Bylaws
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I
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1. Roll Call 2. Reading of Minutes 3. Report on Conference Membership 4. Chairperson's Report 5. Financial Status Report 6. Unfinished Business 7. Joint Meeting of Committees 8. Report of Athletic Committee 9. Report of Eligibility Committee 10. New Business 11. Appointment of Committees 12. Adjournment |
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Section 1. Section 1. A student who has participated in scrimmages or games in intercollegiate athletics on a team that is a member of the Conference and who chooses to transfer to another Conference institution will be eligible to play at the new institution if both Athletics Directors agree in writing. A student-athlete that transfers without the approval of the two Athletics Directors has the opportunity to request a Hardship waiver to be sent to the conference office to be received and/or approved or disapproved by the Executive Committee. The decision of the Executive Committee is final. Section 2. The Executive Committee will consist of the Commissioner, AD Chair (ad hoc), Eligibility Chair, and three FARs selected by the Eligibility Chair. Section 3. If a student enrolls at a Conference school and decides to transfer to another institution within the Conference and has not participated in athletics, they will need approval from the RRAC Eligibility Committee. Section 5: If a student wishes to transfer to another institution in the conference, they must notify their current school 10 days in advance of the transfer. Section 6: If a student graduates from a RRAC institution and wants to transfer to another RRAC institution to pursue a Master’s degree program, the student may only transfer to and play immediately if the institution they are currently attending does not offer the degree program. They may still apply for a hardship waiver within the RRAC. The conference is following the NAIA rule in this regard. Section 7: The procedures for a student-athlete experiencing a hardship to transfer within the conference must go through the athletic director of the current school and the athletic director of the new school with the information explaining why the student-athlete must transfer. Documentation must be sent to the conference office and the executive committee for review. In the hardship paperwork, there should be specific reasons why the student must transfer. |
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ARTICLE IV
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Section 1. No person shall be permitted to participate in intercollegiate athletics that has not fulfilled the following conditions: |
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ARTICLE V
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| Section 1. Assignment of scholarships, grants-in-aid, or student loans shall be controlled by the by the Financial Aid Office through the regularly constituted committee on student loans and scholarships. Section 2. The scholarship unit shall equal tuition, room/board, books, and fees as published in the institution's catalog. Section 3. Each institution's division (men's and women's) and each sport shall have the following minimum and maximum units. |
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Section 4. Maximum scholarship grant money from all sources, institutional or otherwise, will be limited to the published cost of room, board, tuition, books, and fees. Section 5. Student who is receiving an athletic grant in a non-conference sport and who also competes in a conference sport shall follow the NAIA policy. Section 5. Student who is receiving an athletic grant in a non-conference sport and who also competes in a conference sport shall follow the NAIA policy. Section 6. Non-athletic institutional grant money awarded to an individual athlete on the basis of academic, financial need or for other specified reasons shall follow the NAIA policy. Section 7. A student may not receive an amount of aid from all sources, institutionally controlled or otherwise, that is in excess of that institution's financial aid budget (cost of attendance). When a student receives non-institutionally controlled funds, aid packages may have to be adjusted to ensure that the total amount of aid is not higher than the cost of attendance. Section 8. Only the following recruiting expenses shall be permissible: 1. Overnight accommodations in the school residence halls unless space is unavailable. 2.Meals in the school dining hall, except when that dining hall is closed. Transportation costs not to exceed cost of airfare or other best mode of travel. Section 9: Recruitment 1. Recruitment of an Enrolled Student-Athlete If, during the school year or summer vacation period, the Athletics Director, Faculty Athletics Representative, or Coach of a member institution is contacted or becomes aware of contact by an athlete who enrolled at another institution of higher learning (two-year or four-year), it shall be the responsibility of the contacted institution (Athletics Director or Faculty Athletics Representative) to notify in writing the institution (Athletic Director or Faculty Athletics Representative) where the athlete is presently enrolled within 10 days following the first contact. A coach or another representative of a member institution shall not initiate contact with an athlete who has enrolled at another institution. A coach or another representative of a member institution may respond to a contact by an athlete only after the enrolled athlete's institution (Athletic Director or Faculty Athletics Representative) has been notified as prescribed above. 2. Recruitment of a Non-Enrolled Student A coach or another representative of a member institution shall not contact an athlete who has drawn equipment and is engaged in organized pre-school practice at another institution. 3. Violation of any part of the NAIA recruitment policy shall cause an immediate investigation by the National Conduct and Ethics Committee for appropriate action. |
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ARTICLE VI GUARANTEES |
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Section 1. Athletic contests between member institutions will be without guarantees. |
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Section 1. Academic All-Conference Awards (Individual and Team) shall be awarded in each conference sport. Individual athletes must maintain a 3.0 GPA as a full-time student for at least one previous semester (quarter) with at least one semester (quarter) of attendance at the awarding school. The athlete must be listed on the Eligibility Certificate submitted to the conference eligibility chairs during this academic year. Team GPA must include every varsity athlete certified as eligible in this sport and listed on any eligibility certificate submitted to the conference eligibility chairs during this academic year. The team GPA must be at least a 3.0 or better to qualify for this award. Both awards will be calculated using the institution's normal GPA rules regarding repeated courses, transfer credit, etc. Sum the total quality points/GPA points earned by all individuals or all team members and divide by the sum of the total GPA hours earned by the individual or all members of the team. Fall and spring grades from the current year are to be used when calculating either of these awards. Application for these awards must be submitted by June 1 in the conference office. These awards will be given at the conference fall meeting. Section 2. Awards will be presented to the conference champion in both men's and women's basketball, tennis, soccer, cross country, outdoor track and men's baseball, women's volleyball and softball. Section 3. Sportsmanship trophies shall be awarded each year for both men's and women's sports to conference schools based upon a vote of the conference Athletic Directors. |
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ARTICLE VIII CHAMPIONSHIPS |
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Section 1. To comply with NAIA affiliated contest rules, all conference members must hold NAIA Division 1 status.
