Ever wanted to name a university's mascot? Now's your chance!

[RealSNR]

The University of North Dakota got rid of the Fighting Sioux in 2012, and since that time, they have been simply "The University of North Dakota." No mascot. Fighting Sioux was beloved by the community of Grand Forks largely because of the tradition associated with it in the university's college hockey program, which has been historically and recently one of the top college hockey programs in the NCAA.

The university has finally assembled a committee to look through suggestions and recommend a new mascot to the president of the university. They just need the suggestions. That's where you come in. Simply click the link and fill out the online form: http://und.edu/nickname/

Here are the basic guidelines to consider (from the UND announcement):

Spoiler!

Online suggestions, which must be 25 characters or less (including any spaces), will be accepted from Wednesday, April 1 at 8 a.m. CDT to Thursday, April 30 at 11:59 p.m. CDT. All mail-in submissions must be postmarked no later than April 25.

The Nickname Committee will evaluate submissions based on a list of attributes that the group has developed:

• Be unique, recognizable, inspiring, and distinctly UND’s;
• Promote a sense of pride, strength, fierceness, and passion;
• Be representative of the state and region in a way that honors the traditions and heritage of the past but also looks to the future; and
• Be a unifying and rallying symbol.

Submissions are anonymous; individuals submitting suggestions will not be asked to provide their names. All nickname submissions are subject to North Dakota open records law. Individuals submitting nickname suggestions are not entitled to compensation or anything of value in exchange for the submission, and all submissions become the property of the University of North Dakota.

The Committee will accept suggestions for nicknames only. Drawings, designs, logos, art files, special characters, etc. will not be considered.

Nickname suggestions will be sent directly to PadillaCRT, a group that has national expertise in nickname development and that has been advising the Nickname Committee. Any nickname suggestions known to be trademarked and/or subject to third-party rights or uses may not be considered by the Committee.

Since I'm originally from Grand Forks, I have connections to people who are abuzz with this process. I can tell you that there are already some favorites being championed:

--Flickertails. This was the university's mascot prior to becoming the Fighting Sioux in the 1930s. Given the university's recent goals of expanding into a tier-one research university, it makes a lot of sense to go with rodentia like their counterparts in the Big 10 (gophers, badgers). North Dakota is also known as the Flickertail State.

--Roughriders. The safest bet. Nothing says North Dakota pride like references to Teddy Roosevelt. Would also still manage to piss off a few people, since Teddy Roosevelt probably killed a few Indians when he was out in the North Dakota Badlands. It largely boils down to whether or not the university is cool with proudly stating to people, "Yeah, you might think of condoms when you hear our name, but we're still going to beat you in hockey!"

--Pilots. UND's aviation research and development program is unanimously known as the best in the country. It's odd to pick a mascot based on the strength of an academic program, but eh... weirder things have happened.

--Green Meadowlarks. This one combines creativity with tradition and old-sounding college mascot nomenclature, but it's also kind of weird. The Western Meadowlark is the state bird of North Dakota, and green and white are the school's primary colors. A problem with this is that I believe the Western Meadowlark is also the state bird of like 20 other states. It's still better than Banana Slugs.

--Keep using no mascot. The most likely option, I think. It's the last method that UND fans have to tell the NCAA to go **** itself for making the university ditch Fighting Sioux. There's a rule in place that they can't have a racial mascot, but there is no rule that says the school has to have a mascot, just a nice little memo that says, "It would be really nice if your school had a mascot so we could maintain the entire aesthetic of the neighborhood. Smiley face." It would also make the university stand out and be truly unique.

But that doesn't mean you can't play a role in creating collegiate athletic history! So get in there!

[Beef Supreme]

The Fighting Irish

[The Franchise]

Roughriders should be it.

Never knew you were from Grand Forks. That's where I was born.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Dicky McElephant

Roughriders should be it.

Never knew you were from Grand Forks. That's where I was born.

Wow. Holy shit. Were you an air base kid?

