U. of North Dakota nickname - Have they announced one yet?

[Pabig]

Best would have been keeping the old nickname. Fighting Sioux just sounds amazing.

[Gothamite]

Best would have been keeping the old nickname. Fighting Sioux just sounds amazing.

Not an option - they couldn't get a license from the owners.

[GeauxColonels]

As much as people hate it, I really hope Spirit wins. It just flows nicely.

Fighting Spirit would be even better.

North Dakota Fighting Sioux

North Dakota Fighting Spirit

Per-fection

I don't think it flows as well.

[Boyeeism]

A Flickertail is a ground squirrel, not a gopher. It is a nickname for Richardson's Ground Squirrel. North Dakota is the Flickertail State. I feel Fighting Flickertails would be a great nickname for the University of North Dakota, as it has the Fighting from Fighting Sioux and is the state's nickname, and the original UND nickname.

[gosioux76]

I see people keep bringing up Flickertails, so I figured I'd post this paragraph from the Grand Forks Herald's story on the 15 nickname finalists:

“Flickertails,” the nickname the school used prior to adopting the Fighting Sioux name in the 1930s, was eliminated after UND student and committee member Landon Bahl said he had been told by many people they hated that idea.

[altosax29b]

I see people keep bringing up Flickertails, so I figured I'd post this paragraph from the Grand Forks Herald's story on the 15 nickname finalists:

“Flickertails,” the nickname the school used prior to adopting the Fighting Sioux name in the 1930s, was eliminated after UND student and committee member Landon Bahl said he had been told by many people they hated that idea.

This makes me think that the people in charge are going to end up choosing Spirit now. I can't see this ending well.

[pianoknight]

The University of North Dakota Mascots Part II: Electric Boogaloo (of Anaheim)

[Gothamite]

I see people keep bringing up Flickertails, so I figured I'd post this paragraph from the Grand Forks Herald's story on the 15 nickname finalists:

Flickertails, the nickname the school used prior to adopting the Fighting Sioux name in the 1930s, was eliminated after UND student and committee member Landon Bahl said he had been told by many people they hated that idea.

"Many people"? And yet they included some of these "winners".

Sounds to me more like they hate it, and rejected it out of hand.

Shame, because it would be a great solution. Ties to the state, has history at the school, would make a great mascot. It's pretty much everything you'd want in a public university's nickname.

[bigbean24]

As a UND student, I'm fine with any name on the list EXCEPT for keeping it just North Dakota. That's the logo geek in me. The interlocking N & D looks good, but it would be nice to have a real identity. I'd rather buy a shirt with a "Fighting Hawk" on it than a North Dakota word mark.

[gosioux76]

As a UND student, I'm fine with any name on the list EXCEPT for keeping it just North Dakota. That's the logo geek in me. The interlocking N & D looks good, but it would be nice to have a real identity. I'd rather buy a shirt with a "Fighting Hawk" on it than a North Dakota word mark.

As an alum, I'm the exact opposite. I'd rather embrace the university as an institution than something subpar just for the sake of having a logo.

[gosioux76]

I see people keep bringing up Flickertails, so I figured I'd post this paragraph from the Grand Forks Herald's story on the 15 nickname finalists:

Flickertails, the nickname the school used prior to adopting the Fighting Sioux name in the 1930s, was eliminated after UND student and committee member Landon Bahl said he had been told by many people they hated that idea.

"Many people"? And yet they included some of these "winners".

Sounds to me more like they hate it, and rejected it out of hand.

Shame, because it would be a great solution. Ties to the state, has history at the school, would make a great mascot. It's pretty much everything you'd want in a public university's nickname.

I get how this ticks all those boxes: ties to the state, history at the school, etc. But Flickertails, as an image to build a brand around, would be a complete disaster.

We're basically talking about a small gopher — or, in other words, a diminutive form of our arch-rival, if you care to look at it that way.

The committee's decision to withdraw that name may have been arbitrary, but it was the right decision.

[Gothamite]

Sure, you can look at it that way. But you don't have to.

If you're that embarrassed about your state nickname, which is a very fair impression of what I'm reading from them, then lobby the legislature to change it. Or just grow up and embrace it - not every state can choose the most aggressive killer it can find for its totem.

[gosioux76]

You kind of skated over the bigger point. You can't understate the bitterness of the hockey rivalry between UND and the Minnesota Gophers. Suddenly adopting a brand that's even remotely similar — or, worse in this case, a more diminutive form of — that of the university's biggest rival, would be ridiculous. It just wouldn't make sense.

But if you want to talk about non-aggressive totems as nicknames, there's no better example than North Dakota's. It's the "Peace Garden State." So maybe the solution is, as you said, to "grow up and embrace it" and adopt Peace Gardeners once and for all.

You know, in the name of state pride.

[Gothamite]

Sure. Why the heck not? Embrace it or change it.

[gosioux76]

I guess I'm not sure what one action has to do with other. It's not like it's mandated that a state's nickname become the mascot for its university.

[Discrim]

Blaze...oh hell no...sounds too much like an indoor football team

Cavalry...I think this is one of the few here I could get behind.

Explorers...somewhat of a meh choice, but better than nothing

Fighting Green....the Mean Green already exist. The world does not need the Fighting Green.

