The NCAA News - Briefly in the News

September 28, 1997

Members of the Mid-Continent Conference have taken steps to make sportsmanship a priority.

The Division I conference recently announced a sportsmanship policy, which was implemented at the beginning of the 1998-99 academic year.

"We are aware and concerned over the negative trends in sportsmanship and how they are becoming more visible in collegiate athletics," said Commissioner Jon A. Steinbrecher.

"Through the Mid-Con's Sportsmanship Policy, we hope to become a leading force -- both on our campuses and across the country -- in changing these trends."

The policy includes four sections. First, member institutions will be responsible for reviewing the conference's Code of Ethics -- and NCAA bylaws relating to positive sportsmanship -- with student-athletes, coaches and administrators at an annual student-athlete orientation.

"Those responsible for implementing the policy felt it was important to first educate our administrators and student-athletes," said Helen Smiley, Mid-Continent Conference directors chair and Western Illinois University athletics director.

In conjunction with the education component, all coaches and athletics administrators will need to sign the conference's sportsmanship affidavit, and agree to "act with fairness, honesty and civility in an effort to create a wholesome environment for athletics competition as well as a positive image for their university."

Next, member institutions are required to read a prepared announcement to the audience before each home contest. The audience is encouraged to act responsibly and courteously, and the announcement describes abusive language or disorderly conduct as "unacceptable and unwelcome" at conference events.

Also, member institutions are required to include the NCAA Principle of Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct in men's and women's basketball programs and other publications, including media guides and student-athlete handbooks.

At the end of each year, the Mid-Continent Conference Sportsmanship Award will be given to the member institution that is judged by its peers to be the best at promoting and displaying the ideals of positive sportsmanship.

Schools will be judged on conduct by student-athletes, coaches, staff, administrators and fans.

'Four in the Fall' by WBCA

The first Nike "Four in the Fall" women's preseason basketball tournament will be conducted by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association at San Jose Arena in San Jose, California, November 13-14.

Presented by Secret antiperspirant, the tournament will feature teams from the University of Connecticut, Stanford University, Duke University and the University of Arkansas, Little Rock.

Duke will square off with Connecticut in the opening game at 6 p.m. Pacific time November 13, while Stanford faces Arkansas at 8:30 p.m. The championship game will be played at 4 p.m. November 14, and the consolation game will be at 1:30 p.m.

Lifetime Television Network will provide a live broadcast of both games on Friday and the championship game on Saturday.

Tickets are on sale now at 404/998-TIXS or 415/421-TIXS. Or, fans can go online to purchase tickets at at www.ticketmaster.com.

Take a Kid to the Game

A successful program in the four years it has been associated with women's basketball, "Take a Kid to the Game" -- previously known as "Take a Girl to the Game" -- has expanded this year to include football as well as additional schools in women's basketball.

"Take a Kid to the Game" encourages adults to take a child to a college athletics contest and enjoy the "game-day" experience.

This year's TAKG program will promote youth attendance at more than 100 institutions that play football and more than 300 institutions that play women's basketball.

Last year, 112 institutions participated in the TAKG promotion for women's basketball.

TAKG is managed by Host Communications, Inc., which manages the NCAA Football initiative. Institutions in all NCAA divisions are welcome to participate in the program this year. For more information about TAKG, call 800/729-9676.

-- Compiled by Kay Hawes

Number crunching

I-A/I-AA Football Specialty Team Leaders

(through games of September 19)

I-A Punt Return Defense (ranked by yards per return)

Team -- Games -- Returns -- Yards -- Avg.

Louisville -- 3 -- 6 -- 3 -- 0.5

Georgia -- 3 -- 4 -- 2 -- 0.5

Kent -- 3 -- 7 -- 16 -- 2.3

Tulsa -- 2 -- 3 -- 7 -- 2.3

Central Fla. -- 3 -- 2 -- 5 -- 2.5

Kentucky -- 3 -- 3 -- 8 -- 2.7

Michigan St. -- 3 -- 6 -- 18 -- 3.0

West Va. -- 2 -- 7 -- 22 -- 3.1

Virginia Tech -- 3 -- 9 -- 29 -- 3.2

Boise St. -- 3 -- 7 -- 23 -- 3.3

I-AA Punt Return Defense (ranked by yards per return)

Team -- Games -- Returns -- Yards -- Avg.

La Salle -- 2 -- 4 -- -5 -- -1.3

Yale -- 1 -- 2 -- 1 -- 0.5

Robert Morris -- 2 -- 2 -- 2 -- 1.0

Duquesne -- 3 -- 9 -- 10 -- 1.1 --

Youngstown St. -- 3 -- 4 -- 6 -- 1.5

Tennessee St. -- 2 -- 2 -- 3 -- 1.5

Richmond -- 3 -- 5 -- 8 -- 1.6

Penn -- 1 -- 2 -- 5 -- 2.5

Northern Iowa -- 3 -- 11 -- 29 -- 2.6

Texas Southern -- 3 -- 7 -- 20 -- 2.9

I-A Kickoff Return Defense

(ranked by yards per return)

Team -- Games -- Returns -- Yards -- Avg.

Iowa -- 3 -- 4 -- 46 -- 11.5

Kent -- 3 -- 7 -- 82 -- 11.7

Kentucky -- 3 -- 22 -- 294 -- 13.4

Vanderbilt -- 3 -- 6 -- 82 -- 13.7

Central Fla. -- 3 -- 14 -- 193 -- 13.8

Navy -- 2 -- 9 -- 127 -- 14.1

Oklahoma St. -- 3 -- 9 -- 129 -- 14.3

Tulsa -- 2 -- 8 -- 119 -- 14.9

Michigan -- 3 -- 9 -- 143 -- 15.9

Bowling Green -- 2 -- 2 -- 32 -- 16.0

I-AA Kickoff Return Defense

(ranked by yards per return)

Team -- Games -- Returns -- Yards -- Avg.

Penn -- 1 -- 3 -- 5 -- 1.7

St. John's (N.Y.) -- 2 -- 5 -- 19 -- 3.8

Siena -- 2 -- 8 -- 71 -- 8.9

St. Francis (Pa.) -- 2 -- 5 -- 45 -- 9.0

Delaware St. -- 3 -- 8 -- 76 -- 9.5

Cal St.

Sacramento -- 3 -- 12 -- 132 -- 11.0

Brown -- 1 -- 4 -- 44 -- 11.0

Northwestern St. -- 3 -- 16 -- 178 -- 11.1

Massachusetts -- 2 -- 10 -- 119 -- 11.9

Alabama St. -- 3 -- 10 -- 121 -- 12.1