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by SNR

Wow. Holy shit. Were you an air base kid?

That I was.

[ptlyon]

tell the NCAA to go **** itself for making the university ditch Fighting Sioux.

This

[Hootie]

I think Wichita State should have to change their name, too. Shockers? Every time I see that name I feel like finger banging a drunk college chick and then ramming my pinky up her meemaw hole!

[Beef Supreme]

Originally Posted by Hootie 2.0

I think Wichita State should have to change their name, too. Shockers? Every time I see that name I feel like finger banging a drunk college chick and then ramming my pinky up her meemaw hole!

How is this a bad thing?

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by BigChiefTablet

How is this a bad thing?

cuz every time i watch the shockers i can't stand up without having a boner

it's EMBARRASSING

[kepp]

Originally Posted by Hootie 2.0

cuz every time i watch the shockers i can't stand up without having a boner

it's EMBARRASSING

[ptlyon]

I got a buddy from Grafton

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by SNR

--Flickertails. This was the university's mascot prior to becoming the Fighting Sioux in the 1930s. Given the university's recent goals of expanding into a tier-one research university, it makes a lot of sense to go with rodentia like their counterparts in the Big 10 (gophers, badgers). North Dakota is also known as the Flickertail State.

--Roughriders. The safest bet. Nothing says North Dakota pride like references to Teddy Roosevelt. Would also still manage to piss off a few people, since Teddy Roosevelt probably killed a few Indians when he was out in the North Dakota Badlands. It largely boils down to whether or not the university is cool with proudly stating to people, "Yeah, you might think of condoms when you hear our name, but we're still going to beat you in hockey!"

--Pilots. UND's aviation research and development program is unanimously known as the best in the country. It's odd to pick a mascot based on the strength of an academic program, but eh... weirder things have happened.

--Green Meadowlarks. This one combines both creativity with tradition and old-sounding college mascot nomenclature, but it's also kind of weird. The Western Meadowlark is the state bird of North Dakota, and green and white are the school's primary colors. A problem with this is that I believe the Western Meadowlark is also the state bird of like 20 other states. It's still better than Banana Slugs.

--Keep using no mascot. The most likely option, I think. It's the last method that UND fans have to tell the NCAA to go **** itself for making the university ditch Fighting Sioux. There's a rule in place that they can't have a racial mascot, but there is no rule that says the school has to have a mascot, just a nice little memo that says, "It would be really nice if your school had a mascot so we could maintain the entire aesthetic of the neighborhood. Smiley face." It would also make the university stand out and be truly unique.

But that doesn't mean you can't play a role in creating collegiate athletic history! So get in there!

All of those are bad.
If this university has an ounce of sense, they pick an animal that can be made into as many novelty items as possible.
Something quirky but cool, that people will want to wear on t-shirts and hats.

North Dakota is pretty much known as "the Dakota without Mt Rushmore", but aren't there any cool animals there, even if extinct?

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

All of those are bad.
If this university has an ounce of sense, they pick an animal that can be made into as many novelty items as possible.
Something quirky but cool, that people will want to wear on t-shirts and hats.

North Dakota is pretty much known as "the Dakota without Mt Rushmore", but aren't there any cool animals there, even if extinct?

Something like 40% of the wooly mammoth skeletons in natural history museums across the world were excavated in western North Dakota. Does that count?

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by SNR

Something like 40% of the wooly mammoth skeletons in natural history museums across the world were excavated in western North Dakota. Does that count?

That could work.

I did some research, and it appears to be slim pickings up there for interesting animals.
I think your only options are going to be the North Dakota Mammoths (the ladies teams will love that one) or the North Dakota Eared Grebes.

Sorry, those are your only choices.


It's not a duck--it is a grebe.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by SNR

Something like 40% of the wooly mammoth skeletons in natural history museums across the world were excavated in western North Dakota. Does that count?

Ooh, thats a good idea. If they had a wooly mammoth mascot, they'd probably sell lots of mammoth toys and trinkets with their name on it.