Association-wide

REPORT OF THE

NCAA COMMITEE ON SPORTSMANSHIP AND ETHICAL CONDUCT

ACTION ITEMS.

· None.

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.

Association-wide.

1. Mission statement. The committee reviewed and reaffirmed the mission statement.

2. Review of report of November meeting. The committee’s divisional Management Council representatives reported each division’s reaction to the committee’s report from the November meeting. The Division II Management Council endorsed the direction of the committee and the recent actions of the committee contacting conferences when unsportsmanlike conduct occurs.

3. Sports wagering update. The committee discussed multiple initiatives being implemented by the NCAA agents, gambling and amateurism staff. The issues included the following:

a. Facebook.com. The committee discussed the growth of this website and the impact that negative images/pictures on a student-athlete’s page could have on sportsmanship issues. The staff also noted that inclusion of details related to student-athlete participation could be information sought out by gamblers and bookmakers, undermining the Association’s efforts against sports wagering.

b. Sports wagering task force initiatives. Background checks for football officials will be implemented for the 2006-07 postseason football games.

c. The sports-wagering staff met with the equipment managers association. Focused on Divisions II and III, the sports wagering staff had more of a presence at the Division II and III leadership conferences.

d. Another Association-wide initiative on which the staff is working during the 2006-07 academic year is a “Don’t Bet On It” campaign in which head coaches will be provided lapel pins to be worn during a designated “Sports Wagering Awareness Day.” The committee previewed the newly developed “Don’t Bet On It” educational DVD. The committee noted that this DVD should be widely distributed and also discussed the value of having public service announcements (PSAs) at championship events. With the increase in Webcasting championship competition, the committee noted this avenue would be a good opportunity for PSAs in the future.

4. Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP) update. Ty Halpin and Heather Perry, staff liaisons for the PROP, discussed issues of interest to both committees. The liaisons noted that supporting officials was critical to enforcing the playing rules, especially in the area of technical fouls. The liaisons also noted that the issue of sportsmanship is discussed at every playing rules committee meeting and the groups welcomed and supported any action of the committee in its efforts to instill some accountability on behalf of the Association in addressing unsportsmanlike conduct. The committee suggested that the playing rules committee annually review, (and revise where appropriate), sportsmanship statements included in each sports rules book.

5. Subcommittee breakouts. Prior to the strategic plan subcommittee and the accountability subcommittee breakout sessions, the full committee discussed its NCAA Bylaw 10.01.1 policy (July 2005 report). The committee agreed to increase educational efforts and ensure that all commissioner groups understand the process for communicating with a conference office regarding an incident. The charge of the accountability subcommittee includes establishing a protocol for addressing such incidents.

a. Accountability Subcommittee. The subcommittee noted that when the committee or NCAA staff contacts a conference or institution regarding a negative incident, the purpose of the communication is to determine how the issue was handled. The NCAA is frequently asked to comment on these issues and additional background information is helpful.

The subcommittee noted that examples of positive sportsmanship are not always forthcoming as individuals are not as conditioned to share those instances as they are to share examples of unsportsmanlike conduct.

The subcommittee agreed to the following methods for collecting information related to positive instances of sportsmanship.

(1) Ask officials to share observations of exemplary behavior.

(2) PROP will work with individuals with which it comes in contact to encourage reporting of positive actions.

(3) Have the regional site representative for a championship relay instances of positive behavior to the national office.

(4) If a host institution/conference conducts a championship or even a regular-season event in an outstanding way that promotes sportsmanship, this needs to be highlighted to the committee.

When positive behavior is reported to the national office or a subcommittee member, a letter acknowledging the positive actions will be sent to the involved individual, institution, etc.

The second issue the subcommittee addressed relates to unsportsmanlike conduct that meets one of the following three factors that were adopted at the committee’s July 2005 meeting:

Ÿ Issue of national significance.

Ÿ National exposure/ extensive regional press.

Ÿ Actions did not uphold sportsmanship.

In terms of a specific protocol to address situations meeting one of the three criteria, the subcommittee will allow a reasonable amount of time for the school and conference to respond and adjudicate the issue. In the interim, the issue will be circulated to the subcommittee members for private reaction. If the institution and/or conference has met its responsibility under Bylaw 10.01.1, then the issue is consider resolved.

If the action taken is not known to the subcommittee or it appears that no action was taken, then either the chair or staff will contact the conference or institution to determine if action was or is being taken. [Note: Action can be limited to a thorough review of the matter.] If no review or action was taken, then a letter may be sent to the institution, conference or both, depending on jurisdictional issues.

b. Strategic Planning Subcommittee. The subcommittee identified additional best practices for inclusion in the sportsmanship and ethical behavior tool kit. Institutional sportsmanship initiatives include:

(1) Individual sportsmanship awards presented annually at an athletics banquet, for each team.

(2) The provision of a letter to the parents of student-athletes with a message of “Cheer for us, not against the other team.”

(3) Collaborate with campus student-athlete advisory committee groups to organize a seminar on good sportsmanship and share examples of good sportsmanship.

