Patriot League to Host Sportsmanship Summit
NCAA News

Continued efforts to foster a collegial environment throughout intercollegiate athletics will get a boost next month when the Patriot League hosts a sportsmanship summit. Participants from each of the league's eight schools will gather December 4-5 to discuss strategies and best practices related to promoting good sportsmanship. The two-day summit will be facilitated by Alan Patterson, commissioner of the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference and chair of the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct.

Joanna Kreps, associate executive director at the Patriot League, said the summit is a result of a directive from the league's Council of Presidents. "I know some conferences that have really started to take a look at sportsmanship. The challenge is that everyone knows this is an issue — it's the hot topic right now — but it's hard to get your arms around it," she said. "Everybody wants to talk about it, but nobody has a solution. I think we're one of the few that is tackling it head on. We know it's an issue and we're not going to tolerate it anymore. We're going to make this a priority."

Discussion at the summit will center on four main areas: contest management, fan management, policies and procedures, and specific sports that struggle with sportsmanship issues. Each league member was invited to select five to six representatives from a variety of areas on campus to attend.

Kreps said one key outcome organizers are seeking from the summit is a best practices document. The league also hopes to emerge with strategies around which a league-wide sportsmanship campaign can be built, as well as a better idea about how the conference office can help member institutions promote sportsmanship and enforce related policies on campus. Kreps said the league didn't want to wait until later in the academic year to host the summit because league officials wanted to roll out solutions as quickly as possible. "We think it's that important, and it's something our membership is excited about and supports," she said.