By-Laws ARTICLE I - NAIA HANDBOOK The MSC shall use the NAIA Handbook as the final authority on questions of eligibility as well as other areas of programs offered by MSC member institutions, unless the MSC has specific rules that are more strict covering matters in question. ARTICLE II TRANSFER Student-athletes shall not transfer from one member institution to another without satisfying the transfer policy as defined by the Mid-South Conference. A student-athlete who does transfer shall be bound by the following: A. A student-athlete who practices and/or competes at a Mid-South Conference institution shall not be eligible to compete at another Mid-South Conference institution, in any sport, for 365 calendar days; B. The 365 calendar days must include two standard academic terms (fall/spring). The 365 days begin on the first day after the conclusion of the term in which the student-athlete withdrew or completed classes or the student-athlete s official withdraw date, whichever comes first; C. Summer terms, inter-terms and all non-terms will not satisfy the two standard term rule; D. Non-Conference sports are not affected by the transfer rule; E. Student-athletes participating in non-varsity programs are not subject to the transfer policy and may be eligible to participate immediately assuming they have satisfied all other eligibility and/or transfer requirements; F. Under extreme circumstances, a student-athlete may appeal the transfer policy. All appeals of this transfer policy must be made to the Commissioner of the Mid-South Conference. The Commissioner will in turn refer the appeal to the conference Oversight Committee to evaluate the request. ARTICLE III - CHAMPIONSHIPS The MSC will award two championships, including a regular season and postseason champion. The postseason champion will receive the conference s automatic bid into the NAIA national championship. In sports that do not have a postseason competition, the conference champion shall be the winner of the regular season. A team which is suspended from postseason play, either by the MSC or the NAIA, shall be prohibited
from being named regular season conference champion and from participation in the MSC postseason tournament. Further, such institution shall be prohibited from qualifying for any berth for postseason play offered to the MSC or its members. Game results (i.e., wins, losses, and other statistics) against such an institution during the regular season shall be utilized in calculation of MSC standings and postseason qualification. ARTICLE IV AWARDS A. The following awards will be granted by the MSC: 1. Conference Regular Season Championship 2. Conference Tournament Championship 3. Scholar Athlete of the Year (Male and Female) 4. All-Conference Team* 5. Academic All-Conference 6. Player of the Year (awarded for each sport) 7. Freshman of the Year (awarded for each sport) 8. Coach of the Year (determined by vote of coaches) 9. Champions of Character (Male and Female in each sport) 10. Players of the Week (selected by conference SID) 11. The Presidents Cup (Conference All-Sports Championship) *Number of players and positions are determined by specific sport guidelines. B. Academic All-Conference Team: Student-Athletes will be recognized in all sports. They are to be selected and released at the same time as the All-Conference Teams. Criterion for selection will be as follows: 1. Must be a sophomore, junior or senior; 2. Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25 (based on a 4.0 scale) based on all completed academic terms at all institutions attended; 3. The following information should be supplied for all nominees: a. Name b. Grade point average c. Major field of study d. Year in school e. Hometown f. Position; 4. There is no limit to the number of student-athletes selected to the Academic All- Conference Team. All student-athletes nominated and meeting the criteria for selection will be recognized; 5. Any eligible student-athlete listed on an official varsity or junior varsity roster may receive Academic All-Conference recognition. C. All-Conference Team: Coaches may nominate players for All-Conference recognition from their respective teams, but may not vote for their own players. The number of All- Conference players and positions are to be determined by specific sport policy. Final process for All Conference selection may be accomplished by coaches meetings, conference calls, and/or ballots distributed and tabulated by the MSC office.
