ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES
WOLVERINE HOOSIER ATHLEIC CONFERENCE
Updated 11/6/2014
Section I
Membership
Current membership in the WHAC is as follows (as of July 1, 2012):
1. Aquinas College, MI
2. Concordia University-Ann Arbor, MI
3. Cornerstone University, MI
4. Davenport University, MI
5. Indiana Tech, IN
6. Lourdes University, OH
7. Lawrence Tech, MI
8. Madonna University, MI
9. Marygrove University, MI
10. Siena Heights University, MI
11. University of Michigan-Dearborn, MI
12. University of Northwestern Ohio, OH
Section II
Participation
SCHEDULING, CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND POST-SEASON PLAY
1. Regular season formats and post-season plans will be submitted by the sport chairs to the EC for approval, which will stand for 2 years unless there is a change in the number of institutions participating in that sport.
2. The conference commissioner is required to distribute the approved conference schedule 12-months in advance for all sports.
3. Regular season game management policies fall under the direct supervision of the host athletic director and his/her staff.
4. Post-season game management policies will be coordinated by the host athletic director, the conference commissioner and the conference sports information director.
5. When a scheduled contest is canceled for uncontrollable reasons, the host Athletic Director must notify the Conference Commissioner within twenty-four (24) hours.
6. Make-up policy – WHAC schools may have to reschedule or even cancel non-league games to make up a league contest.
7. WHAC game times are to be set by the home team with agreement from the visitors. Traditional game times have been:
Men’s & Women’s Soccer: 12 and 2:30 pm (Saturdays), 4 pm weekday before DST, 3 pm after DST
Volleyball: 7 pm weekday, 1 pm Saturdays
Men’s Basketball: 7:30 weekday, 3 pm Saturdays
Women’s Basketball: 7:30 weekday, 1 pm Saturdays
Softball: 4 pm weekday, 1 pm weekend
Baseball: 1 pm weekend, 1:30 pm weekday
8. For any contest that is being rescheduled (including site changes) prior to the season and not related to weather issues (which are to follow sport guideline polices) but are related to site and date changes, the following must be completed for change to be made:
a. Participating coaches must agree on change.
b. Participating athletic directors must all approve
c. If agreement cannot be made, commissioner will make final decision.
d. Commissioner must confirm change with all parties involved.
Note: Rescheduling should not change the schedule rotation.
9. When conference championships structures are established, they are in place for at least two years (unless a change in the number or participating teams in that sport takes place).
10. Championships Defined
A. The regular-season league champion is declared the WHAC Champion for each sport.
B. If two or more teams tie for first place, league co-champions are awarded to all teams that tie for first place.
C. All WHAC basketball teams compete at the NAIA Division II level.
13. The sharing of any videotape, scouting reports, game plan, statistics or other related information by any WHAC member school about another WHAC member institution is prohibited. In addition, videotaping other conference member’s games is prohibited.
14. Video Tape Policy (volleyball, M/W basketball, M/W soccer, M/W lacrosse) – all games must be videotaped and the camera must continue to run for at least five (5) minutes after the end of the contest or until the teams leave the floor.
Regular season protests
A written protest must be emailed to the conference commissioner within 24-hours of the protested contest. The Commissioner will gather the facts of the protest from all parties and refer them to the Conduct and Ethics Committee for appropriate action.
PLAYING RULES
Competition shall be conducted in accordance with the rules and policies adopted by the NAIA for intercollegiate sports competition.
CONDUCT
Failure to conform to pre or post-game regulations, breach of ethics, unsportsmanlike conduct, and any other conference rules or standards, etc., by any student, athlete, coach or any other official institutional representative shall be reported by the Athletic Director to the Commissioner within forty-eight (48) hours of the alleged event. Where appropriate, every effort should be made to resolve the conflict informally prior to reporting the event to the Commissioner; however, the event should still be reported to the conference commissioner for documentation. NAIA-NAC Guidelines supersede this paragraph.
