Sportsmanship Lacking In National College Athletic Affiliation Process
By Dave Schmidt - THE SENIOR REPORTS -
www.theseniorreports.com(December 3, 2009) - (Updated 12-4-09)
The NAIA’s Midwest Collegiate Conference recently voted and passed the following bylaw.
A bylaw was added to the membership section during a meeting Oct. 27. Bylaw 1.2.6 now reads, "Forfeit of membership. Any Member Institution who makes formal application for membership to an athletic association contrary to the purpose of Constitution Article 1 immediately forfeits their membership in the conference."
This seems to have been placed in the leagues rules to stop a conference member from moving to the NCAA. Iowa Wesleyan College might be testing that bylaw as they consider making a move to NCAA D3 in the future.
Another NAIA conference the Dakota Athletic Conference decided to implement the same type of provision earlier this year. The DAC AD’s voted to passed it, but it was overturned by the Conference member Presidents a week later.
The recent talks breaking down between the NAIA and NCAA seems to have intensified the “battle of membership”. Both sides have been placing information on their sites the value of being a part of their association. You can see that things have changed in how both sides see the future of their associations.
Now the purpose for writing this short article; this move by the MCC is not a move of sportsmanship. It certainly goes against the concept of the NAIA’s own “Champions of Character”. I understand that the NAIA is fighting to stay viable as a national association and with some recent movement by NAIA members looking to go D2 it is a time to be serious about membership issues. If I am a school looking for a change and my conference adds a bylaw like this, it would make me move forward even more with the process. If a school is paying NAIA and conference dues, they should receive full-membership rights in both groups.
To “kick-out” a long standing member from your conference because they have applied to join another association lacks sportsmanship. The NCAA process is one that allows colleges to see first if they are a fit before they accept them. This is a good idea for both the school and the association, a cooling off period. During that time most schools that have applied to join the NCAA in the past have stayed and competed in their NAIA conference. There has been cases in the past at both the NAIA and conference level that dealt with issues like this. Once a schools is accepted to participate in the NCAA is a different story.
1- Any school should be allowed to explore it’s national affiliation without outside interference or loss of membership.
2- This method in my mind is very “unprofessional” - I’m going to take my toy and go home attitude. Punishing a conference member for making a choice about their athletic program future.
3- What does this prove? Who gets hurt? Student-athletes are penalized for the actions they had nothing to do with. This is the most important one to me. Hurting these young people, is it worth it and will it stop a member from looking at the move.
I encourage the leadership of the NAIA and the MCC to reconsider this type of action to stop a school for looking. There are other ways to retain membership in way that shows “sportsmanship”.
Links to information concerning this article are on our site - www.theseniorreports.com/naiad2.htm
updated 12-4-09
Note: The COP is supportive of a more stringent bylaw and requests the opportunity to review and possibly co-sponsor the proposed legislation.