D. The Presidents Cup: A point system will be applied for each sport to determine the Presidents Cup (All Sports Championship). Only an institution s top six finishes in each gender will be used to determine its point total towards the President s Cup. Coed sports will be counted for the gender that has the highest percentage of members on the team. In sports that contain divisions, the final divisional record will be used to determine the points assigned for the President s Cup. Points are counted for full members only. 1. The regular season champion in a sport will receive 10 points, second place shall receive nine (9) points, third place shall receive eight (8) points, etc. When there is a tie, the average of the places of the teams occupy will be awarded to the teams that tie. (e.g. if two teams tie for second place, they will each receive 8.5 points). Below is the formula for a 10-team sport: a. First - 10 points b. Second - Nine points c. Third - Eight points d. Fourth - Seven points e. Fifth - Six points f. Sixth - Five points g. Seventh - Four points h. Eighth - Three points i. Ninth - Two points j. Tenth - One point 2. Should there be fewer teams competing, the first place team will receive 10 points, second place shall receive nine (9) points, third place shall receive eight (8) points, etc. until points are awarded based on the number of teams in the sport. Below is the formula for a 6-team sport: a. First - 10 points b. Second - Nine points c. Third - Eight points d. Fourth - Seven points e. Fifth - Six points f. Sixth - Five points 3. If two teams tie for first place in the final standings, the determination to break the tie is the number of conference championships won. The second tiebreaker is the most number of second place finishes. Thus, if two teams have the same number of points, the team that wins the most conference championships will win the President s Cup. 4. In sports where divisions are implemented, President s Cup points will be awarded on a 10-point scale within each division E. Scholar-Athlete of the Year: This award shall be determined by the committee of Faculty Athletic Representatives, and awarded by the commissioner or his designate at the Honor s Convocation on the winner s campus. Only students who are graduating seniors (graduation can be either in the spring or summer semesters) are eligible for this award. Each member institution may nominate a male and female candidate for consideration. The award will be presented to one (1) male and one (1) female recipient in the conference F. Champions of Character: A male and female Champions of Character recipient will be named in all sports and released at the same time as the All-Conference Teams. 1. Nominees must be an eligible student-athlete at a MSC member institution.
2. Nominee must be at least a sophomore in good academic standing at the institution and must have been enrolled there for a minimum of one (1) academic year. 3. Nominees will be considered based on: a. Campus leadership b. Community service c. Demonstration of the Champions of Character five core values in word and deed d. Future Ambition ARTICLE V VIOLATIONS / GRIEVANCE / APPEAL PROCEDURE Situations may arise which will require clarification, investigation, and resolution from the commissioner's office. In order to keep all of these situations on the highest professional level, and to provide a proper format for addressing these situations, the following protocol will be followed: A. A written description of the incident is to be submitted by the Director of Athletics of the institution registering the complaint. This grievance is to be faxed to the commissioner's office within 24 hours or the next working day following the incident; B. The Commissioner will request a written statement of the incident from the Director of Athletics of the institution against whom the grievance is filed. The response statement must be filed in the commissioner's office within 24 hours or the next working day following the commissioner s request; C. An Oversight Committee consisting of three (3) athletic directors, the conference SID and the Commissioner will hear all grievances and appeals, if necessary; D. The Commissioner is given the power to discipline coaches, fans, players, etc. that do not meet the behavioral standards set forth in the Champions of Character tenets. This can include warnings, fines or suspensions; E. The schools will be notified in writing of the decision prior to the next conference game of the schools involved. ARTICLE VI COMPETITION / SPORTSMANSHIP The Mid-South Conference is committed to sportsmanship and a healthy environment for competition. We wish to refrain from the notion that it is desirable to create a hostile environment for intercollegiate athletic contests. Rather, our purpose is to create hospitable environments. We believe the role of education through sports is to teach our youth and our communities to conduct themselves with sportsmanship and respect for opponents. The Conference believes that the effort to meet the expectations outlined in this document will increase the attractiveness of athletics events by creating a healthy environment for competition. To achieve this purpose, the Conference sets the following expectations for the various groups and individuals associated with our intercollegiate athletics programs. A. Administrators: It is incumbent upon institutional administrators to create an environment of hospitality for visiting teams. MSC administrators must ensure that treatment of visiting teams and fans will be in the same manner that they would want their teams to be treated.
