NCAA says no to N.D. officials

NCAA tells N.D. delegation no budging on Fighting Sioux nickname settlement

With the NCAA confirming that it will not budge from a lawsuit settlement requiring UND to terminate its Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple said he will ask the Legislature, meeting in special session in November, to delegate authority back to the State Board of Higher Education, which authorized a change. “I’m certain the board will revert to its former position,” said Grant Shaft, a delegation member and the board's president.

By Chuck HagaThe end apparently has come for the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

After a two-hour meeting with NCAA officials here today, Gov. Jack Dalrymple said the association will not budge, and he will ask the North Dakota Legislature in November to delegate authority over the nickname issue back to the State Board of Higher Education.

“It’s clear that the NCAA will not modify the terms of the settlement agreement and will stand by its provisions,” Dalrymple said immediately following the meeting at NCAA headquarters.

He said that he was persuaded that retaining the nickname could cause serious harm to the university and its athletic program.Comment:  For more on the "Fighting Sioux," see Great Plains Tribes Oppose Mascots and North Dakota Breaks Its Word.