College Basketball on Hoopville - Mascots

On August 5th, 2005, the NCAA announced a new policy to prohibit NCAA colleges and universities from displaying hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames or imagery. The four main provisions are as follows:

• Effective immediately, institutions with student-athletes wearing uniforms or having paraphernalia with hostile or abusive references must ensure that those uniforms or paraphernalia not be worn or displayed at NCAA championship competitions.

• Effective February 1st, 2006, said institutions are prohibited from hosting any NCAA championship competitions.

• Effective February 1st, 2006, institutions with hostile or abusive references must take reasonable steps to cover up those references at any predetermined NCAA championship site that has been previously awarded.

• Effective August 1st, 2008, institutions displaying or promoting hostile or abusive references on their mascots, cheerleaders, dance teams and band uniforms or paraphernalia are prohibited from wearing the material at NCAA championships.

This policy includes the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the Pre-Season and Post-Season NIT's (which the NCAA subsequently purchased in an anti-trust settlement) - effectively any NCAA championship, with exception of Division I-A football (finally, an advantage to the BCS!).

Eighteen schools were identified as having hostile and abusive mascots or nicknames, eight of which are in Division I:

Alcorn State University Braves
	Status: School has not made any formal announcements
Arkansas State University Indians
	Status: School has submitted questions to the NCAA regarding the matter, and has met with several Native American tribal groups for clarification of Arkansas State imagery. Arkansas State Researching "Indians": The Arkansas State athletic department has engaged members of the Cherokee nation to assist the school with understanding the ramifications of the use of their "Indians" mascot, nickname and imagery. ASU, which was placed on the list of the NCAA's 18 schools that use "hostile and abusive" mascots, has not formally appealed the NCAA's decision, but has learned from Cherokee consultants that the mascot image with a headdress is applicable to Plains Indian tribes, not any nation near Arkansas. Additionally, the consultants indicated that the practice of using an "Indian Princess" within the athletic department is not supported under any tribal nation. ASU has submitted several clarifying questions to the NCAA, and will await for a response before announcing their intentions regarding an appeal. [11/14/05]
Bradley University Braves
	Status: Appeal Denied Update: Appeal to Executive Committee tabled until April 27, 2006 - school can use nickname through playoffs. [1/10/06] NCAA Tells Braves to Find a New Name: Bradley must change its nickname after the NCAA decided that the nickname "Braves" fosters hostile and abusive attitudes toward American Indians. In its recent sensitivity movement toward American Indians, the NCAA listed 18 schools that use nicknames or logos that are not politically correct. Several schools successfully appealed the measure, but Bradley will not be one of them. The school could appeal the recent decision to the NCAA' Executive Committee. Bradley officials pointed out that eight schools use the nickname Warriors even though they originally included American Indian images in their logos. Bradley dropped all such imagery more than a decade ago. If Warriors is OK, why not Braves, too? [10/20/05]
Central Michigan University Chippewas
	Status: Appeal Granted School free to use mascot, nickname, and imagery Chips Are Up: The NCAA staff review committee has removed Central Michigan University from the list of colleges and universities subject to restrictions on the use of Native American mascots, names and imagery at NCAA championships. In its review of the particular circumstances regarding Central Michigan University, the NCAA staff review committee noted the relationship between the university and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan as a significant factor. The NCAA stated that they recognize the many different points of view on this matter, particularly within the Native American community. The decision of a namesake sovereign tribe, regarding when and how its name and imagery can be used, must be respected even when others may not agree. [9/2/05]
Florida State University Seminoles
