SAC Sports Policy - Men's and Women's Cross Country
SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
MEN’S & WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY COMMITTEE
Whitney Lee, Carson-Newman College, Chair 2007-08, 2008-09
Bill Haggerty, Catawba College
Jason Stewart, Lenior-Rhyne College
Jeremy Donahue, Lincoln Memorial
Mike Owens, Mars Hill College
Rebekah Dixon, Newberry College
Phil Roberts, Tusculum College
Dr. Dennis Johnson, Wingate University
David Riggins, Mars Hill College, Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Athletic Director Liaison
SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE SPORTS PROGRAM
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
SECTION 1. TITLE
1.1. South Atlantic Conference Cross Country Committee
SECTION 2. COMMITTEE STRUCTURE
2.1. The head cross country coach from each member institution shall serve on the committee and have one vote.
2.2. The cross country coaches committee shall be a recommending body to the Athletic Director's Council regarding cross country matters.
2.3. The committee shall meet officially once a year and submit a report of recommendations for the following year of operations by March 1.
SECTION 3. OFFICERS
3.A. Status and Term of Office
3.A.1. The Committee's chair shall serve in rotation by institutional alphabetical order. The term shall be for two years.
3.B. Duties
3.B.1. The chair shall call and preside over meetings of the committee. The chair shall make all necessary arrangements and report in the proper format all recommendations to the Athletic Directors Council through the AD liaison for the cross country committee.
3.B.2. A copy shall also be submitted to the SAC Office by March 1.
SECTION 4. MEETING AND QUORUM
4.A. Date and Site
4.A.1. The committee may hold its official meeting during the conference cross country championship.
4.B. Reporting
4.B.1. The annual report of the cross country committee shall be filed with the AD liaison for cross country and the Conference office no later than March 1.
4.C. Quorum
4.C.1. A majority of all Conference school representatives present constitutes a quorum, but five (5) votes are necessary to recommend a change in policies and procedures.
SECTION 5. CONFERENCE PLAY
5.A. General Policies and Procedures
5.A.1. Conference championship will be determined by NCAA Cross Country Scoring. The Conference cross country meet will be 5000 meters for women and 8000 meters for men. There shall be unlimited entries.
5.A.2. No regular season competition is required.
5.A.3. The host institution and conference office shall be responsible for distribution of all information pertaining to the Conference championship.
5.A.4. Official entry forms must be sent to the chair of the cross country committee. A specified date shall be set prior to the conference championship.
5.A.5. Conference Championship meet schedule:
Even years: 9:00 a.m. for men; 10:15 a.m. for women
Odd years: 9:00 a.m. for women; 10 a.m. for men (Revised, March 2004)
5.B. Regular Season Format
5.B.1. No regular season meets are required.
5.C. Playing Rules
5.C.1. All NCAA cross country rules and South Atlantic Conference rules are applicable.
5.D. Game Officials
5.D.1. The cross country committee shall form a games committee at the conference championship which shall serve as the rules committee.
5.E. Protest of Officials Decision
5.E.1. Public comments about game officials by coaches or institutional representatives is not allowed.
5.E.2. The Conference Office will use a neutral Referee for use at the Conference Meet. The Referee shall be certified by the USTAF Association and will be provided and secured by the Conference Office or the Host Institution. The Referee will rule over any protests and the decision of the referee will be final. Protests must be filed within 10 minutes after the conclusion of the race – when the last runner crosses the finish line. A fee of $20 should accompany the protest, which will be returned if the protest is upheld.
SECTION 6. CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
6.A. Championship Format
6.A.1. The championship site shall be determined according to the Conference approved rotation system.
6.A.2. There shall be a 5000 meter race for the women and an 8000 meter race for the men.
6.A.3. Team championship will be determined by the scores of the top five finishers of each team. All other finishers for each team will be displaced for the purpose of determining team scores (1999, clarification).
6.A.4. Ties in team competition shall be broken by comparing the place of each team member 1-5 versus their respective competitors on the opposing team. (Team A’s first finisher vs. Team B’s first finisher, etc.). The winner is the team winning the majority (best of five) of the comparisons,
6.B. Coaches Meeting at the Conference Championship
6.B.1. A meeting of all officials, head coaches or his/her designee participating in the Conference championship, the host Athletic Director, and a representative of the Conference office, will be held before the beginning of the SAC championship. All details pertaining to the Conference championship shall be reviewed.
6.B.2. Attendance is mandatory for all participating schools.
6.C. Site
6.C.1. Conference approved rotation system. (March, 2008)
2009 - Lincoln Memorial
2010 - Lenoir-Rhyne
2011 - Wingate
2012 - Carson-Newman
2013 - Tusculum
2014 - Mars Hill
2015 - Catawba
2016 - Brevard
2017 - Lincoln Memorial
2018 - Newberry
SECTION 7. AWARDS
7.A. Runner of Year
7.A.1. The male and female winner of each meet of the Conference championship shall be the Runner of the Year.
7.A.2. Plaques awarded.
7.B. Freshman of the Year
7.B.1. The highest freshmen male and female finishers shall be the Male and Female Freshman of the Year.
7.B.2. Plaques awarded.
