BILLINGS — Montana State University Billings is temporarily changing how its athletic teams travel following a van crash last week that injured six members of the cross-country team.
Athletic Director Mike Bazemore said the department will now use professional, certified transportation companies while officials review the university’s travel procedures.
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“Anytime you have an incident like this, you want to be reflective,” Bazemore said in an interview with MTN News. “We’re always evaluating policies to make sure they’re still up to date.”
The temporary change means coaches and student-athletes will not drive university vehicles during team travel. Bazemore said any permanent updates to travel policy will require coordination and approval from university supervisors and Montana University System leaders.
“We have policies in place that we trust are rigorous,” he said. “But given the circumstances, we felt it was important to take this step to ensure the safety of our coaches and student-athletes.”
Bazemore acknowledged the decision could have a financial impact but said safety remains the university’s top priority.
“We’ll navigate that as we move through the upcoming weeks and months,” he said. “But safety is our priority.”
The review follows a Sept. 3 crash near Walla Walla, Wash., where a university rented van carrying MSU Billings cross-country runners went off a shoulder on a two-lane road and crashed into an embankment and driveway.
Washington State Patrol confirmed a 21-year-old student-athlete, Cecily Eagleton, was driving at the time. She was cited for a traffic infraction.
MTN News also reached out to the University of Montana’s athletic department to learn whether student-athletes there are ever permitted to drive for team travel.
Officials at UM said they do not, noting that student-athletes have never been used to transport teammates to games or matches, even for smaller programs. Those duties are handled by coaches or contracted drivers instead.
