Idaho State boosters and alumni say they may consider ending their standoff with the university’s athletic department in light of Wednesday’s announcement that ISU President Arthur Vailas will retire next June. The group, featuring prominent ISU donors, Hall of Fame inductees and alumni, announced its intent to withhold $80,000 of fundraising until Vailas and Athletic Director Jeff Tingey are removed from their positions.

“I definitely think that it would be entertainable,” former ISU football player LD Barthlome told the Journal by phone Wednesday. “We’ll meet as a group again and decide what we want to do.”

Barthlome and nine other boosters signed a letter published in the Journal on Aug. 6 addressing their displeasure with the current state of ISU athletics.The next day, the group announced it would withhold the $80,000 it raised for the school until administrative changes were made. Vailas will leave office June 17, 2018. Tingey’s contract runs through June 2019. He was signed to a new two-year deal in June.

“The southeast Idaho community and Bengal alumni have been somewhat disappointed over Dr. Vailas’ tenure and his commitment to the athletic department, in terms of advancement,” former ISU football player Tom Jewell said. “I’m sure Dr. Vailas has completed a lot of his goals and accomplishments, but athletics is certainly one that has been ignored.”

Vailas asserted the group’s recent activity did not affect the timing of his retirement, calling it “ridiculous” and “irrelevant.”

“It doesn’t matter what they think, what I think,” Vailas said during Wednesday’s Idaho State Board of Education meeting at the ISU Pond Student Union. “This was a train already on its road.”

Barthlome disagreed.

“President Vailas had definitely clarified that he was going to retire sometime soon,” Barthlome said. “I’m not saying that the letters that have been in the newspaper (caused) his retirement, but it may have sped up the timetable.”

Former ISU football player Dave Vandegriff, who played on the Bengals’ 1981 national championship team and signed the letter to the Journal with Jewell and Barthlome, said he hopes ISU’s next president pushes the institution in a positive direction athletically and academically. Vandegriff also said he will continue to donate to his alma mater regardless of who is at the helm.

“Our whole joint of focus is to make sure that we’re pushing in a positive direction,” Vandegriff said. “My feeling is that wasn’t happening under (Vailas’) leadership.”