For those fans who do not heed the Sportsmanship Announcement, policies must be in place to deal with them. Again, fans are part of the competitive atmosphere, and their disrespect and unsportsmanlike conduct can stain a contest as much as any actions on the court. Another means to promote sportsmanship in the league is the development of the Sun Belt Sportsmanship Award, which is given at various levels. From its nominees, each institution selects one female and one male as its institutional representatives for the Sportsmanship Award. From the institutional representatives, the conference's senior woman administrators select one female and one male recipient of the Sun Belt Sportsmanship Award.
All nominees receive recognition.
Often, we hear only about those student-athletes who display poor sportsmanship. The Sun Belt Sportsmanship Awards are meant to recognize those who stand for the integrity and goodness in collegiate athletics. These policies are just a start to cleaning up the image of poor sportsmanship in collegiate athletics. They won't transform the nation's thinking overnight. Poor sportsmanship is not a problem solely in the college ranks, but it is prevalent at the high-school and professional levels as well.