more meaning because they may hold a regional or national ranking, but I like the idea of them putting on blinders until they get on the court, then no matter who it is they are facing, getting after it."Ascher did not add any recruits to his team for the fall, and that's led to a team that looks a lot like last year's, but that's to overlook the loss of Davidson. Not only was Davidson a three-time first-team All-Big Sky player, her in-match intensity set the tone for Montana on game day."Heather really did a great job of helping the team establish a competitive identity, and not just last year but for all four of her years," Ascher said.As for the loss of Davidson's leadership, Ascher adds, "That's something I'm trying to wrap my head around right now for sure." And what he's started to come up with are the potential benefits of a team of players in which each adds to the collective leadership in their own unique way."I feel like everyone needs to lead and that everyone leads in a different capacity," he says. "Just like every individual has her own strengths as a player, I feel like everyone has leadership qualities and that everyone can fill a niche in terms of what they bring to the team in the area of leadership."The tournament at Boise State is the first of four fall tournaments for the Grizzlies. Montana will travel to Houston, Texas, next week for Rice's tournament, then compete at the ITA Mountain Regional in Las Vegas the second weekend of October. The fall season concludes at Fresno State's tournament in early November."I think every fall we've had a strong schedule and we've done well with it, and this fall is no different. The level of competition is going to be very good," Ascher said.The spring dual season opens with an exciting weekend of home matches at the Peak Racquet Club. Montana will host Minnesota on Jan. 31 and Washington State on Feb. 1. Both programs were nationally ranked during the 2013 spring season.

Griz Coach writes get well note!

http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/09/19/3209541/griz-coach-writes-get-well-note.html

Griz to host Wolf Pack for first time Friday

The Montana soccer team will host Nevada Friday at South Campus Stadium in the Grizzlies’ final match before beginning Big Sky Conference play next week. The match begins at 4 p.m.

Nevada will be making its first trip to Missoula. The only other matchup between the Grizzlies and Wolf Pack came in 2010 in Reno. Nevada won that match 3-1.

Coverage: Fans can follow Friday’s match from afar through live stats and live video. Links to both services can be found on the soccer schedule page at GoGriz.com. Calling Friday’s match for GoGriz.com will be Shaun Radley.

Upcoming: Montana will open Big Sky Conference play next week when the Grizzlies play at Weber State and Idaho State. It will be a key opening weekend for the three teams, all of which were picked to finish in the top four in the preseason coaches’ poll.

Where they stand: Montana is 2-3-3 after last weekend’s 0-1-1 trip to Omaha, Neb. The Grizzlies opened their weekend with a wild 3-3 draw with Nebraska-Omaha on Friday.

Montana went up 1-0 in the ninth minute on a goal by senior India Watne, then allowed two goals within a six-minute window to fall behind 2-1 at the half. Junior Tyler Adair tied it in the 80th minute, and sophomore Mackenzie Akins scored the potential game-winner in the 83rd minute.

But the Mavericks scored the equalizer in the 86th minute, and the teams played two scoreless overtime periods.

On Sunday Montana lost 2-1 in overtime at Creighton. The victory gave the Bluejays their sixth straight win.

Redshirt junior Stephanie Carl’s first career goal in the 67th minute opened the scoring, and for the second consecutive match the Grizzlies were unable to hold a late lead.

Creighton scored the equalizer in the 87th minute and the game-winner 3:48 into the first overtime.

Nevada enters Friday’s match with a record of 2-3-2. The Wolf Pack scored just two goals through its first six matches before finding the net three times in its 3-2 win over Sacramento State on Sunday.

Streak on the line: Montana is unbeaten at South Campus Stadium in its last 11 matches (6-0-5). The last team to beat the Grizzlies at home was Sacramento State, a 1-0 winner on Oct. 7, 2011.

Akins named Player of the Week: Though Montana did not come up with a win last weekend, College Sports Madness still named sophomore Mackenzie Akins its Big Sky Conference Player of the Week.

Akins assisted on Watne’s goal to open the scoring in Friday’s draw with Nebraska-Omaha and added an unassisted goal in the 83rd minute. She took a game-high eight shots in the match while playing 101 minutes.

In Sunday’s loss, Akins took two shots, putting both on goal, in 71 minutes.

Nine days of brilliance: In a span of nine days, from Montana’s 1-0 win over Houston Baptist to the Grizzlies’ 3-1 win over Utah Valley to their 3-3 draw with Nebraska-Omaha, Montana scored seven goals.

Akins played a role in six of the seven goals, scoring twice and adding four assists. Her four assists lead the Big Sky Conference.

How a 6-1-1 team has a 2-3-3 record: Montana has held second-half leads in four matches in which the Grizzlies have either finished with ties or losses.

Air Force came back from a 1-0 deficit to forge a 1-1 tie. Loyola Marymount rallied from a 1-0 hole to win 2-1. And last weekend both Nebraska-Omaha and Creighton scored goals in the closing minutes of regulation to hand Montana a tie and a loss.

Friday oddities: Montana allowed Nebraska-Omaha just eight shots last Friday, which was not odd. What was far from normal was what came from those shots.

Melanie McCormick’s goal in the 16th minute was the first first-half goal allowed by the Grizzlies this season, and when Chelsi Rohloff scored in the 22nd minute, it sent Montana to the locker room facing a deficit for the first time in its last 17 matches.

McCormick’s game-tying goal in the 86th minute gave the Mavericks three for the match, a total not allowed by the Grizzlies since a 3-1 loss at UNLV more than a year ago.

Nevada notes: The Wolf Pack has two wins this season. Both have come in their only other matchups against teams from the Big Sky Conference. Nevada defeated Eastern Washington 2-0 in a neutral-site match at Sacramento, Calif., and topped Sac State 3-2 on Sunday in Reno. … In that match, the Wolf Pack scored the game-winner in the 76th minute. … Nevada has five goals through seven matches, with five shutouts and five goals against the Eagles and Hornets. … The Wolf Pack has allowed seven goals, six of which have been scored in the first half. … Five different players have scored one goal apiece this season, and Nevada has a single assist on its five goals. … Kelsey Quintos has started all seven matches in goal and has three shutouts. … Nevada was picked eighth out of 11 teams in the Mountain West Conference preseason coaches’ poll. … The Wolf Pack plays at Gonzaga on Sunday.

Montana notes: Watne leads the Big Sky Conference in shots (3.25/g), Akins ranks second (2.88/g). … In Montana’s eight matches this season, the Grizzlies and their opponent have combined to score four first-half goals and 17 after halftime. … Akins leads Montana with eight points (2 goals, 4 assists), all of which she has scored the last two weekends. … The Grizzlies have nine injured players. None is expected to play against Nevada. … With injuries suffered last Friday keeping midfielders Britta Hjalmarsson and Ashley Robertson out of Sunday’s match against Creighton, freshman Jenna Castillo, who did not play a minute in Montana’s first four matches, got her first collegiate start and played 82 minutes.

Montana Sports Information

COMPLIANCE TIP OF THE WEEK - 9/1813

What are examples of permissible benefits that boosters CAN provide for enrolled student-athletes?

With the various NCAA rules and regulations regarding benefits to student-athletes, it may seem difficult to be a part of a university’s athletic programs. However, you can show your support as a booster in other ways.

Boosters may:

• Make contributions to university programs and other gift-in-kind arrangements.

• Attend university athletic events and show student athletes you support their hard work and dedication to the university.

• Provide employment for student-athletes as long as compensation is paid only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality.

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Laurel Hanson, Director of Compliance

The University of Montana

Department of Intercollegiate Athletics