Poll: Newspaper Readers Overwhelmingly Oppose New UND Nickname

The results are in for a Forum Communications poll, and out of over 8,000 respondents it turns out that an overwhelming plurality would prefer the University of North Dakota to continue without an official nickname.

The poll was conducted on the final fifteen nicknames under consideration – the nickname committee appointed by the University of North Dakota has since narrowed that list down to seven – but still 33.6 percent they want North Dakota to be the “nickname” going forward.

Second place was Roughriders at 16.34 percent.

I think North Dakota is the best option going forward. The goal here is to put this issue to rest. Not replacing the “Fighting Sioux” nickname with anything new gives all sides of this issue something. The “Fighting Sioux” haters get the retirement of the name, but the “Fighting Sioux” lovers get to keep it unofficially.

No nickname, no problems.

On a related note, today former Grand Forks Herald publisher Mike Jacobs published some butt hurt over the nickname in his weekly column. According to Jacobs, all of embattled-and-now-resigning UND President Robert Kelley’s problems are wrapped up in the protracted fight over the nickname.

That’s a bit of a stretch.

For one thing, Kelley’s handling of the nickname issue has been another bullet point illustrating his incompetence. Whether it’s alienating the pro-nickname Native American committee or working behind the scenes to manufacture obstacles to keeping the nickname back when that was still a possibility, Kelley proved that he’s simply not an honest dealer.

Add that in with Kelley’s other problems at UND – from financial boondoggles like the REAC Building to abrasive relationships with students and faculties – and you get the picture of someone who just didn’t do a very good job.