U. of North Dakota and NCAA Settle Lawsuit Over ‘Fighting Sioux’ Mascot

The National Collegiate Athletic Association and the University of North Dakota have settled a lawsuit over the university’s use of the “Fighting Sioux” mascot, the NCAA announced this morning.

Under the terms of the settlement, the university will have three years to obtain approval of the mascot from the two Sioux tribes with a significant presence in the state. If the tribes approve the mascot, the university will receive a waiver from the NCAA’s policy, which bars colleges from using American Indian imagery it deems hostile and abusive.

If the tribes do not approve the mascot, the university must adopt a new logo and mascot that do not violate NCAA policy. If the university keeps the mascot without tribe approval, it will be subject to certain NCAA restrictions.

North Dakota officials said they felt vindicated. “We don’t believe anything that happens at this institution or that we do can be described as hostile or abusive,” Peter Johnson, a North Dakota spokesman, said in an interview this afternoon. —Libby Sander