River States Conference Bylaws
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River States Conference Bylaws Table of Contents Article I: Recognized Sports ........................................................................3 1.1 Required Core Sports ......................................................................3 1.2 Official Conference Sports ...............................................................3 1.3 Elimination of Sports ........................................................................4 1.4 Exclusivity ........................................................................................4 1.5 Championships ................................................................................4 Article II: Achieving Membership ..................................................................5 2.1 Requirements ..................................................................................5 2.2 Procedure ........................................................................................5 Article III: Standing Committees .....................................................................6 3.1 Advisory Groups .............................................................................6 3.2 Standing Committees.......................................................................7 3.3 Ad Hoc Committees .......................................................................11 Article IV: Conference Commissioner, Other Employees, Agents and Officers .....................................................................11 4.1 Commissioner ................................................................................11 4.2 Acting Commissioner .....................................................................15 4.3 Other Employees ...........................................................................15 4.4 Agents ............................................................................................17 Article V: Conduct of Meetings ......................................................................19 5.1 Official Meetings of the Administrative Council .............................. 19 5.2 Official Meetings of the Council of Presidents ................................ 20 5.3 Rules of Order ...............................................................................22 5.4 Types of Meetings .........................................................................22 5.5 Sport, Advisory Groups and Committee Meetings ......................... 22 5.6 Special Meetings ...........................................................................22 5.7 Expense of Meetings .....................................................................23 5.8 Meeting Format ..............................................................................23 Article VI: Finances .........................................................................................23 6.1 Annual Dues ..................................................................................23 6.2 Special Assessments .....................................................................24 6.3 General Fund .................................................................................24 6.4 Audit...............................................................................................25 Page 1 of 41 6.5 Fiscal Year .....................................................................................25 Article VII: Eligibility and Hardship ................................................................25 7.1 Eligibility Rules ...............................................................................25 7.2 Hardship ........................................................................................26 7.3 Eligibility Sanction ..........................................................................26 7.4 Student-Athlete Transfer Eligibility ................................................. 26 Article VIII: Recruiting .....................................................................................27 8.1 Rules Governing Recruiting ...........................................................27 Article IX: Conducting Conference Events ................................................... 27 9.1 Schedules ......................................................................................27 9.2 Delay or Termination of Conference Events .................................. 28 9.3 Responsibility of Home Game Management .................................. 29 9.4 Athletic Trainer and Training Room Services ................................. 29 9.5 Pre-Game or Contest Information .................................................. 29 9.6 Courtesies to Visiting Groups from Member Institutions ................ 29 9.7 Conveying Information to Non-Conference Opponents ................. 29 9.8 Conference Publicity and Statistical Service .................................. 29 9.9 Complimentary Tickets ..................................................................30 9.10 Media Policy ..................................................................................30 Article X: All-Conference Teams, Coach of the Year, and Awards ............. 31 10.1 Conference Awards .......................................................................31 10.2 All-Conference Teams ................................................................... 31 10.3 All-Conference Scholar-Athlete Teams .......................................... 32 10.4 Awards ...........................................................................................32 10.5 Player of the Week ........................................................................32 10.6 Athlete of the Year .........................................................................33 10.7 Champion of Character Award ....................................................... 33 10.8 Coach of Character Award .............................................................34 10.9 Sports Information Director of the Year Award .............................. 34 10.10 Athletic Trainer of the Year Award ................................................. 35 10.11 Athletic Director of the Year Award ................................................ 35 10.12 Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) of the Year Award ............. 36 10.13 Team of Character Award .............................................................. 36 10.14 Director’s Cup/All-Sports Award .................................................... 37 Article XI: Conduct and Sanctions .................................................................37 11.1 Sportsmanship/Conduct .................................................................37 11.2 Disposition of Violations .................................................................39 11.3 Penalty Imposition and Appeal Procedures ................................... 40 Article XII: Sport Guidelines and Manuals ....................................................41 12.1 Sport Guidelines and Manuals .......................................................41 Page 2 of 41 Article I: Recognized Sports 1.1 Required Core Sports 1.1.1 Each full member institution is required to compete in the following core sports: a) No specific sports specified 1.1.2 Conference sports sponsored by the RSC are determined annually by the Administrative Council with approval by the Council of Presidents (COP) for any new sports that meet the six (6) team sponsorship minimum. 1.2 Official Conference Sports 1.2.1 Full conference members must participate in a minimum of six (6) RSC sponsored sports. It is recommended that full conference members participate in a minimum of three (3) RSC sponsors sports for each gender. 1.2.2 All full members must compete in the RSC for sponsored sports which the institution sponsors at the collegiate level. A member may request an exception. Requests are made with the Commissioner and are subject to Administrative Council review and COP approval. Exceptions are subject to reconsideration at the end of each fiscal year. a) To accommodate current members, already operating with the equivalent of an exception, as of the effective date of the bylaws. b) Members currently using the equivalent of this exception would need to provide a memo of rationale to the conference office. 1.2.3 Each member institution shall compete against member institutions as scheduled each season in each of the RSC sports in which it is participating. 1.2.4 Member institutions agree that their primary responsibility and loyalty are to the RSC, including priorities in the scheduling of athletic events, participation in conference championships and events, and as representatives of this conference to NAIA sponsored championships and extra events. 1.2.5 Sports currently contested for championships in the RSC are: a) Men: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Indoor Track & Field & Outdoor Track & Field Page 3 of 41 b) Women: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Indoor Track & Field, Outdoor Track & Field & Volleyball 1.3 Elimination of Sports 1.3.1 Member institutions agree to notify the Conference of local intent to drop a currently sponsored sport in a timely manner (usually 12 months). 1.3.2 Should the elimination of a sport by a member institution affect the conference sports championships criteria, the minimum sports requirements for championships, the minimum number of championships required, or automatic qualification for national championships, it is imperative that formal discussions occur at a regularly scheduled Administrative Council meeting