UND Nickname List Feeling The Crunch

Task Force Cuts Down To Top 15 Nickname Finalists

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 15 names make the cut and are now on the running to become UND’s new nickname.

The selection process started back in April when the public submitted nearly 12–hundred names.

KVRR’s Natalie Parsons visited the campus to find out how students are feeling about the finalists.

Brooke is a born and raised UND sports fan who sees the positive in the negative.

Brooke Dierkes says, “We definitely need something. Better than nothing.”

The 15 nickname finalists were announced this morning.

Among them:  North Stars, Fighting Green and simply North Dakota.

The students I talked to are not impressed.

Zack Edwards says, “I’m not really happy about the name change. I’d rather keep it UND or Fighting Sioux.”

Last month, the 11–person UND nickname task force cut the list down to 60 from 1200 and now 15.

Susan Walton says, “They’ve made great progress and the list of names is narrowing but we want to give the committee enough time to do this job as thoroughly as they need to.”

The final UND nickname selection will be based on its meaning, uniqueness, if it’s recognizable, how it represents North Dakota tradition now and in the future as well as whether it can rally those fans in the stands.

The Vice President of University & Public Affairs says, “They’re working with fewer names now but the discussion around those names is longer because they are talking about the meaning of the names and how they might be used.”

With a new nickname comes a new mascot and that will be a whole other conversation to be had.

Walton says, “The other steps to the process would have to kick in after that point.”

Students say the energy around campus will change with the new name but one thing will always remain.

Dierkes says, “Always where my Sioux stuff and everything.”

The University does not have a date to expect the final nickname decision.