Arkansas State name change

[JackJD]

A mascot committee at Arkansas State University recommended yesterday that the team naem/mascot be changed from Indians to Wolves.

I don't hear much about the status of North Dakota's name controversy.

[West-River_Jack]

Re: Arkansas State name change

A mascot committee at Arkansas State University recommended yesterday that the team naem/mascot be changed from Indians to Wolves.

I don't hear much about the status of North Dakota's name controversy.

Wolves is a good name. I assume that it troubled the committee quite deeply that the name "Jackrabbits" was alrady taken.

[Nidaros]

Re: Arkansas State name change

A mascot committee at Arkansas State University recommended yesterday that the team naem/mascot be changed from Indians to Wolves.

I don't hear much about the status of North Dakota's name controversy.

The last I have heard was the equivalent to the Board of Regents in SD had authorized the Executive Director of the ND board of regents to go the two reservations and talk one on one with tribal council members in hopes of changing their minds regarding the use of the logo. Its kind of quiet so my guess, the executive director is not having much luck on the change, and possibly a further settlement is in the works meaning UND makes a change to something like the Wolves. I would like to see them go back to the flickertails as its a very common species in North Dakota and as harmless as Jackrabbits. However the North Dakota folks see it differently, and they felt that Bison often stepped on Flickertails on the prairie so that was why they went to use of Sioux to begin with. Kind silly in my mind, but I am not a ND native only an occasional vistor.

[Walrus]

Re: Arkansas State name change

Regarding name changes, is San Diego State able to remain the Aztecs?

[JackJD]

Re: Arkansas State name change

I suppose the other SDSU can maintain the Aztecs because that's an ancient group that is no longer recognized (I think descendants claim Aztec heritage etc.).

Notre Dame could be the fighting Celts!.

[West-River_Jack]

Re: Arkansas State name change

Regarding name changes, is San Diego State able to remain the Aztecs?

Good question! The Aztecs were always residents of a geographic area that has never been part of the United States. Does this affect the NCAA ruling on this? Are there other nicknames that have been eliminated that have referred to peoples other than those risiding within our national boundaries? Vikings seems to be a popular nickname which has never been under attack. It is quite likely that its use is not always an honor to the people of the scandinavian part of Europe, especially the way the Minnesota football team has performed in recent seasons.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Arkansas State name change

Regarding name changes, is San Diego State able to remain the Aztecs?

Very good question, I wonder if Illinois asked that question. I believe one of their arguments was that there were no members of the tribe still alive (and hadn't been for many years) to ask permission from. The question being can it be offensive to a group of people that no longer exist.

[West-River_Jack]

Re: Arkansas State name change

Very good question, I wonder if Illinois asked that question. I believe one of their arguments was that there were no members of the tribe still alive (and hadn't been for many years) to ask permission from. The question being can it be offensive to a group of people that no longer exist.

It seems that I also remember that the name Illini can refer to any resident of the state of Illinois and that, as such, it is not specifically a nickname made in reference to the members of the tribe. I suppose a similar situation would exist if one of the schools in either of the Dakotas were to have the nickname "Dakotans".

[EQguy]

Re: Arkansas State name change

I think that Illinois did eliminate their mascot Chief Illiniwek, taking away the native reference to Illini