Football Wins Big South Sportsmanship Award

CHARLOTTE, N.C.– The Big South Conference’s Team Sportsmanship Awards for its six fall sports have been determined, and Liberty University and VMI were voted the winner in two sports, followed by Charleston Southern University, Presbyterian College and UNC Asheville with one each.  The honor is part of the Big South’s Sportsmanship Awards program that began in 2005-06.

Liberty received the Big South’s Team Sportsmanship Award in men’s cross country and volleyball, while VMI was honored in women’s cross country and football.  Charleston Southern shared the football honor with VMI, and UNC Asheville was the recipient in men’s soccer.  Presbyterian College was voted the team winner in women’s soccer.

The team awards are voted on by Big South student-athletes and are awarded at the end of each competitive season.  Teams cannot vote for themselves.  Each institution ranks and votes for its top three.  Teams receive three points for a first-place ranking, two points for a second-place ranking and one point for a third-place ranking.  

The Flames, which have now won 23 Team Sportsmanship Awards since the program’s inception in 2005-06, receives the honor in volleyball for the fifth consecutive year, becoming the Big South’s first five-time Team Sportsmanship winner in any sport.  In addition, Liberty receives its first men’s cross country honor since 2007 and its third plaudit overall in the sport.

VMI repeats as the football Team Sportsmanship Award winner for the fourth-straight year, while its women’s cross country honor is its first in that sport.  The Keydets have claimed 20 overall Team Sportsmanship Awards since 2005-06.  UNC Asheville receives its second accolade in men’s soccer while earning the school’s third overall honor.  PC earns its first Team Sportsmanship Award in women’s soccer and the institution’s third overall as well.  Charleston Southern wins its first honor in football, and increases the school’s overall total to seven.

At the conclusion of the 2009-10 athletic season, the Big South Conference’s Institutional Sportsmanship Award will be announced.  An institution’s sport winners count towards the Institution Sportsmanship Award and the winner is determined on a system recognizing the highest percentage of the maximum possible points each institution is capable of achieving in that year.  The institution with the highest percentage will win the award.  VMI has won the Big South’s Institutional Sportsmanship Award all four years of the award’s history.

2009-10 Big South Team Sportsmanship Award Winners
    Football:....................................... VMI, Charleston Southern
    Volleyball:................................... Liberty
    Men’s Soccer:............................. UNC Asheville
    Women’s Soccer:....................... Presbyterian College
    Women’s Cross Country:......... VMI
    Men’s Cross Country:............... Liberty