April 29, 2008

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - On Tuesday the Ohio Valley Conference announced that Samford University is the recipient of the 2007-08 Team Sportsmanship Award for women's basketball.

Voted on by the student-athletes and coaches of the respective sports, the team awards are bestowed upon the Conference squads deemed to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA. Included in the areas for evaluation are the conduct of student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators and fans.

"The OVC places high value on sportsmanship and ethical conduct," said Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher, OVC Commissioner. "Our awards acknowledge excellence and are special because it is recognition that comes from one's peers."

The 2007-08 school year marks the third year the team sportsmanship honors have been awarded. Samford won the inaugural award while Morehead State was the winner a season ago.

"This is very rewarding for Samford to be recognized by our peers in this important category," Samford Director of Athletics Bob Roller said. "The OVC has placed a high emphasis on this character trait, and we're pleased to accept this recognition."

Samford finished the season with a 15-5 OVC record, which put them into a three-way tie for second. The Bulldogs also won a program-record 23 games overall, and advanced to the OVC Tournament semifinals before losing to the eventual champion.

"Sportsmanship is an important value of our program, so to be recognized by the OVC and our peers is a direct reflection of the character of our student-athletes," said Samford head coach Mike Morris. "It is an honor to be recognized for this award."

Implemented in August 2005, the team honors are the most recent addition to an awards program that recognizes and celebrates sportsmanship within the Conference. In 1998, the league established the Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, presented annually to a male or female student-athlete of junior or senior status who best exemplifies the characteristics of the late Morehead State student-athlete, coach and administrator.

Five years later, the Conference added the OVC Sportsmanship Award, presented annually to the member institution selected by its peers to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA.

In 1995, the Ohio Valley Conference implemented a first-of-its-kind "Sportsmanship Statement," a policy promoting principles of fair play, ethical conduct and respect for one's opponent. The statement answered the challenge of the NCAA Presidents Commission to improve sportsmanship in collegiate athletics, and has become a model for others to follow across the nation.