This elephant in the room over at the University of Montana is especially massive.
Jordan Johnson’s rape trial will commence in a little more than two weeks, and it will be a high-profile, highly scrutinized process. The NCAA’s investigation of the football program surrounding the turbulence of late 2011/early 2012 is also ongoing (will it ever end?), and nobody really knows what will come of it.
More than anything, UM needs to simply get past both the Johnson trial and the NCAA inquiry, however they turn out. The athletic department needs closure. If Johnson is acquitted, there’s a chance he’ll return to the football team and play quarterback in 2013, and what a turn of events that would be.
As for the NCAA investigation, people speculate there isn’t much to find. There were perhaps some improper benefits to athletes -- meals, etc. -- but nothing of major consequence, they say. And, as many have correctly pointed out with regard to sexual assault accusations and the accompanying Barz Report, only one athlete (former football player Beau Donaldson) has been found guilty up to now.
Make no mistake: The Johnson trial and the NCAA inquiry are very influential, and they cannot be overstated. They have the attention of everyone, from department officials to boosters to the media. But the circumstances have taken away from many of the positives happening throughout athletics at UM, and that’s what we’re talking about here -- the university’s goal to move beyond 2012 and looking forward in 2013.
Following are a few thoughts:
Sure, the football team had a bad year. Really bad by its standards. Close losses aside, a 5-6 record doesn’t sit well with Griz fans regardless of the circumstances. But after a season-ending defeat to Montana State, coach Mike Delaney declared, “The Griz aren’t going anywhere. This is as far as we’ve ever went away, and we’ll be back -- quickly.” The team has spent the early part of its offseason shoring up the coaching staff and locking in recruits. UM took a hit when it lost Helena Capital standout Gunnar Brekke and Nevada transfer Tanner Rodrick to rival MSU on the recruiting trail. But at this point, the Grizzlies view those as “PR losses” more than anything. The recruiting class Delaney is set to announce on Feb. 6 looks really good by previous standards. The opener against Appalachian State at home is circled on the calendar, and it can’t come soon enough for UM.
As the football team regroups, Montana’s men’s basketball team has been nothing short of awesome in the last four years. The last two seasons in particular have been especially satisfying for Griz hoops fans. With an overtime victory over Montana State last Saturday, the Grizzlies extended their winning streak against Big Sky Conference opponents to 21. Moreover, UM hasn’t lost at home to a Big Sky foe since February of 2010. Coach Wayne Tinkle has been a strong ambassador for the basketball program, both on and off the court. Tinkle’s overall record in seven years with the Griz is 128-75, a winning percentage of .631. UM’s record under Tinkle is 80-32 mark (.714) in the past four seasons, including a pair of Big Sky tournament titles. There’s a lot for Montana to be proud of with the success on the hardwood.
Aside from football and basketball, the university continues to build the infrastructure of its fledgling softball program. It will be the first-ever Division I softball program in the state. The team is still more than a year from throwing its first pitch, but 2013 will be an important one for softball. Hiring a coach, preparing facilities and finding its first players will be of great importance. The university already has a plan for a softball stadium, but that's only part of UM’s facility improvement initiative, which includes breaking ground on an academic center and new locker rooms and weight rooms at the Adams Center on campus. The new year will be important for all of it.
Last, but definitely not least, UM athletes continue to impress in the classroom. It was recently announced that nine of the university’s 12 athletic programs posted team grade point averages of 3.00 or better for the 2012 fall semester. It marked the 15th consecutive semester that the department’s cumulative GPA has remained at 3.00 or higher. It should also be noted that the football team, with a 2.92 cumulative GPA, posted its highest academic performance in what the university describes as “the record keeping era.” Not bad at all.
With the Johnson trial and the NCAA investigation, there are still two big issues that need to be resolved. As always, there are budget challenges too. But by most accounts (cynics notwithstanding) the athletic department looks solid for 2013. And these bullet points underscore that.
It does seem that everyone within the apparatus has bought into the message and vision of new athletic director Kent Haslam, which, as he’s said, is to build around “academic success, athletic excellence and community service.” 2013 figures to be a turning point for Montana’s athletic department
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