The NCAA came through today with its end of a negotiated settlement with UND over the school's continued use of its Fighting Sioux nickname.
The association posted a news release on its Web site. The article pays tribute to UND's many programs for American Indians and acknowledges that "reasonable people can disagree about the propriety of Native American imagery in athletics."
The precise wording of that statement and the NCAA's obligation to post it were included in the terms of a settlement agreement signed by UND and the NCAA in late October.
North Dakota Board of Higher Education President John Paulsen has called the NCAA statement the most important part of the negotiated settlement.
"UND deserves to have its honor restored in terms of its commitment to programs supporting Native Americans," Paulsen said when the settlement was announced. "You've seen (that commitment) up and down the campus for years. The university' reputation was sullied by the NCAA. That had to be fixed and has been fixed by this settlement."
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The NCAA described UND and other schools with American Indian nicknames, mascots and logos as creating "hostile and abusive" campus climates in a 2005 policy banning those teams from competing in postseason play or hosting playoff games while displaying their nicknames and logos.
Out of 20 schools on the original list, UND was the only school to challenge the NCAA in court.
The NCAA granted exemptions to five of those schools because they won the endorsement of a nearby namesake American Indian tribe and the Bradley Braves in Peoria, Ill. were put on a five-year watch list. All other schools retired their nicknames or logos.
The October settlement brought a close to a legal battle between the two organizations that lasted more than a year and racked up more than $2 million in legal bills, according to the judge that presided over the case.
More than $800,000 of that legal bill went to UND's attorneys who were paid through private donations to a litigation fund managed by the UND Alumni Association.
The settlement agreement also stated that UND must retire its nickname and logo within three years if it cannot win the approval of tribal councils at both the state's Sioux reservations.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council voted last week to reaffirm its opposition to the nickname. Chairman Ron His Horse Is Thunder has said it is unlikely either tribal council will vote to affirm the nickname.
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Marks reports on higher education. Reach him at (701) 780-1105; (800) 477-6572, ext. 105; or jmarks@gfherald.com .