Section 2. All teams that participate will follow the guidelines approved by the coaches, athletic directors, faculty athletic representatives and the Council of Presidents. Section 3. Any new member that does not field a team in a minimum of six conference sports, three men's and women's and at least one men's and women's sport in each season, (fall, winter and spring) shall be at a minimum placed on probation for the following year and shall not be eligible for championships during the probationary period. The Eligibility Committee will review each case and make recommendations to the Presidents for approval. Section 4. The policy for determining the sport championship within the Red River Athletic Conference is based on the concept that the team(s) with the best conference record should be recognized as the conference champion. In the case of ties, all teams will be recognized as co-champions. Each sport will have guide lines to determine ties and seeding. In some cases, where there is a conference tournament, the winner of the tournament will be the team or teams that advance to the next level of competition. Section 5. Championships This Conference shall award championships in the sports in which there are four or more schools participating and there is championship play. The Conference will purchase trophies or plaques suitable for the aforesaid championships. If there is a tie for first place in the regular season, the two teams will be named co-champions. When not otherwise specified in sport-specific operating procedures, tie-breakers for postseason seedings or playoff position should follow this process in order:
Section 6. Coach of the Year Award
The coaches in each individual sport will vote on Coach of the Year in their sport. Each will submit his/her first three choices, with five (5) points being awarded for first, three (3) points for second and one (1) point for third. Section 7. All-Conference Teams The Commissioner shall notify the coaches of the time and place for the selection of the All-Conference teams each year. Suitable awards may be provided to the individuals selected.
Section 8. Champions of Character Teams
The Red River Athletic Conference will recognize a Champions of Character team for each sponsored sport during each academic year. Each Champions of Character team will consist of one student-athlete from each school participating in a given sport. Each school will determine its Champions of Character selection by any process that it deems appropriate. The teams will be announced following the completion of the season in each sport.
Section 9. Scholar-Athlete Awards
At the regular spring meeting, each Faculty Representative of a member institution shall submit to the Conference Commissioner the name, transcript, and grade point average (verified by the registrar) of the graduating senior male and female who have earned at least two letters in any RRAC sport, and who are, in his/her opinion, the outstanding scholar-athletes at his or her institution. The grade point average is to be based on seven (7) semesters. Appropriate awards and recognition will be given to the scholar athletes. Section 10. All Sports Trophy The All-Sports Award is given annually to the RRAC member institution that performs best in the conference’s sponsored sports in a given academic year. Points are awarded to the top five teams in each sport’s regular season conference standings in addition to each team’s performance in the conference tournament or championship event.
