| Montana
State University will add men's skiing to its roster of
intercollegiate varsity sports squads beginning with the
2003-04 academic year. |
| Beginning
next winter, MSU's men's and women's ski teams will compete
in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association,
comprised of schools in the mountain west. The men's team
will offer the equivalent of two scholarships in 2003-04,
four scholarships in 2004-05, and six in 2005-06. Scholarship
money may be divided in skiing by rules of the NCAA, which
allows men's program the equivalent of 6.3 scholarships.
|
| "This
is a great opportunity for skiers in this area, and it's
good for the ski community in the state of Montana," said
Peter Fields, MSU athletic director. "The Bozeman and
Big Sky area has an active and supportive ski community,
and I think this is an exciting addition for many people.
This also gives us the opportunity to compete for an NCAA
Championship." |
| NCAA
ski meets are scored as combined men's and women's events,
which eliminates programs without both men's and women's
teams from the possibility of winning a national title.
|
| Dan
Brelsford, '79 BusMgmt, who has been MSU's ski coach
since the women's program was revived in 1993, will serve
as director of MSU skiing next season. |
|
Operating costs for the program will be covered by the
Bobcat Skiing Boosters, which consists of local business
people and ski enthusiasts, and which was organized to
raise funds for the MSU program. Coaching salaries and
two men's scholarships will be funded by MSU Athletics.
Fund-raising has begun. |