Section III
Awards
Individual Awards
The process for nomination and selection of individual awards shall be established by the WHAC Commissioner, WHAC Sports Information Director and/or WHAC Eligibility Chair.
Conference awards will include: WHAC AD of the Year, NAIA/WHAC A.O. Duer Award, NAIA/WHAC Liston Award, NAIA/WHAC Coach of Character Award and NAIA/WHAC LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award. The awards criteria for each of these awards are outlined in the NAIA Policies & Procedures Manual.
TEAM AWARDS
The WHAC EC may implement awards to reinforce the Conference, the Champions of Character program or the men’s and women’s programs it sponsors.
WHAC Sports Guidelines will outline specific sport awards to be approved by the EC.
ALL SPORTS TROPHY
The WHAC All-Sports trophy is computed using the highest finish in ten conference sports (five women and five men) for each school. Each sport champion is awarded points based on the number of schools participating in each sport. For a sport with all eight schools participating, eight points are awarded for first place with second receiving seven and so on down the line. A tie results in adding the total points for the tied spots together and dividing by the number of teams that are tied, with the teams "sharing the points." For instance a tie for second and third place would require dividing six points (2nd place finish) plus five points (3rd place finish) by two (number of tied teams). This would result in 5.5 points per team.
The calculation of All Sports Trophy points shall be coordinated by the WHAC Sports Information Director at the conclusion of each sports season and posted to the WHAC website within one week of the conclusion of play.
The WHAC Commissioner when possible shall present the All Sports Trophy to the winning institution on their campus at a mutually agreed upon event.
Academic Awards
Academic Awards shall be coordinated by the WHAC Sports Information Director in conjunction with each institution’s SID and/or AD.
OTHER AWARDS
Can be approved by the EC and are outlined in the SID Handbook.
Section IV
WHAC Coaches Meetings
CONFERENCE SPORT COACHES' MEETINGS
The conference sport coaches shall meet annually within 90 days of the conclusion of their regular season and prior to the next EC meeting. Summary and minutes of the annual meeting, must be submitted to the WHAC Commissioner within seven days of the meeting.
A. The chairperson of each coaches' committee shall be approved by the EC and serve for a two-year (2) period. It will be his/her responsibility to prepare a meeting agenda, arrange, convene and preside at the meeting; and prepare and submit the minutes of the meeting to the Commissioner and the EC. The Sport Chair, if requested, shall be present at the next EC meeting, to present all recommendations made by his/her committee.
B. The coaches shall discuss matters relevant to their sports; consider desired changes in the Sport Guidelines for
recommendation(s) to the EC. All suggested agenda items should be submitted to the commissioner at least fifteen (15) days in advance of the planned meeting date. A completed agenda for each meeting should be distributed to all appropriate parties at least 3 days prior to the meeting date.
Section V
Financial Issues and Fees
Membership dues are outlined in the WHAC Constitution and Bylaws.
Other financial fees could include:
1. Tournament fees (i.e. Green Fees at the WHAC Golf Championship)
2. Split costs for a neutral site WHAC Championship.
3. Assessments approved by the COP.
TOURNAMENT REVENUE
In WHAC sports that are required to submit a post-season financial report (as determined by the EC), such reports and the payment for net revenue (if any) shall be submitted to the WHAC Commissioner and Treasurer within 21 days of the conclusion of the tournament. If not received a $50 per week late fee will be assessed.
HOSTING A WHAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
A. WHAC Championship hosted at a neutral side and organized and run by the conference office.
1. Any net financial loss would be shared equally by the participating members and they will be billed by the conference for their share right after the event.
2. Any net financial gain would be retained by the WHAC treasury.
B. Any WHAC championship at a neutral site and organized by a local host member of the conference:
1. Financial implications including any net loss would be the responsibility of the host(s)
2. Any net financial gain (after all expenses) would go to the WHAC treasury.
C. In the sport of basketball (men and women):
1. There is a minimum payment to the conference office for hosting a playoff game. For men, the fee is $400 and for women $400.
