HELENA — The Frontier Conference is proud to announce that Montana Tech has won the 2025-26 George R. Bandy Memorial All-Sports Award, capping off an outstanding year of athletics excellence. It was the fourth straight year that the Orediggers claimed the all-sports trophy, which saw a closely tight race this year.
This season, the Frontier Conference is honored to officially restore the award's original and complete title: the George R. Bandy Memorial All-Sports Award. The return to its full name serves as a tribute to George R. Bandy’s enduring legacy, his profound impact on the conference and his lifelong dedication to collegiate athletics.
"I am pleased to see the conference return to a more formal remembrance of George R. Bandy honoring his Frontier legacy through this award," stated Frontier Conference commissioner Scott Crawford. "Congratulations to the Orediggers of Montana Technological University for their collective accomplishments in athletics across twelve teams in 2025-26. I extend kudos to Chancellor Johnny MacLean, director of athletics Matt Stepan, and the entire department of athletics for continued excellence."
“Our family is deeply honored and incredibly proud to have the George R. Bandy Memorial All-Sports Award named in recognition of our father,” said Tom Bandy. “His passion for athletics, dedication to young people and commitment to sportsmanship meant so much to everyone whose lives he touched.
“Seeing his legacy continue through this award is both humbling and meaningful to our family. I also want to congratulate Montana Tech’s athletic department, coaching staff and student-athletes for winning this award for the fourth consecutive year.”
“We are incredibly honored to receive the George R. Bandy Memorial All-Sports Award for the fourth consecutive year, especially during a transformational period for the Frontier Conference,” said Stepan. “With the expansion of the conference and the addition of outstanding institutions across multiple states, this recognition carries even greater meaning. The level of competition throughout the league continues to rise, and that makes this achievement a true reflection of the commitment and consistency of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and campus community.”
“It is also especially meaningful to win an award that honors George R. Bandy and the legacy he left on the Frontier Conference,” added Stepan. “We are proud to represent Montana Tech and grateful to everyone who contributes to the culture and success of Digger Athletics.”
Award methodology and scoring updates
To be eligible for the George R. Bandy Memorial All-Sports Award, institutions must compete in a minimum of two Frontier Conference sports. The standings are determined by a comprehensive scoring system across all conference-sponsored sports, with specific criteria applied to ensure fairness and consistency (composite index score):
- Ties in the standings: Teams that tied in the countable standings received the exact same score. For example, in the event of a three-way tie for fourth place, all three teams were awarded a 4.0 mark, rather than an average (5.0) of the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place positions.
- Cross country and golf: All participating teams received a ranking team score, including instances where a team did not start and/or finish with the minimum number of participants required for a traditional team score.
- Track and field (indoor and outdoor): Only teams who successfully scored points at the championship meets received a placing score for the All-Sports Award
Montana Tech secured the top spot in this year’s standings with a composite index score of 3.083, driven by championship performances in football after winning the Frontier East Division football title and closing the athletics season by winning the men’s outdoor track and field team championship on the final event (4x400-meter relay).
They were closely followed by Carroll with 3.462 composite index score and Dakota State (S.D.) with 3.583 composite index score.
The remainder of the rankings were as follows: Rocky Mountain 4.083; Dickinson State (N.D.) 4.714; Bellevue (Neb.) 4.923; Bismarck State (N.D.) 6.182; Valley City State (N.D.) 6.929; Providence (7.000); Mayville State (N.D.) 7.000; MSU-Northern 7.889; Montana Western 7.900.
