If Texas Tech students cross the line into unsportsmanslike conduct at any sporting event, the administration will not allow the student section to be as close to the floor or field as it currently is, said Student Government Association President Jeremy Brown.
"I don't want that to ever happen at Tech," Brown said. "I don't want anything to hurt our university."
Brown addressed the issue of fan behavior during a sportsmanship meeting Wednesday evening.
He said he wanted to find out why students and fans behave the way they do at games.
Representatives from various student organizations including the High Riders, Student Athlete Advisory Board and the Panhellenic Association were in attendance.
The issue became a concern after recent chants at the men's basketball games that were derogatory to individual players and coaches of the opposing team.
The student-initiated change of one of the verses of the Tech fight song also raised eyebrows.
"Tech is known for its unsportsmanship," Brown said. "But we don't want to stop the enthusiasm."
While the group discussed how other universities also have unruly crowds, Brown said the emphasis seems to be more on Tech as a result of the reputation of its coaches such as Bob Knight.
A report on sportsmanship and fan behavior by the NCAA found that the poor sportsmanship of coaches and student-athletes leads to poor sportsmanship among fans.
Commercials by Bob Knight or Zach Thomas, NFL football player and former Tech athlete, could encourage students to act appropriately during games, Brown said.
"I think we have great fans at Texas Tech," said Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Shonrock. "Sometimes it's all about perception, something exciting called winning."
The university received concerned remarks from alumni and Lubbock residents about the behavior of the student crowd, Shonrock said. This does not taint Shonrock's enthusiasm for the turnout of Tech students at sporting events.
"I think we do a really great job," he said. "I am proud of our student population."
Shonrock said he wants opponents to play at Tech and the focus to be the importance of the game and not the rowdiness of the crowd.
"We want them to continue to think of Tech as a great place to come to," he said. "We want them to know that when they come to our home, prepare to leave with a loss."
Tech students do not have respect or pride for their university like at University of Texas where beating everyone is expected, Brown said.
"Our students don't expect to win," said Emily Curtis, president of the Panhellenic Association.
When the team begins to win, enthusiasm snowballs out of control, Curtis said.
Student athletes do not mind the noise caused by the fans, said representative for the Student Athlete Advisory Board and volleyball player, Angela Mooney.
There is not as much a problem with the Tech fans as with universities such as University of New Mexico, where the volleyball team heard comments that could be considered sexual harassment, Mooney said.
"I don't know how to stop fans from saying things," she said. "There is no way to patrol it, and it doesn't bother us."
Mooney said athletes do not worry about students running onto the field or court after a game.
"As long as we're safe," she said. "I don't think it's an issue."
To counteract the negative chants during games, the group decided to collaborate forces between the various spirit groups to eliminate downtime in which students and fans become bored.
A focus of positive school spirit and pride will be planned into Red Raider Camp, Freshman orientation and Double T Days to impact the sportsmanlike attitude of freshman.
"We need to work on our fundamentals of PR in the media," said SGA Internal Vice President Jacque Steinmetz. "If we promote ourselves more positively, things will catch on."
Improving sportsmanship at Tech begins with establishing pride in the student body, Brown said.
"It's about changing the attitude at Tech," he said. "I wouldn't dare be an Aggie."
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