Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct

Westin La Cantera
San Antonio, Texas

November 4-5, 2002

Those in attendance were:

Chandra V. Bierwirth, Marist College
Marion H. Gibson Jr. (Woody),High Point University
George A. Klebez, West Virginia Wesleyan College
Joanna Kreps, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Janel McNeal, Emporia State University
Judy MacLeod, The University of Tulsa
Ralph (Chris) Reynolds, Notre Dame University
Dell Robinson, Mid-American Conference
Marjorie A. Willadsen, Buena Vista University
Mark P. Jones, NCAA, recording secretary
William Saum, NCAA
Ronald J. Stratten, NCAA

Committee members Tyler Conley, University of San Diego; John C. Harper, Bridgewater State College; and Tim Maddox, Cabrini College, were unable to attend the meeting.

[Note:  The following minutes reflect only actions taken (formal votes or “sense of meeting”) in accordance with the NCAA policy governing minutes of all Association entities.  While certain items on the committee’s agenda were acted upon at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]  

Monday, November 4, 2002

1.

Welcome and Announcements.  Ms. Bierwirth welcomed Ms. Kreps, Ms. McNeal and Mr. Reynolds to the committee.

2.

Mission Statement.  The committee reviewed its mission statement.

3.

Approval of June 2002 Minutes.

It was VOTED

“That the minutes of the committee’s June 21, 2002, meeting be approved as distributed.”

4.

Divisional Reports.  

a.

Mr. Klebez reported the management council accepted the report of the committee’s June meeting.  He believed that the management counsel is interested sportsmanship and ethical conduct and will be attentive to the formal actions of the committee.  It was also noted that on January 31 to February 2, a Division II regional leadership conference was scheduled in Minnesota.  

b.

Ms. Willadsen reported that the Division III Management Council had accepted the committee’s report from its June meeting.  She also reported that she was scheduled as a guest speaker on sportsmanship at the division’s regional leadership conference in Boston, Massachusetts.  

c.

Mr. Jones reported that as a result of a recommendation from the committee, the Division I Championships/Cabinet had established a subcommittee to hear appeals of misconduct cases occurring in NCAA championships.  The cabinet also referred a request to the committee from the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee for strategies on how to create better role models on sportsmanship and to improve sportsmanship during competition.  [Note:  The committee’s suggestions are noted in detail in item 16 of these minutes.]  

5.

Gambling Issue.  Mr. Saum reported the following information.

a.

A Federal bill to ban sports wagering in the state of Nevada on intercollegiate athletics contests was unlikely to be considered by the U.S. Senate before the end of the current session of congress; thus, unlikely to be enacted.  If the bill was not considered during the remaining 10 to 15 working days of the current session it shall expire and need to be re-introduced during the next session.

An Internet gambling bill, designed to prohibit sports wagering through the use of a credit card was likely to pass if brought to a vote on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.  

b.

The agents, gambling and amateurism staff (AGA) attended a sports-book operators meeting in Las Vegas.  

c.

Mr. Saum provided a generic report on recent suspensions of athletics department administrators and reinstatement decisions for student-athletes involved in violations of the gambling legislation (see NCAA Bylaw 10.3).  He reviewed the Association’s policy to impose more severe action on administrators than to student-athletes requesting reinstatement.  The committee asked that a written summary of the number of gambling cases processed be provided.  

d.

An upcoming edition of the NCAA News will have a reminder to the membership that participation in a fantasy league was considered a form of gambling prohibited by the provision of Bylaw 10.3.  

e.

Mr. Saum indicated his concern that absent a national scandal involving point shaving or sports wagering (e.g., Arizona State University, Northwestern University or Boston College cases), the membership was becoming complacent about gambling.  It was noted that in the next year, an NCAA-funded study on the gambling habits of student-athletes was likely to be completed and may provide fresh evidence on the serious problem gambling poses to the Association.

It was VOTED

“That the Championships/Cabinet and Divisions I and II Management Councils support a motion to add questions on gambling to the Coach’s Certification Exam (as required in NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1 of the Division I manual and 11.5.1 of the Division II manual), in order to increase the understanding of the application of NCAA Bylaw 10.3 on gambling for all coaches.”

f.

Annual background checks for the officials of the men’s and women’s Division I basketball championships shall continue.  These checks review for issues regarding credit, financial and criminal records.  

g.

Mr. Saum continues to communicate with the NCAA’s branding, broadcasting and promotions staff regarding Internet providers for the NCAA’s Web site.

h.

In response to a request from the cabinet for clarification on the committee’s previous recommendations regarding certified exempted events that were conducted at locations with gambling activities, the committee shall provide the following information.  [Note: the cabinet referral initially came from the NCAA Certified Events Subcommittee.  Mr. Saum shall report back to the liaisons of that subcommittee about the committee’s action.]  

(1)

That prohibited gambling activities include, but not be limited to, typical gaming activities such as baccarat, black jack, craps or other card games; horse or dog racing; keno; roulette; slot machines; or sports wagering.

