The Empire 8 was chosen by the Institute for International Sport as an All-American Sportsmanship Conference on Wednesday – the first time in the institute’s history that an entire conference earned the award.

The award, given to schools with excellent sportsmanship programs and who demonstrate effective sportsmanship qualities, is given on National Sportsmanship Day, an event that began in 1991 to promote self-control and non-violence in sports. The institute partners with USA Today to give the award and sponsors an essay content for adolescents about the important of sportsmanship.

According to Dan Doyle, the executive director for the Institute of International Sport, the policies and procedures implemented by the Empire 8 have created a model for good sportsmanship. Since 2001, the conference has initiated an Ejection Policy, which forces student-athletes or coaches to miss an additional game if ejected.

The Empire 8 also has one of the most extensive training programs in sportsmanship for players and coaches, and its policies have been adopted by a number of Division I and II programs. The Empire 8’s sportsmanship initiatives are nationally recognized, with articles featured in USA Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education and The NCCA News, Doyle said.

Ithaca and the rest of the Empire 8, along with Division-I schools Indiana University, Auburn University, Clemson University and Bucknell University, junior colleges Joliet and Miami Dade, as well as a number of high schools, will be honored on National Sportsmanship Day on March 4.

Other members of the Empire 8 include: Elmira College, Hartwick College, Nazareth College, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. John Fisher College, Stevens Institute of Technology and Utica College.