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NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Apr 9, 2010 1:13:15 PM

The North Dakota State Board of Education ruled Thursday that the University of North Dakota must retire its Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

The state board directed North Dakota President Robert Kelley to begin the transition process immediately; however, North Dakota's athletics teams will remain the Fighting Sioux for the 2010-11 season.

Kelley is holding an open forum Friday to talk about the school's process for transitioning to a new nickname and logo. He will be joined by Director of Athletics Brian Faison, men's ice hockey coach Dave Hakstol, women's basketball coach Gene Roebuck, men's basketball coach Brian Jones and football coach Chris Mussman.

"It's hard sitting on your hands waiting for a deliberate process to run its course, not knowing what the outcome would be," Kelley told The Associated Press. "Now that we have a decision from the state board, we can move ahead."

In its ruling, the board said it had the authority to change the nickname before a November 30, 2010, deadline set in a settlement with the NCAA. Under terms of that agreement, the university had until August 15, 2011, to adopt a new name and logo if the two tribal groups in the state did not grant approval by the November 2010 deadline. The board decided in May that it would retire the current name and related imagery by October 1, 2010, unless it received tribal approval.

Spirit Lake members voted in April to grant permission, and the group's tribal council approved a resolution in September supporting "perpetual" use.

The other group, the Standing Rock Tribe, elected new leadership in late September, and the board extended its deadline to November 30 to give that tribe additional time to consider the question. However, the group's new chair said October 30 that while the tribe would be willing to discuss an agreement to grant permission, it would do so without "deadlines and other stipulations."

North Dakota State Board member and university alumnus Grant Shaft told the AP Thursday that even sudden support from Standing Rock likely would not change the outcome.

"With the makeup of the board right now, I don't think we have the opportunity to bring it back for reconsideration," Shaft said.