Big Sky may dump UND

Posted: Jun 23, 2011 2:54 PM by Scott Breen - Q2 Sports

BILLINGS - The Jamestown Sun is reporting that leaders of the Big Sky Conference may be ready to bounce the University of North Dakota due to issues surrounding the school's name and logo.

UND President Robert Kelley was told last week that continued use of the Fighting Sioux name and logo as mandated by a new state law has become a "concern" for them and could jeopardize UND's joining the conference next year.

Writing last week on behalf of the presidents of Big Sky member schools, league Commissioner Doug Fullerton told Kelley that the presidents "are forced to consider the ramifications of continued use of the ‘Fighting Sioux' name" and imagery.

As part of the new conference lineup, Montana State is scheduled to play UND as a new 'rival' annually. The University of Montana's newest 'rival' is Eastern Washington.

"When the University of North Dakota was considered and accepted for membership (on Nov. 1, 2010), this issue was (considered) ‘settled,'" Fullerton wrote. "The institution had reached an agreement with the NCAA and the conference accepted that agreement.

"Obviously, today there is a new reality, and the question has to be asked: Could this lead to a time when league play and possibly league membership itself could be affected?"

In a telephone interview Friday, Fullerton said the presidents "were very intense" in discussing UND's nickname issue with Kelley on June 1 and 2 at the Big Sky Conference spring meetings in Park City, Utah.

If the NCAA maintains scheduled sanctions against the school and UND loses its "ability to be a viable NCAA institution, they don't do us much good as a conference member," he said.

Information courtesy: Jamestown Sun