7.C. All-Conference Team
7.C.1. The top seven male finishers will be named to the first team and the second top seven males will be named to the second team. The top seven female finishers will be named to the first team and the second seven will be named to the second team.
7.C.2. Certificates awarded.
7.D All-Freshman Team
7.D.1 The top five freshmen finishers will be named to the All-Freshman Team. (Revised, March 2004)
7.D.2 Certificate awarded.
7.E. Team Champion
7.E.1. The team winning the SAC Cross Country championship shall receive a trophy. The Conference Champion will receive appropriate points towards the South Atlantic Conference Athletic Excellence Award (1999).
7.E.2. Personalized certificates will be awarded to all team members the week following the championship.
7.E.3 In the sports of golf and cross country, to be considered for and compete for SAC Athletic Excellence points, a team must have competed in, and completed, the minimum NCAA regular season requirements to be considered for SAC championships. (Revised, July 2004)
7.E.4 A team in golf and cross country that competes and does not post a team score does not receive any points toward the SAC Athletic Excellence points, with a right to appeal to the Commissioner’s Office. (Revised, July 2004)
7.F. SAC Honor Roll
7.F.1. All SAC cross country runners who have a 3.20 GPA or better grade point average at the conclusion of the fall semester and completed the season of competition shall be a member of the SAC Academic Honor Roll.
7.F.2. Composite certificate awarded.
7.G. SAC Presidents Award
7.G.1. Nominees for the SAC President's Award shall be the top male and female SAC Scholar Athlete as selected by each institution (if applicable). These nominees shall represent the best of academic, athletic, and community/leadership qualities.
7.G.2. Plaque awarded.
7.H SAC Athlete of the Year Award
7.H.1. Nominees for the SAC Athlete of the Year Award shall be the top male and female selected as the Player of the Year from their respected sport (1999).
7.H.2. Plaque awarded.
7.I. South Atlantic Conference Scholar Award
7.I.1. Nominees for the South Atlantic Conference Scholar Athlete Award shall have a minimum of 3.3 cumulative GPA, at least sophomore status, excel in academics, athletics and community/leadership activities.
7.J.2. Plaque awarded.
7.J Coach of the Year
7.J.1. Selected by a vote of the coaches committee after the Conference championship.
7.J.2. Plaque awarded.
7.K. South Atlantic Conference Senior Participation Award
7.K.1. Awarded to each athlete who is completing his or her eligibility.
7.K.2. SAC senior memento awarded. (Revised, 2004)
7.L Runner of the Week
7.L.1 A Runner of the Week for men and women will be named and released along with the weekly report. Conference Sports Information Directors will nominate and vote on the award and submit the winner to the SAC office. (2002)
SECTION 8. AMENDMENTS TO OPERATING POLICIES
8.1. All recommended amendments must be in the annual report of the cross country Committee and submitted by March 1 to the Cross Country Committee Athletic Director liaison and the South Atlantic Conference office. The Athletic Director's Council will act on all recommendations during their spring meeting. Amendments will apply to the following year's Conference Championship.
SECTION 9. PUBLICITY
9.1. All regular season results shall be reported to the conference office prior to 11:00 a.m. each Monday. Weekly press releases will provide results and statistics.
SECTION 10. PROTOCOL
10.1. All teams will exercise a hospitable attitude in treating visiting teams as guests and in the manner they would want to be treated.
10.2. Tobacco ban.
10.2.a. The use of all tobacco products by individuals on the cross country course - as well as during other Conference activities such as banquets, autograph sessions, press conferences and post game interviews - is prohibited. Violations of this policy shall be dealt with by the appropriate meet official with a warning that is applicable to all team members and then ejection.
SECTION 11. PRACTICE SCHEDULE
11.A. In Season
11.A.1. Determined by institutional rules and the rules of the Conference and National Association.
11.B. Out of season
11.B.1. Determined by institutional rules and the rules of the Conference and National Association.
SECTION 12. UNIFORMS
12.1. Proper cross country attire shall be worn in accordance with the generally accepted cross country standards.
SECTION 13. INCLEMENT WEATHER
13.1. The games committee along with the host Athletic Director and Conference representative will make a decision about postponing the Conference Cross Country championship if there is inclement weather that endangers participants.
SECTION 14. ELIGIBILITY
14.1. All South Atlantic Conference rules and regulations, as well as rules of the National Association are applicable for all participants.
14.2. Transfers: Conference requires 1 year in residence at the certifying institution for student-athletes transferring from another South Atlantic Conference member institution. Appeals are handled on a case-by-case basis through the institution the student-athlete desires to leave. (July, 2006)
SECTION 15. CHAMPIONSHIP TIE
15.1. Ties in team competition shall be broken by comparing the place of each team member 1-5 versus their respective competitors on the opposing team (Team A’s first finisher vs. Team B’s first finisher, etc.) The winner is the team winning the majority (best of five) of the comparisons.
SECTION 16. MISCELLANEOUS
16.1. The winner of the Conference Cross Country championship shall be the Conference champion and gain points toward the SAC Athletic Excellence Award.
16.2. Wherever applicable, polices and procedures governing the administration and conduct of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Cross Country championship shall be utilized.
16.3 The policies for men's and women's cross country shall be the same, but each team shall be considered a separate sport.
Revised November 20, 2008