(2)

The NCAA Agents, Gambling and Amateurism staff would furnish educational materials and presentation outlines to event sponsors at locations or event venues where gaming hotels and sports books are located.

(3)

Based on information provided by the staff, it is the committee’s belief that there is sufficient lodging and entertainment facilities at hotels that do not have gaming activities to accommodate institutions and teams participating in events held in locales where gaming casinos and sports books are prevalent.  For example, in the Las Vegas, Nevada, area, there are 13 non-gaming hotels with over 1,000 rooms available.

6.

Mandatory Educational Sessions on Sportsmanship and Gambling.  In addition, the committee liaisons were asked to research and report back to the committee on other means of integrating educational sessions on sportsmanship and ethical conduct and gambling into mandatory on-campus meetings with coaches and student-athletes.

7.

Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) Presentation.  Ms. Bierwirth reported on her presentation at the fall meeting of the CCA.  She indicated that the CCA considered improvement in sportsmanship and ethical conduct as primarily an institutional issue and that the committee should focus on developing strategies and encouraging discussion on big-picture issues about sportsmanship that would help the membership address this issue locally.  The staff liaisons will contact Divisions II and III commission to get their thoughts as well.

8.

Sportsmanship Awards.  

a.

Taking recent discussions with other organizations into consideration, the committee determined that it would not pursue the creation of new sportsmanship awards as proposed during the June meeting.  The committee decided to amend the existing sportsmanship awards criteria and selection process in order to maximize the awards potential to bring positive attention to sportsmanship and to increase the membership’s attention to the award.  The committee noted that most conferences and institutions chose an annual sportsmanship recipient and the committee could recognize conference winners.  The committee believed it was important to continue to strengthen the award because it (1) promoted the positive aspects of sportsmanship, (2) provided recognition for good sportsmanship, (3) reinforced the Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct’s values and (4) provided a vehicle to educate various publics on the positive aspects of sportsmanship.

It was VOTED

“That the committee recommend that the Championships/Competition Cabinet and Divisions I, II and III Management Councils approve the following changes to the award criteria and selection process effective immediately:  (1) delete the noteworthy feat from the nomination criteria; (2) that conference offices be designated as nominators for the award; (3) that each conference be asked to nominate one male and female student-athlete from among their membership; (4) that independent institutions may nominate one male/female student-athlete per institution directly to the NCAA national office [Note: A subcommittee of former committee members will select a male/female student-athlete in each division nominated by independent institutions to compete with other student-athletes nominated by the conferences.]; (5) that the committee shall select a male and female student-athlete from each division as award winners; and (6) that teams and administrators no longer be eligible to receive the award.

If the recommendation is approved, the committee would send written notice of the changes to the award process to all member institutions and conference offices.  Selection of the award winners for the 2002-03 academic year would occur in the fall of 2003 with announcement in the NCAA News and an award ceremony at the January 2004 NCAA convention.”

9.

Correspondence with the Membership.  The committee reviewed memorandums sent to directors of athletics and senior woman administrators from the chair emphasizing sportsmanship over gamesmanship and reminding of the information available in the Sportsmanship Took Kit to enhance sportsmanship.  It was noted that additional copies of that memorandum shall be sent to the executive directors of coaching association and to the CEOs of our member institutions.

10.

Public Service Announcements on Sportsmanship.  The committee reviewed two public service announcements on sportsmanship created by the University of Missouri, Columbia.  The committee was impressed with the quality of the announcements.

11.

Josephson Institute survey on ethics in high-school students.  The committee reviewed results of a study that measured ethical traits of high-school students and student-athletes.  The committee felt the information was of interest but without more information on the testing methods and sampling of respondents, was unable to draw a conclusion about the data.

12.

Endorsement of Supplement Manufacturers by Association Coaches and Playboy All-American Team.  The committee reviewed a situation where a Division I head football coach endorsed products of Met-Rx, a supplement manufacturer that produced products that were either banned by the NCAA or not permissible for member institutions to purchase for student-athletes.  It was noted that the same supplement manufacturer was to be a sponsor for the preseason Playboy Magazine All-American football and basketball teams, a publication that is demeaning to women and one that does not provide a healthy environment for student-athletes.

After extensive discussion, the committee decided to seek the support of the Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports Committee (CSMAS) to address issues related to the involvement of Met-Rx and request that the Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) support a recommendation that the NCAA not support an association with Playboy in light of its demeaning portrayal of women.  Annually, NCAA student-athletes and coaches are invited to the Playboy mansion for a weekend of festivities around their selection.  Though, such travel is not precluded by NCAA legislation.

13.

Articles on Sportsmanship.  The committee reviewed various newspaper articles regarding sportsmanship and ethical conduct.

The meeting was recessed at 4:40 p.m.

Tuesday, November 5, 2002

The meeting was called to order at 8:30 a.m.

14.