The athletics director at the host institution must ensure that he/she or someone designated as game manager, approaches the coach of the opposing team at a spectator event to welcome that coach to the institution, provide an opportunity for the coach to address any concerns, indicate the location of the game manager in the arena or stadium, and identify security personnel to ensure that the visiting team is protected from abuse from the home crowd and that security is in close proximity to the visiting team s bench. Each institution must arrange its seating at spectator events in order to emphasize sportsmanship and minimize harassment of the visiting team and its fans. The athletics director must ensure that those who are employed by the institution treat the opponents with fairness and respect. For example, public address announcers must be required to announce the contest in an evenhanded manner with equal excitement for both teams. The institution s chief executive officer and athletics director should review periodically with other athletics department staff members, coaches, student-athletes and spirit groups (cheerleaders, bands, mascots) what is acceptable conduct, as set forth in this document. B. Coaches: Coaches have the greatest influence over the student-athletes in their programs and must promote the expectation of high principles of sportsmanship. The MSC will benefit from coaches who risk losing a contest by removing student-athletes who demonstrate disrespect for their opponents. This discipline measure educates student-athletes and their teammates regarding the importance of sportsmanship over participation and winning. This attitude and courage should be adopted by all MSC coaches. Administrators and coaches must pay special attention to their student-athletes behavior and continually emphasize the need for sportsmanship and respect. Such education is needed to counteract the constant messages received by our studentathletes from many professional athletes and others who demonstrate a lack of respect for opponents. The Conference and its coaches must be committed to send appropriate messages about sportsmanship. By their actions coaches must influence the behavior of their fans. MSC coaches should take every opportunity when addressing the media, booster groups or other public forums to express the desire that fans support their team at home contests but not abuse the visiting team. Coaches and administrators should stress that the participants in our athletics contests are young people who do not deserve to be mistreated by a hostile crowd. In the unfortunate event that an altercation occurs during a contest, all individuals who are on the bench are expected to remain there. It is incumbent upon the head coach to ensure that this occurs. C. Student-Athletes: Respect for the game in which the student-athlete participates also demands respect for the opponent. Student-athletes at Mid-South Conference institutions are expected to treat opponents with sportsmanship. There can be no tolerance for taunting, baiting of opponents or actions which draw attention to themselves instead of the team. MSC student-athletes must understand that they are among the most visible representatives of their institutions. Further, their behavior is observed and emulated by many who are younger. MSC student-athletes must honor the responsibilities that accompany the privilege of representing our schools by behaving with dignity and class on and off the field or floor. D. Spirit Groups/ Cheerleaders / Mascots: Like our student-athletes, these groups are visible representatives of our institutions. As such, we place high expectations on them for acceptable behavior. Cheerleaders, bands and other spirit groups are admitted to
contests at the pleasure of our institutions to support their teams and assist in creating a fun atmosphere. They are not admitted in order to disrupt or confront the opponent and such behavior will not be tolerated. Their focus must be toward encouragement of their team and respect for the opposing team. E. Officials: Officials who are assigned Conference contests must enforce the rules regarding sportsmanship, without tolerance for abuse. The only warning to participants and coaches regarding sportsmanship should come at the beginning of the contest. Once the contest begins, penalties (consequences), not warnings, must be assessed for violations of unsportsmanlike conduct. F. Fans: The Conference believes that the establishment of the principles outlined in this document will create a wholesome atmosphere resulting in better fan participation and attendance. The fans attending our games must be reminded by the public address announcer of the expectation of sportsmanship and respect for opponents. Fans should be encouraged to applaud the effort by both institutions, even while supporting their own. We expect that all fans will act in an appropriate manner and respect the opposition and the officials. We understand that occasionally there are individuals who attend games and abuse the opposition and officials. Those individuals may be dismissed from athletic events at the request of the officials or the game manager. G. Champions of Character: The Mid-South Conference will be a Champions of Character conference and that conference schools must be a Champions of Character school by August of 2008. ARTICLE VII TOURNAMENT SEEDING / SITE / NAIA BIDS The regular season conference winner shall be seeded first in the conference tournament. Ties will be resolved in the following manner. Other seeds will be assigned based on conference winning percentage. A. All eligible teams shall qualify for the MSC Tournament. Teams will be seeded based on the best win-loss percentage involving the matrix schedule of MSC games. B. Co-Champions will be recognized in the event of ties. Should ties exist, the following procedure for seeding will be used for MSC or regional tournaments: 1. Head to head competition between teams involved in the tie. 2. Record against MSC teams beginning with the No. 1 seed, and if still tied proceeding in descending order. 3. Best win-loss percentage involving common opponents outside the MSC. 4. Point/Run/Goal etc. differential against each other. 5. Goals allowed against MSC teams. (Soccer only). 6. Goals scored against MSC teams with maximum of four (4) goals counted in any one game. (Soccer only). Example: Five (5) or more goals still count as four (4) goals in tie-breaker procedure. 7. Coin toss.
