UND May Sue NCAA Over "Sioux" Nickname

This is a PORTION of a letter from UND President Kupchella to the NCAA. For the balance of the story go to:
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/14785748.htm

[size=18px]Kupchella letter to NCAA[/size]
UND President Charles Kupchella

National Collegiate Athletic Association

Dear All,

I have chosen to communicate with you in this way for several reasons. Since you have had what you say is the "final" word on the issue of our nickname and logo, we must now consider legal action. I want you, as well as University of North Dakota stakeholders and the general public, to know why we must. The NCAA leaves us no recourse but to consider litigation to make the point that the policy you have instituted is illegitimate and that it has been applied to the University of North Dakota in an unfair, arbitrary, capricious, fundamentally irrational, and harmful manner.

Despite some of the hard-edged language I have had to use in this letter, I bear no animosity toward any of the NCAA committee members or staff, who, I am certain, are all good people. I suspect that a few people were the driving force and that the issue took on an organizational life of its own. I'm sure that those doing the pushing were motivated by personal conviction. What ever the origin, what emerged was, unfortunately, a kind of organizational self-righteousness. Self-righteousness has wrecked havoc in the guise of good throughout history. Once the self-righteous come to believe in the absolute correctness political or otherwise of their point of view, they proceed with a zeal that leaves no room for reasonable doubt, thoughtful consideration, or fairness.

I hope you understand that as the chief executive officer of the University of North Dakota, I am as I have been doing my best to implement a State Board of Higher Education policy governing our nickname and logo. I must also admit to a personal dislike and aversion to the corruption of logic in the convoluted process you used in arriving at your decisions. Also, because I am a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, spent time at the University of Illinois in a post-doctoral program, and serve as president of UND, I know directly what great institutions these are. They all deserve better from the NCAA than to be charged with decades of being hostile and abusive with a presumption of guilt. I wonder if you really have any idea how serious these charges are. I admit that because of my sense of justice and fairness, I would have taken personal issue with what you have done here in any case.

The policy is illegitimate...

They can try but I think the NCAA will prevail.

"DarrinNelsonguy" wrote:

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They can try but I think the NCAA will prevail.

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Actually, I think UND stands a pretty good chance. There is a pretty good amount of subjectiveness being applied specific universities that aren't being applied to others. Why is Fighting Sioux more hostile or abusive than the Fighting Irish (who have a mascot of a drunken, boxing Irishman. The Sioux have no mascot.)? Why are exceptions granted for teams such as the Seminoles and not the Sioux (Local tribes issued letters of support for both teams). Rules and regulations must be applied equally among all teams. What would happen if the NCAA decided to say that schools with a predominately white student population couldn't hold playoff games anymore? Sure, the NCAA could claim that they were doing it to promote diversity, but is that really a fair standard?

There is also the question of authority. The NCAA overstepped its bounds. The NCAA is not a university governing body. It regulates and coordinates sports. This decision was made with very little input from the Presidents council or any of the other representative governing bodies. It would be like the NFL saying that no playoff games could be played in Washington without consulting the owners.

In the end, this isn't about whether or not it is moral or ethical for UND to have the nickname Fighting Sioux. It is about whether or not the NCAA had the right and authority to implement the ruling that it did, and whether or not it did so fairly.

Also, to clarify one more thing. It wouldn't be UND suing the NCAA. It will be the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education.

Another excerpt from the letter, referring to the NCAA's approval of the Seminoles mascot and nickname, but not the Sioux:

"We explained that we have a beautiful logo designed by a respected American Indian artist and that we use the nickname with consummate respect expecting and getting respect for the Sioux culture from our fans. We pointed out that we do not do tomahawk chops, we do not have white guys painted up like Indians, and our fans do not do Indian chants.
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The fundamental irrationality of calling what we do hostile and abusive on the basis of no basis at all and then saying that a white guy in war paint, carrying a flaming spear while riding a horse into a stadium, leading fans in a tomahawk chop while singing an Indian chant is okay should be obvious to any jury. Any who try to swallow this convoluted logic will choke on it."

What an awesome letter!!!!!!!

I hope they DO take the NCAA to court. For too long the NCAA and other organizations have decided that they are to be our self-appointed watchdogs of morality and decency...while athletes take kick-backs and shoot steroids. I stand behind the UND and their fight 110%.


...and I'm not even a Fighting Sioux fan.

Caine

"Caine" wrote:

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What an awesome letter!!!!!!!

I hope they DO take the NCAA to court. For too long the NCAA and other organizations have decided that they are to be our self-appointed watchdogs of morality and decency...while athletes take kick-backs and shoot steroids. I stand behind the UND and their fight 110%.


...and I'm not even a Fighting Sioux fan.

Caine

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I am with you there Caine. I wish the NCAA would put as much effort into governing itself as it seems to want to do to its member universities...

I think a better headline for this article would have been:
"SIOUX SUE!"

"Caine" wrote:

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What an awesome letter!!!!!!!

I hope they DO take the NCAA to court. For too long the NCAA and other organizations have decided that they are to be our self-appointed watchdogs of morality and decency...while athletes take kick-backs and shoot steroids. I stand behind the UND and their fight 110%.


...and I'm not even a Fighting Sioux fan.

Caine

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I agree!

Besides, the ONLY mascots that should be banned are those with names that are derogatory...in my mind, Sioux (or any other tribe name) is an honorable word to refer to Native Americans. Heck, if the tribes themselves use the name, how can there be anything wrong with it. Names like Redskins, Braves, Indians, Redmen, and others that denegrate Native Americans should be banned NO MATTER WHAT...but the rest should be fine...as long as the mascots and logos don't disrespect the respective tribes that they represent. This one is ALL about the MONEY!!!

The Sioux logo isn't disrespectful, because an Indian woman designed it and the tribes in North Dakota support the name. It's getting way out of hand. GO SIOUX!!!!!!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...gSiouxLogo.JPG

JUST LET IT GO!!!! MY GOD IS JUST A NICKNAME FOR A SCHOOL, IT REPRESENTS NOTHING TO THE STUDENT WHO ATTENDS.