A University of Montana football player charged with rape has pleaded guilty to the charge in exchange to a reduced sentence.

Beau Donaldson, 23, running back for Big Sky Conference Champion Team, the Montana Grizzlies, was charged in January for raping a woman in September 2010 while she slept at his residence after a night of heavy drinking, reports Reuters.

He had initially pleaded not guilty to a felony count of sexual intercourse without consent which carries a maximum sentence of life. But, Tuesday, he struck a deal with the prosecutors for a reduced sentence of 10 years in return to the guilty plea.

Moreover, defense lawyer Milton Datsopoulos is seeking a lesser sentence for his client whom he described as presenting no danger to society or to the community.

The student-related sexual assault reports that surfaced in the past year in the university led the federal authorities to believe that the university has failed to handle the sexual assault issues in an appropriate manner.

The NCAA, the US Department of Justice and the US Department of Education are independently investigating the university's handling of sexual assault reports and claims of sexual harassment over the past year.

While US Department of Justice is focusing on the alleged failure by the authorities in handling 80 reported rapes in the past three years in Missoula, many of them not related to the campus, US Department of Education is set to examine how officials at the 15,600-student campus in western Montana responded to at least 11 student-related sexual assaults reported there since 2010.

At least three of those involved rape accusations against University of Montana Grizzly players, including an alleged gang rape that did not result in charges being filed.

Till date, only two have been charged. Apart from Donaldson, quarterback Jordon Johnson was charged with sexual intercourse without consent in July. He has pleaded not guilty.

A state judge is expected to decide Donaldson's punishment in a hearing planned for November.