ND voters mull Fighting Sioux nickname

FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota voters decided Tuesday to let the state's flagship university dump a controversial nickname, "Fighting Sioux," that sparked threats of NCAA sanctions, ending, at least temporarily, a dispute simmering for decades that divided sports fans, alumni and even tribes.

The matter boiled over seven years ago when the University of North Dakota was placed on a list of schools with American Indian nicknames that the NCAA deemed hostile and abusive. Those colleges were told to dump the names or risk penalties against their athletic teams.

Voters were asked whether to uphold or reject the State Legislature's repeal of a state law requiring the school to use the nickname and American Indian head logo. The vote sends the matter back to the state's Board of Higher Education, which is expected to retire the moniker and the logo.

"This is a political matter with no celebration," said Tim O'Keefe, executive vice president and chief executive of the UND Alumni Association and Foundation. "We've said all along that this is not an issue about preference. Clearly if that were the case, the name would be staying. The price of keeping the name is simply too high."

The group that collected petitions for the ballot measure has said it will pursue another vote in the fall to make Fighting Sioux part of the state constitution. Sean Johnson, spokesman for group, said they plan to continue gathering petitions for a constitutional amendment.

Advocates for retiring the nickname say the issue is hurting the athletic department in recruiting and scheduling. Supporters of the name say coaches and administrators are exaggerating the harmful effects and don't believe the NCAA sanctions are a big deal.

Andrea Eagle Pipe, 26, a Sioux and a criminal-justice major at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, said she doesn't find the name offensive. Her high school in Red Lodge, Mont., agreed to shed its 70-year-old nickname, Redskins, in 2011 because of NCAA pressure. Here, she said, she would vote to keep the nickname.

The university first adopted Sioux as its nickname in 1930; the 'Fighting' portion wasn't added until the 1960s.