Letter to the editor: Let UND move forward without the Sioux nickname

I have been reading with interest editorials from sports writers, coaches, athletes, students, politicians and supporters on the Fighting Sioux nickname. I had the privilege of being a student athlete at the University of North Dakota and like many others have been of the opinion that the NCAA has no right to make UND change its nickname.

The university has always treated the name with honor and respect and in no way has it been “hostile and abusive.” As alumni, we are proud of our university and nickname and we were not about to give up without a fight. Well, the fight has been fought and the university lost. The NCAA is the final decision maker, a supreme authority, making decisions for many and answering to no one.

I am proud to be a graduate of UND and to have been a Fighting Sioux athlete, but for the good of the university and our current and future athletes it is time to let go. A nickname is not what makes UND a great school. It is its strong academic program, faculty, organizations, athletic programs and students. It is its core mission, values and tradition that date back to 1883.

Let the university move forward and let our athletes get involved in the Big Sky Conference. They should be allowed to enjoy what we had in the ’60s-’90s, when the North Central Conference was the greatest Division II conference, allowing us the ability to compete and develop rivalries without outside distractions.

Rick Lee

Williston, N.D.

Tags: opinion, letters, und, nickname