	Status: Appeal Granted School free to use mascot, nickname, and imagery NCAA Backs Down: After weighing the argument presented by Florida State, NCAA officials have decided to remove the Seminoles from a last of teams that use "hostile" or "abusive" American Indian nicknames. They said the school demonstrated an amicable relationship with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which approves the use of the nickname and logo. Florida State had been on the NCAA's original list and threatened to sue the NCAA if it did not recognize the school's long-standing relationship with the tribe. Utah is another school preparing to file an appeal with the NCAA. The school has approval from the Ute tribe [8/23/05] Florida State Strikes Back: Baffled and angered at its inclusion on a list of schools with "hostile" or "abusive" nicknames or logos, Florida State responded to the NCAA Executive Committee by issuing an ultimatum for the committee to repeal the decision. School officials sent a notice to the NCAA committee demanding that it rescind Florida State’s inclusion on the list by Aug. 29, when classes start for the fall semester. If it doesn't happen, the school will likely move forward in a potentially ugly legal battle. A notable development is the apparent use of wrong information by the committee. The NCAA placed Florida State on the list in part because of objections from other Seminole tribes. Florida State has approval from the Seminole Nation of Florida to use the tribe's likeness for logos and nicknames. The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma voted earlier this summer not to object to American Indian nicknames or logos. So the NCAA's argument doesn't hold water on that accusation. Florida State has a cordial relationship with the tribe, including scholarships for tribe members, a plan to build a model of a chicktee village in Tallahassee, a pledge to help in the effort to build a Seminole history museum and the impending addition of a course on Seminole history. [8/13/05] Florida State Prepares for Battle Over Nickname: Days after the NCAA ordered 18 schools to drop "hostile" and "abusive" nicknames and logos in NCAA tournaments, Florida State took the first steps toward fighting their inclusion on the list. Florida State trustees voted to appeal the decision, and NCAA officials said they would gladly hear the appeal. But if they don’t decide in favor of Florida State, the school’s trustees have approved legal action. Florida State uses Seminole symbols with approval from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, schools officials said. In addition to Florida State, Utah also respectfully uses American Indian symbols, according to a member of the Ute tribe who is also executive director of Utah's Division of Indian Affairs. [8/11/05] Governor Blasts NCAA: Florida Gov. Jeb Bush criticized the NCAA yesterday, saying that officials had insulted both the university and Seminole Indians by calling the nickname "hostile" and "abusive." According to the Associated Press, Bush announced, "I think they insult those people by telling them, 'No, no, you're not smart enough to understand this. You should be feeling really horrible about this.' It's ridiculous. How politically correct can we get? The folks that make these decisions need to get out more often." Bush also said the NCAA must have better things to do than sit around worrying about the nicknames adopted by its member institutions. The NCAA has stated that non-Florida Seminole tribes were against the use of the nickname and logo. The university plans on appealing the NCAA's decision to ban all American Indian mascots at all NCAA tournament events starting Feb. 1. [8/10/05] Logo and Nickname Fallout: Florida State officials expressed frustration and confusion about the NCAA’s decision to ban “hostile” and “abusive” American Indian nicknames or logos because the school has approval from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The NCAA counters that the school does not have permission from other Seminole tribes, and therefore, they must change their nickname and mascot. Florida State officials intend to take the matter to court if the NCAA doesn’t back down. Meanwhile, the sports nation has been quick to shoot holes in the NCAA’s crusade to remove hostile and abusive American Indian imagery from the game. A Baltimore Sun story published a list of merchandise available on the NCAA’s Web site from teams with offending nicknames or logos. Blogger Jerry Palm sent an e-mail to the NCAA – which went unanswered – that questions why the NCAA does not consider the Rebels of Mississippi offensive to African-Americans. He also lists other nicknames like the Highlanders, Spartans, Trojans and Fighting Irish as potentially ethnically hostile. Other cynical comments – yet valid to some degree – question whether the NCAA will cave to PETA if the animal rights organization complains about the use of nicknames and logos that could be interpreted as cruelty toward animals. [8/5/05]
University of Illinois-Champaign Fighting Illini
	Status: Appeal Denied Team may keep "Illini" and "Fighting Illini" nicknames, but must remove all Chief Illiniwek imagery and mascots. Illini Chief Must Go: The NCAA rejected Illinois' appeal stating that the school's Illini and Fighting Illini names and imagery do not qualify as "hostile" or "abusive." The NCAA issued a list of schools that must discontinue the use of nicknames or images during post-season events or else the NCAA will ban those schools from hosting post-season tournaments. The Illini can keep the nickname, but the NCAA asserted that the imagery, including a student dressed as Chief Illiniwek, cannot continue. School officials are happy that the NCAA won't force teams to drop the Illini nickname and are considering the decision before proceeding with