'Fighting Hawks' replaces 'Fighting Sioux' at University of North Dakota

The University of North Dakota's athletics teams will now be known as theFighting Hawks, after the school retired the controversial Fighting Sioux nickname in 2012.

More than 23,700 ballots were cast in an onlinevote for the newnickname, held Nov. 12-16.Fighting Hawks prevailed with 15,670 votes to 11,708 votes forRoughriders.

"This is an appropriate choice, as Fighting Hawks symbolizes the competitive spirit of our athletes, the perseverance of the North Dakota spirit, and the continual ascendancy of the university and the state,"UND presidentRobert Kelleystated in a news release.

The nickname vote was launched following a year-long process that started out with five suggestions:Fighting Hawks, Nodaks, North Stars, Roughriders and Sundogs.

The list waslater pared down to the final two.

The university said it will next startthe process of developing, selecting and implementing a logo to accompany the name.

'Fighting' over the name

The school, locatedin Grand Forks, N.D., had beenunder pressure for several yearsto drop the Fighting Sioux name andIndian warrior logo, which had been used since 1930.

Debate over the name, which was deemed to be aracist stereotype, started shortly after the'Fighting' was added in 1999. Abill was introduced in theNorth Dakota House of Representativesto eliminate the nickname, but itdied in committee.

The issuere-ignitedin 2005, following a decision by theNCAAto sanction schools with tribal logos and/or nicknames. In 2007, a settlement was reached between UND and theNCAA, whichgavethe university three years to gain support from the state's Sioux tribes in order to keep thenickname and logo.

Without that support, UND agreed to retire the nickname andlogo. After that failed, theNorth Dakota State Board of Higher Educationordered UND in 2010 to retire the Fighting Sioux nickname at the end of the 201011 season.

• 'Fighting Hawks' replaces 'Fighting Sioux' at University of North Dakota

However, in March 2011,theNorth Dakota Senateapproved legislation ordering UNDto retain the namebut thelaw was subsequently repealed during a special session of the legislature in November 2011. Supporters of the name didn't give up, though, and in 2012 they gathered17,213 signatures on a petition to push for a nationwidevote.

The university resumed using the nickname, whichprompted a warning letter fromtheNCAA.A few months later, thestate's board of higher education once again ordered the school to get rid of the name.