Points will be distributed to the top five finishers in the regular season conference play for each applicable sport using a 10-8-6-4-2 scoring system. Current sports with regular season standings include men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and softball. For those sports without regular season standings (men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track & field, men’s golf and women's tennis), the same points will be awarded based on the teams’ finish in the postseason conference events for those sports. In the case of a tie, both teams will receive the points applied to the tied position unless a tie-breaker determined seedings in that sport. In addition, conference tournament or championship events in men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track & field and men’s and women’s golf will receive points using a 5-4-3-2-1 scoring system. Conference tournaments in the sports with regular season standings will determine points for the remaining sports using a 5-4-3-3 scoring system. The tournament champion will receive five points, the runner-up will receive four and the two additional semifinalists will receive three apiece. Only sports with at least four teams competing in an RRAC tournament will be eligible. The sum of regular season points and conference tournament or championship event points will determine the RRAC All-Sports Award winner. Points will be calculated by the conference office and the award will be announced after spring sports are completed each May. Section 11. Athletic Director of the Year The Athletic Director of the Year will be determined by a vote of all athletic directors at the end of each academic year. The conference sports information director will distribute a ballot and collect votes. Section 12. Sports Information Director of the Year The Sports Information Director of the Year will be determined by a vote of all sports information directors at the end of each academic year. The conference sports information director will distribute a ballot and collect votes. Section 13. Athletic Trainer of the Year The Athletic Trainer of the Year will be determined by a vote of one athletic trainer from each member institution at the end of each academic year. The conference sports information director will distribute a ballot and collect votes. The winner of the award will not be elibible for three years after being recognized. Section 14. Sportsmanship Award The Sportsmanship Award will be determined by a vote of each athletic director at the end of each academic year. The conference sports information director will distribute a ballot and collect votes. Section 15: National Awards The Conference shall also recognize those individuals that represent the Conference seeking one of the NAIA national awards with either a plaque or certificate stating that they are the Conference's representative. These awards include: d. Coach of Character Award e. Leroy Walker Sportsmanship Award, awarded to both a male and female athlete demonstrating excellence in the five core values of the Champions of Character initiative of the NAIA. The winner to represent the conference will be selected by a special committee appointed by the eligibility chair. |
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ARTICLE IX |
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Section 1. Eligibility forms shall be signed and approved by the faculty athletics representative, athletic director, coach of sport and registrar of each institution and shall be submitted to the appropriate NAIA Eligibility Chairperson prior to the first scrimmage or game, which ever is first. This will be done for each sport. Forms may be faxed or mailed. |
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| Section 1. Enforcement Policy The Eligibility Committee of the Conference shall have the power to enforce the provisions of the constitution, bylaws, and all other policies. Upon notification of a possible violation, the Conference Eligibility Chair will gather the pertinent data and invite the President, or designate, of the institution involved to present its case. The Eligibility Committee will render a decision by a simple majority vote and make a recommendation to the National Eligibility Committee. The Eligibility Chair will be responsible for sending all cases pertaining to violations and appeals to a standard rule, including the recommendation from the Eligibility Committee, to the Legislative Services Liaison at the NAIA office. A decision on the case will be made by the National Eligibility Committee and the national office will notify the institution of its decision. An appeal can be made to the NEC where there is additional information or some other extenuating circumstance. Section 2. Notification of Penalties and Intention to Appeal. The Conference Commissioner or the Eligibility Chair shall notify the President of the institution involved, in writing, of the Committee's decision. The president of the institution may appeal the decision in writing. Final dissemination of the case will be sent to the involved parties from the NAIA office. Section 3. Conference Enforcement Policy. The Commissioner shall have the power to enforce all other rules and policies pertaining to the conference under the direction of the Presidents. Section 4. Conference Penalties. Should a member institution violate a rule or policy of the conference, it shall be liable for any or all of the following penalties: Section 9. When teams arrive at a scheduled conference game site and the venue is deemed unplayable by the officials (not due to weather conditions, but not having the playing area ready for play), the home team must provide an alternate site to play the contest. Before any decisions are made to cancel the game by the officials, contact with the Commissioner must be made immediately by the home team on the proper procedure to get the games played. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture as declared by the Commissioner. Section 10. Disciplinary action shall be assessed to individuals exhibiting unsportsmanlike conduct. The institution with which the offending individual is associated may also be subject to disciplinary action if it is found that the institution's policies, action, or failure to act substantially contributed to the individual's misconduct. All unsportsmanlike conduct will be directed to the President of the University. Violation: Any individual who physically or verbally abuses an official, coach, player and spectator. The penalty for such a violation shall be ejection or removal from the athletic event. Additional violations may be suspension or being banned from attending contests, as the conference commissioner deems appropriate. |
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ARTICLE XI CONDUCT IN COMPETITION COMMITTEE |
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| Section 1.Pursuant to NAIA Bylaws Article 1, Section T, the RRAC must have a Conduct in Competition Oversight Committee composed of a minimum of three members. The committee's responsibilities include recommending the scope of the conference's activities related to event management, hospitality, conduct in competition, and sanctions related to conduct in competition within the conference. The RRAC's committee will consist of the Chair of the Council of Presidents, all members of the Council of Presidents and the conference commissioner. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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RRAC HALL OF FAME Section 1. The RRAC will establish a Hall of Fame to recognize student-athletes, coaches and administrators that have had an impact on the conference. The inaugural class will be determined by a committee. All member institutions, past and present, are allowed to nominate a maximum of two candidates each year. Any NAIA Hall of Famers will be automatically added to the RRAC Hall of Fame. Section 2. The Hall of Fame Committee will consist of the Chair of Athletic Directors, two additional athletic directors, two sports information directors, two RRAC officials, and one at-large committee member. Section 3. There will initially be no requirements on classifications of Hall of Famers and no specific numbers on how many will be selected in any given year. |
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RRAC BETTY ETIER CHARACTER ATHLETES OF THE YEAR Section 1. In each year, the RRAC will select one male student-athlete and one female student-athlete to receive the RRAC Etier Awards. Nominees will be submitted by each member institution during each academic year with each recognized as a Character Athlete of the Week. Selections will be determined by the RRAC Champions of Character Committee. |