(4) A contest for athletics teams where attendance and good sportsmanship are tracked. If the sport team has 60 percent of its team attend another team’s event and exhibit good sportsmanship (as approved by the administration), that team will receive a certain number of points. The team that has the most points at the end of the season receives a party.

(5) A tracking system similar to many conference tracking systems that monitors negative sportsmanship/behavior and is captured in real time.

(6) A sportsmanship survey that asked questions of student-athletes about attitudes and behaviors regarding sportsmanship. The results of the survey were broken down by gender, classification and sport to provide an assessment as to where additional educational emphasis should be placed. .

Conference sportsmanship initiatives included:

(1) A conference call with the coaches of the fall sports to review conference policies, sports information, and sportsmanship policies, behaviors and expectations. This conference also explains that head coaches should avoid being ejected from a game as he/she is responsible for game and team control.

(2) Creation of a Sportsmanship Pledge for Division III.

(3) Conference spotlight in The NCAA news that highlights a conference that demonstrates good sportsmanship.

(4) A director of athletics and senior woman administrator meeting to establish standards that for which conference members should be held accountable.

(5) Expansion of the conference sportsmanship statement to include not just coaches but all student-athletes and athletics department staff members.

(6) Conference office should review every on-field/court incident that occurs.

(7) The inclusion of Big 12 Conference recommendations from the Fan Behavior/Sportsmanship campaign.

The subcommittee began a short-term planning process. The basis for planning included the following:

(1) Sportsmanship/ethical behavior initiatives are currently underway at the national office, conference, and institutional levels.

(2) The current individual initiatives are worthy and experience varied levels of success with the advantage of focusing on specific needs.

(3) The subcommittee determined that it would be beneficial to create a corporate “face” to the sportsmanship issue through combined division branding opportunities.

(4) Specifically, the subcommittee discussed a “shining moments” initiative to include video examples of “shining moments” of sportsmanship behaviors and initiatives to be available and used across divisions, conferences and institutions.

(5) The subcommittee also believes that once a “face” had been created, it would be beneficial to have representatives attend certain NCAA events/conferences/meetings to present standardized speaking points to further the branding initiative.

(6) The subcommittee believes that five basic criteria should exist for the “face of sportsmanship”:

Ÿ All participants, coaches and fans share a love of the game.

Ÿ All should exhibit respect for each other.

Ÿ All should learn and demonstrate honor through sport.

Ÿ Glory of the game supercedes individual accomplishment.

Ÿ A common bond of effort, passion and allegiance fosters friends in sport.

The subcommittee will schedule a follow-up conference call to continue its discussion and determine next steps.

6. Online Web site update. The committee reviewed the draft plans for overhauling the NCAA Web site dedicated to sportsmanship, including additional information for the tool kit. The new Web site should be live by August 2006. The committee noted the importance of ensuring that the membership is aware that this information is available.

7. Sportsmanship brochure draft. The committee reviewed a draft brochure for distribution to the membership. The focus of the brochure is to provide a model sportsmanship pledge for institutional and conference implementation.

8. Letters regarding complaints. The committee reviewed multiple instances of alleged unsportsmanlike conduct, some of which prompted requests for follow-up as to how the institution or conference addressed the issue.

9. Strategic plan update. The committee reviewed the components of the NCAA Strategic Plan related to sportsmanship noting that significant progress has been made. However, after analyzing the results of a recent survey to all three divisions related to the definition of and expectations surrounding sportsmanship, the committee noted the need to establish additional goals.

The committee discussed the best approach to strengthen the membership’s commitment to making sportsmanship a mainstream issue. The committee agreed that raising awareness with conferences and presidents is critical to succeeding in the strategic plan.

10. NACDA Sportsmanship Summit Update. The committee discussed the format for the summit, scheduled for June 23, 2006, and the best approach to introduce each topic area.

11. Sportsmanship survey results. The committee reviewed the preliminary results from the survey, and will continue to analyze the data to gain an understanding of how the membership approaches and dedicates resources to sportsmanship.

12. Sportsmanship conferences. Representatives of the committee or NCAA staff have presented at the following conferences to discuss sportsmanship and raise awareness: Symposium on Civility, Sports and Society, Clemson University (April 12, 2006); Post Game Crowd Control Summit (April 8, 2006); American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coaches and Officials Sportsmanship Meeting (January 11, 2006); Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches Meeting (March 31, 2006); National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Board of Directors Interview (May 12, 2006); Division I Athletics Directors Association.

13. NCAA Sportsmanship Award update. The deadline for submissions was June 15, 2006. Gene Doris agreed to chair the Division I selection team; Dan Mara agreed to chair the Division II selection team; Chuck Mitrano agreed to chair the Division III selection team. Each division has a men’s and women’s winner and then from the six winners, a national men’s and women’s winner is chosen. [The national winners for 2006 were Mike Rose, Slippery Rock University (Division II); and Sarah Dawn Schettle, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh (Division III). The divisional winners included: Division I Male,