The University of North Dakota’s nickname committee has eliminated the option of continuing to play as UND/North Dakota.
At a meeting Tuesday evening, the 11-person committee discussed that option along with six other nickname possibilities: Fighting Hawks, Green Hawks, Nodaks, North Stars, Roughriders and Sundogs.
Green Hawks was also eliminated as a nickname for UND by the committee
The committee ranked the seven nicknames one through seven, with one being their preferred name and seven the least preferred. Continuing to play as UND/North Dakota was lowest on the list with 56 points.
Committee member and UND alumna Diane Hillebrand made the motion to eliminate the name after much discussion. Committee member and UND faculty member John Bridewell seconded it.
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The motion passed seven votes to four.
In the rankings, which were done purely for discussion purposes, Fighting Hawks was the most favored name, receiving 33 points, Nodaks came in second with 34 points and Sundogs was third with 40 points.
Committee member and UND alumnus Lowell Schweigert said it was a difficult decision for him and ranked UND/North Dakota at four.
“I think I know what the popular vote would be if we threw these seven names out there based on submissions we had back in April, but I would say I've had alumni and I've had people who are stakeholders at UND who have encouraged me by saying we should pick a nickname, and that nickname isn't' North Dakota because we're always going to be the University of North Dakota,” Schweigert said. “It's a time for some courage.”
Committee members Dave St. Peter and Jazmyn Friesz and Chairman Karl Goehring all ranked UND/North Dakota as their top pick, and they all advocated for keeping UND/North Dakota on the list.
