The fight over the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux trademarks is a story I have been following ever since the NCAA’s Hostile and Abusive standard came out in 2005.
Most recently, last week the North Dakota Supreme Court has ruled that Board of Higher Education can retire the trademarks, and at the Board’s meeting, the motion to reconsider the vote from last May was not seconded. Therefore, UND will change its logo and nickname, like many schools before it.
The logo will be retired, there is no more fighting it. The biggest issue for UND will be the cost to remove the logo from Ralph Engelstad Arena, where the logo is prominent in the floors, walls and seats. Last May, I wrote about how sponsors needed to step in and help the University with this burden; sponsors can be the hero to students and alums by helping cover the tremendous costs.
The massive rehab to the Arena means that meeting the August 2010 deadline is improbable. But like it or not, the University will transition away from the Fighting Sioux – UND just needs to put it in the past and move on as quickly as it can.