Orediggers win third consecutive Bandy Award

A major league honor was announced today as the Montana Tech Orediggers won their third consecutive Bandy Award.  The following is a release from Montana Tech Athletics:

HELENA, Mont. -- Light the V again!

Montana Tech's intercollegiate athletics programs captured the Frontier Conference's George Bandy Memorial Conference All-Sports Award for the third-consecutive academic year, the league office announced Tuesday.

The Orediggers scored 105 points in the Bandy standings over the course of 2024-2025, edging archrival Carroll College by five points for the banner.

"Receiving the Bandy Award is a tremendous honor — earning it three years in a row is truly exceptional," Montana Tech chancellor Dr. Les Cook said. "I couldn't be prouder of our program, our dedicated coaching staff, and most importantly, our outstanding student-athletes. They represent the best of the best, excelling both in the classroom and in their sports."

Montana Tech captured three more Frontier Conference championships this past season, winning the Diggers' first-ever women's cross country title and a fourth-consecutive championship in both men's basketball and women's track & field.

"Winning the Bandy Award for the third-consecutive year is a tremendous honor and a reflection of the success of every one of our programs," Orediggers athletic director Matt Stepan said. "What makes this accomplishment truly special is that it represents a collective effort from our student-athletes and coaches to the incredible support of our faculty, staff, and administration. This recognition is a testament to the strength of our entire campus community. It's a great day to be an Oredigger!"

The Bandy Award is presented each year to the conference school that has accumulated the most points based on its regular season finish in football, women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, and men and women's outdoor track & field.

The all-sports award is named in honor of the first commissioner of the Frontier Conference, George Bandy, his wife, Cheryl Ann, and their 8-year-old son, Michael. The family died tragically in a boating accident in the summer of 1982 when their 14-foot sailboat capsized in high winds on Canyon Ferry Reservoir near Helena.

The conference regular-season champion receives 17 points, and the points decrease for each place after first with 12 for second, 10 for third, nine for fourth, eight for fifth, seven for sixth, six for seventh, and three for eighth.

If there is a tie in the regular season standings, the points for the place-finishing are added together and divided by the number of teams that tied. An example would be if two teams tied for first, they would each receive 14.5 points; the next place finisher would be awarded the third place points.

The conference features five members in all sports: Carroll, MSU-Northern, Montana Tech, Montana Western, and Rocky Mountain. Providence participates in all sports except football. Arizona Christian, College of Idaho, Eastern Oregon, and Southern Oregon are conference members in football only.

The Bandy Award was first presented after the 1982-83 season.

See the full 2024-25 Bandy Award standings here.

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