2. Ticket prices will be $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors (students 8 years old through college and seniors are those over 60, kids under 8 are free).
3. Total revenue received in basketball will be split 50/50. Fifty percent will go to the conference treasury and the other 50% will be split between the 4 automatic qualifiers to the NAIA national tournaments (2 men and 2 women) to help pay for some costs to those events.
D. In the sport of soccer:
1. There is a minimum payment to the conference office for hosting a playoff game. For both men and women, the fee is $200.
2. Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Under 8 years of age are free.
E. In the sport of Volleyball:
1. There is a minimum payment to the conference for hosting the WHAC Final 8 Tournament. That fee is $700.
3. Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Under 8 years of age are free.
F. For any conference championship or post-season contest, the host institution must complete and submit the required report and financial payment no later than 21 days after the event. In addition, the required payment will be increased by $50 per week (or partial week) for each week past the due date.
APPEALS
Any appeal of a fine imposed by the Commissioner shall be made to the EC within 72 hours of such fine being levied. The EC shall act upon such appeal within 10 days of the appeal being filed.
Section VI
Amendments
Administrative Policies and Sport Guidelines may be amended by a simple majority vote at a meeting of the EC.
Section VII
Game Management
EVENT MANAGEMENT
1. Host teams must designate an event manager and inform the visiting team (this should not be the home team coach).
2. Official clock operators and scorekeepers should be trained and be at table 30 min prior to the contest..
3. Sufficient personnel must be provided to handle game management functions: scorekeeper, clock operators, statisticians and security.
4. Home team must designate specific visitor seating area – separate from home seating.
5. Home seating may not be directly behind the visitor’s bench area.
6. Home team pep bands may not be seated directly behind the visitor’s bench area.
7. Event manager is responsible for crowd control. This includes before, during and after games.
8. Profanity, interfering with a game/official will result in immediate ejection from facility and possible ban from future WHAC athletic events.
9. Team bench area must be clearly identified and restricted to team personnel.
10. There shall be a buffer zone behind the visitors’ bench, which may be used by the visiting spectators.
11. Amplified sound systems will be kept at a minimal level. Event manager will lower volume if requested by visiting team. Music cannot contain profanity or abusive language.
12. Separate and secure locker rooms must be provided for all officials.
13. Whistles and air horns are strictly prohibited at all WHAC events. Instruments can only be played in accordance with individual sport rules. Boom boxes/sound systems are to be limited to use during pre-game, halftime and time-outs.
14. No fans anywhere on the floor, at any time, including pre-game/halftime warm up.
15. Cheerleaders are to be kept off the floor and bands shall not play during live ball situations.
FACILITIES
Playing surface (court, field, etc.) will be available one hour prior to the start of the contest.
Locker rooms must be provided with the following:
1. Clean shower facilities with hot/cold water.
2. Chairs/benches to accommodate full team.
3. Locker rooms to be secured by either lock & key or security personnel.
4. Functioning, clean restroom facilities must be provided.
5. Dry erase boards.
6. Water and Ice available.
To host a WHAC post season event, the facility must meet the national requirements under the specific sport guidelines. Any questions about the facility must be addressed to the EC to be approved prior to the start of the regular season competition..
PASS LISTS
Any athletic administrator holding a valid NAIA membership card shall be admitted free of charge to any event hosted by a WHAC institution.
PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCERS
Public address announcers may not be “cheerleaders” or used to incite the crowd during a game. The public address system may not be used by cheerleaders once the game has started. WHAC public address announcers are expected to exhibit professionalism at all times.
PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCEMENTS
The WHAC in conjunction with NAIA Champions of Character has adopted a pre-game statement to be read for all games played at an WHAC institution. Time should be taken prior to the start of each competition to read the Champions of Character announcement before starting each event.
The WHAC reserves the right to request that institutions hosting post-season games read sponsor announcements. If a sponsor is secured for a specific event, the host institution will be notified and provided with a script.
Section VIII
Sports Information
All sports information guidelines are outlined in the WHAC SID Handbook.