any actions regarding the Chief. [11/13/05] Illinois Formally Appeals Mascot Ban: The University of Illinois has formally appealed the NCAA's ruling banning the use of the "Illini" mascot from NCAA events. In the letter to the NCAA, Board of Trustees Chairman Lawrence C. Eppley said, "Your failure or refusal to exempt UIUC from this arbitrarily derived policy will significantly affect our institutional autonomy and impair our ability to participate fully and equally as a member institution in NCAA competition," according to the release. The ruling outlawing "hostile and abusive" Native American mascots or nicknames, made August 5th, has been successfully appealed by Florida State, Utah, and Central Michigan, and has been upheld in the case of D-I hockey power North Dakota. While there are current members of the Seminole, Ute, Chippewa and Sioux nations, the Illiniwek Confederation of tribes no longer exists. One could argue that unlike those universities, the Fighting Illini nickname and Chief Illiniwek mascot are more similar to another "extinct" North American tribe - the San Diego State Aztecs, which are not listed on the NCAA roster of hostile and abusive nicknames. The appeal will be heard in the order in which it was received, with Newberry, Indiana (PA), and Bradley ahead in the queue. [10/14/05]
University of Louisiana-Monroe Indians
	Status: School planning appeal Louisiana-Monroe Petitions NCAA: Louisiana-Monroe has announced that the school will appeal to the NCAA the new rule banning Indian names and imagery. The Louisiana-Monroe Indians are one of 18 schools listed by the NCAA determined to have a mascot that was "hostile or abusive." Two days ago Florida State won its appeal to the NCAA to use its Seminole mascot in NCAA postseason appearances. Prior to the NCAA edict, the school stopped the use of the Chief Brave Spirit logo and stopped referring to campus as "The Reservation," which can only help. The University of North Dakota, a D-II school with a D-I hockey program, announced it will also appeal the NCAA ruling. [8/25/05]
University of Utah Utes
	Status: Appeal Granted School free to use mascot, nickname, and imagery Utes Can Go now: The NCAA staff review committee has removed the University of Utah from the list of colleges and universities subject to restrictions on the use of Native American mascots, names and imagery at NCAA championships. In its review of the particular circumstances regarding the University of Utah, the NCAA staff review committee noted the relationship between the university and the Northern Ute Indian Tribe as a significant factor. The NCAA stated that they recognize the many different points of view on this matter, particularly within the Native American community. The decision of a namesake sovereign tribe, regarding when and how its name and imagery can be used, must be respected even when others may not agree. [9/2/05]
William & Mary Tribe
	Status: The College of William and Mary has been given an extension to complete its self-study on the mascot issue.
Division II and III
	The following Division II and III schools were also identified as having hostile or abusive mascots, nicknames or imagery: Carthage College Redmen • The school announced it will revert back to its original name of Red Men (as opposed to the nearby high school's "Blue Boys") and will remove all Native American imagery. [11/8/05] Indiana University-Pennsylvania Indians • The NCAA denied the school's appeal that the name "Indians" was based on the city and county of Indiana, Pennsylvania. The school can still appeal to the NCAA Executive Committee. The school had eliminated the "Cherokee" mascot and all Native American imagery in the early 1990's. [11/18/05] Midwestern State University Indians • The school announced that they will be changing their nickname after the 2005-06 school year. The NCAA has given them an extension due to the financial burden of a mid-season change, especially to the logos on the basketball court. [11/8/05] Newberry College Indians • Appeal denied. School will defy the NCAA and continue to use Indians mascot and nickname. [10/26/05] North Dakota Fighting Sioux • Appeal denied. [10/5/05] • Appeal to Executive Committee tabled until April 27, 2006 - school can use nickname through playoffs. [1/10/06] Additional Member Institutions: Catawba College Indians Chowan College Braves McMurry University Indians Mississippi College Choctaws Southeastern Oklahoma State University Savages
But What About . . .?
	The following 14 schools have removed all references to Native American culture or were deemed not to have references to Native American culture as part of their athletics programs: California State-Stanislaus Warriors East Stroudsburg Warriors Eastern Connecticut State Warriors Hawaii-Manoa Rainbow Warriors Husson College Eagles (formerly Braves) Lycoming College Warriors Merrimack Warriors North Carolina-Pembroke Braves San Diego State Aztecs Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (formerly Indians/Otahkians) West Georgia Braves Stonehill Skyhawks (formerly Chieftains) Winona State Warriors Wisconsin Lutheran Warriors (teams in bold are Division-I)