NACDA’s Director’s Award Cup.  In response to the committee’s recommendation that sportsmanship and academics be added as criteria to the award, the NCAA’s branding, broadcasting and promotions staff, asked the committee to make a recommendation on how to measure an institution’s commitment to academics and sportsmanship.  The committee agreed to consider this issue during a future conference call on December 5, 2002.

15.

Committee Reporting Lines in Division I.  The committee agreed the chair shall forward a memorandum to the NCAA governance staff requesting that the committee report directly to the Division I Management Council rather than the Championships/Competition Cabinet.  It was noted that current reporting lines create a timing issue with regard to the consideration of committee issues in Division I. The  committee already reports to the Management Councils in Divisions II and III.

16.

Strategies to Improve Sportsmanship.  The committee has responded to a request from the cabinet that originated with the men’s basketball committee to require sports committees and coach’s associations to develop plans that would (a) educate participants about their obligations as role models, and (b) improve sportsmanship during competition.  The committee recognizes that solutions to sportsmanship and civility concerns cannot be managed by sports committees and coaching associations alone.  Accordingly, the committee has broadened its recommendations to include other groups within the governance structure.

a.

Regarding the development of a plan to improve participants as role models, the committee made the following suggestions.

(1)

That the Association produce an educational video that depicts sportsmanship as a role-model behavior for coaches and student-athletes.  These videos should also include activities and talking points a facilitator may follow to engage all parties in discussions.  The Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct will assist with the production of the video.

(2)

Selected spokespersons will make presentations on sportsmanship at meetings and conventions of various coaching associations, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the National Association of Collegiate Women’s Athletics Administrators, College Commissioners Association, Student-Athlete Advisory Councils and media/broadcasting conventions.

(3)

Develop strategies to increase the importance of a team captain’s role in promoting sportsmanship and controlling team behavior.

(4)

Create public service announcements similar to those created by the University of Missouri, Columbia, (and reviewed by the committee) for jumbotrons, coaches’ shows, etc. and review of the committee.

(5)

Encourage the Association’s broadcast partners (e.g., CBS) to promote sportsmanship and insert public service announcements (as described in 4 above) into telecasts.

(6)

Develop a sportsmanship mantra/motto on behalf of the Association that would be visible on posters, public service announcements and any miscellaneous items (e.g., luggage tag, key chain) normally provided to student-athletes at championships that would reinforce the “role model” focus.

b.

Methods to Improve Sportsmanship during Competition.

(1)

Encourage official’s organizations to enforce unsportsmanlike fouls or penalties during competitions.  Conference officials and campus administrators must support the role of the official in each contest.

(2)

Identify what constitutes an unsportsmanlike violation, enforce it and stigmatize it.

(3)

Eliminate or discourage unnecessary dialogue between officials, participants (coaches and student-athletes) and fans during contests.  Although the clarification of a ruling is at times appropriate and commendable, too often officials engage in extraneous banter that erodes their respect and control of the contest.

(4)

Develop strategies to increase the importance of a team captain’s role in promoting sportsmanship and controlling team behavior.

(5)

Develop a partnership with the National Federation of High Schools, developing strategies to improve sportsmanship during the contests.

(6)

Encourage the Citizenship through Sports Alliance (CTSA) to educate parents or fans to teach children the values and goals of sportsmanlike behavior.

(7)

Increase emphasis and frequency of public announcements at games.  Statements should be made at the close of the first half and final two to four minutes of a game.  

(8)

Encourage head coaches to emphasize sportsmanship and positive role of fans during television and radio shows.

(9)

Set forth national guidelines or standards for fan behavior and hold member institutions accountable to control fans.  Strategies discussed by the committee were noted.

(a)

Create talking points to use with coaches and on-campus administrators on sportsmanship when addressing booster organizations.

(b)

Develop a sportsmanship handbook that covers every area of game day preparation including fan behavior, bands, cheerleaders, coaches, etc.  Encourage athletics administrators to work with other campus officials to dialogue with student fan groups.

(c)

Develop clear expectations and consequences for poor fan behavior and discuss with campus support groups.

(d)

Determine how to restrict or control alcohol intake around contests through collaboration with campus and community security agencies, as well as local food and beverage establishments.

(e)

Increase dialogue with facility security staff and plan for multiple scenarios.

(f)

Increase dialogue with campus student booster groups with regard to seating and behavior.

(g)

Review pre-and post-game access and egress of players, coaches and officials to and from the field of play during an athletic contest.

17.

Committee Poster.  The committee agreed on a new layout for a sportsmanship poster.  The poster would portray a rear view of two small children viewing college athletes in action with the caption:  “Be a hero.  Little eyes are watching.”  Mr. Stratten was asked to follow-up with the committee on the poster.

18.

Future Meetings.

a.

December 5, 2002.  A telephone conference call beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

b.

June 9-10, 2003, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

c.

November 3-4, 2003, in Phoenix, Arizona.

19.

Adjournment.  The meeting was adjourned at 11:10 a.m.  

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