C. NAIA Bids will be awarded as follows: 1. Sports with 1 Automatic Bid: If there is no tournament, the regular season champion will receive the automatic bid. If there is a Conference Tournament, the Tournament Champion will receive the bid. 2. Sports with 2 Automatic Bids: The regular season champion will receive the first bid. The tournament champion will receive the second bid. 3. Should the conference champion and the tournament champion be the same, the tournament runner-up shall receive the second bid. D. Sites for conference championship events will be determined based on a competitive bidding process. The Administrative Council will establish guidelines for hosting and will assist the Commissioner in making decisions regarding the awarding of host bids in each sport. ARTICLE XIII OFFICIALS Officials for all sports will register with the appropriate MSC officials association and be assigned by the conference office. Officials may be assessed a registration and assignment fee to be determined by the commissioner. A. Officials will be assigned from the conference office for all home games, conference and non-conference, at a fee that will ensure quality. B. No mileage will be paid for any sport. ARTICLE IX - ALCOHOL & TOBACCO The use of alcohol, tobacco or tobacco products is not permitted by participants, coaches, cheerleaders, trainers, game administrators, or officials in the playing areas during all regular season and conference tournament competition and practices for such competition. The institution s coaching staff, athletic administrators, game officials, event staff or host site coordinator (as applicable) shall enforce this policy through the following steps. A. The conference office will issue an official warning/reminder to each member institution at the beginning of the academic year. B. Member institutions will post signs in dugouts, locker rooms, weight rooms and training rooms reminding student-athletes about the policy. C. Any offense will result in immediate ejection from the game, tournament or event. All violations will follow NAIA rules for ejections. ARTICLE X SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP FORFEITURE & PRESIDENT S CUP In the event that a Mid-South Conference regular season or tournament sports champion is determined to have forfeited that championship, the result in past championship archives and records will be listed as vacated. The second-place team will not subsequently be declared the conference regular season or tournament champion. Once MSC President s Cup points in a particular sport are awarded and deemed to be correct by the
MSC Sports Information Director and approved by the Commissioner, any future change in the final standings position for that sport due to forfeitures shall not change the original awarding of points. ARTICLE XI ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES Specific Administrative Policies will be established by the Administrative Council, with input and direction from MSC administrative and sport committees. These Administrative Policies will be used to determine the day-to-day operation of the conference. Copies of these Administrative Policies will be included with these Bylaws, distributed to all MSC athletic coaches and staff, and posted on the conference website. Administrative and sport committees may recommend, and the Administrative Committee will discuss, approve and operate within the Administrative Policies established in the following areas: A. General Administrative Policies: 1. General operating policies and procedures 2. Medical aspects 3. Sports information 4. Eligibility B. Baseball C. Basketball, Men & Women D. Bowling, Men & Women E. Cheer & Dance F. Cross Country, Men & Women G. Football H. Golf, Men & Women I. Soccer, Men & Women J. Softball K. Swimming, Men & Women L. Tennis, Men & Women M. Track & Field, Men & Women N. Volleyball O. Wrestling