Fighting Hawks...another meh

Force...much like holding a World Cup in a certain Arab nation that's the size of a box...SERIOUSLY?

Green Hawks...more meh, doesn't roll off the tongue all that well either.

Nodaks...I kinda hope they pick this one...and then make some weird local monster legend out of it (though the latter hope's only because Nodaks sounds kinda like Hodags to me)

North Stars...Mike Modano is not walking through that door, Sioux.

Pride...no ND! bad ND! This aint Hofstra.

Roughriders...as long as there's a sweet Teddy Roosevelt logo in the mix...or at least not DMX. Nobody needed to know what you elected to share with the world, Earl.

Spirit: on one hand, reminds me of Hofstra being the Pride. As mentioned earlier though, I could get behind Fighting Spirit.

Sundogs: doesn't seem to mix all that well.

Thunderhawks: on one hand, more 'Hawks, potential for more meh. On another hand, I can't think of this without thinking of the big Indian from Street Fighter. Indecision aside, this is at the very least the only 'hawks name I'd go with.

In honor of Roger Clemente...NORTH DAKOTA!

[Gothamite]

I guess I'm not sure what one action has to do with other. It's not like it's mandated that a state's nickname become the mascot for its university.

Nobody ever said that it had to be. I just find their dismissive attitude curious. From this distance it almost appears disingenuous.

[Milkman14]

I guess I'm not sure what one action has to do with other. It's not like it's mandated that a state's nickname become the mascot for its university.

Nobody ever said that it had to be. I just find their dismissive attitude curious. From this distance it almost appears disingenuous.

the best comparison I can make is if FSU was to find a new nickname and a previous nickname was Caiman (a small alligator). End of the day if UND and NDSU reverted to the flicker tails and aggies I wouldn't lose any sleep.

[altosax29b]

Blaze...oh hell no...sounds too much like an indoor football team

Cavalry...I think this is one of the few here I could get behind.

Explorers...somewhat of a meh choice, but better than nothing

Fighting Green....the Mean Green already exist. The world does not need the Fighting Green.

Fighting Hawks...another meh

Force...much like holding a World Cup in a certain Arab nation that's the size of a box...SERIOUSLY?

Green Hawks...more meh, doesn't roll off the tongue all that well either.

Nodaks...I kinda hope they pick this one...and then make some weird local monster legend out of it (though the latter hope's only because Nodaks sounds kinda like Hodags to me)

North Stars...Mike Modano is not walking through that door, Sioux.

Pride...no ND! bad ND! This aint Hofstra.

Roughriders...as long as there's a sweet Teddy Roosevelt logo in the mix...or at least not DMX. Nobody needed to know what you elected to share with the world, Earl.

Spirit: on one hand, reminds me of Hofstra being the Pride. As mentioned earlier though, I could get behind Fighting Spirit.

Sundogs: doesn't seem to mix all that well.

Thunderhawks: on one hand, more 'Hawks, potential for more meh. On another hand, I can't think of this without thinking of the big Indian from Street Fighter. Indecision aside, this is at the very least the only 'hawks name I'd go with.

In honor of Roger Clemente...NORTH DAKOTA!

Once again, I don't understand this comparison to Hofstra. Pride, although not a great name I will admit, at least has a concrete connection to the university's history. Spirit doesn't. They're really two completely different things you're comparing.

[mafiaman]

Blaze...oh hell no...sounds too much like an indoor football team

Cavalry...I think this is one of the few here I could get behind.

Explorers...somewhat of a meh choice, but better than nothing

Fighting Green....the Mean Green already exist. The world does not need the Fighting Green.

Fighting Hawks...another meh

Force...much like holding a World Cup in a certain Arab nation that's the size of a box...SERIOUSLY?

Green Hawks...more meh, doesn't roll off the tongue all that well either.

Nodaks...I kinda hope they pick this one...and then make some weird local monster legend out of it (though the latter hope's only because Nodaks sounds kinda like Hodags to me)

North Stars...Mike Modano is not walking through that door, Sioux.

Pride...no ND! bad ND! This aint Hofstra.

Roughriders...as long as there's a sweet Teddy Roosevelt logo in the mix...or at least not DMX. Nobody needed to know what you elected to share with the world, Earl.

Spirit: on one hand, reminds me of Hofstra being the Pride. As mentioned earlier though, I could get behind Fighting Spirit.

Sundogs: doesn't seem to mix all that well.

Thunderhawks: on one hand, more 'Hawks, potential for more meh. On another hand, I can't think of this without thinking of the big Indian from Street Fighter. Indecision aside, this is at the very least the only 'hawks name I'd go with.

In honor of Roger Clemente...NORTH DAKOTA!

Once again, I don't understand this comparison to Hofstra. Pride, although not a great name I will admit, at least has a concrete connection to the university's history. Spirit doesn't. They're really two completely different things you're comparing.

How does "Pride" have a concrete connection to North Dakota any more so than it does for Hofstra, Kentucky, USC, or Michigan? I'd argue that UND's recent "Spirit Campaign" gives that more of a connection to the school than "Pride" does. Both are horribly abstract, however, although I guess some folks like that.

I actually hope the school goes with "Pride" though. For years we've been told how offensive it is when other fans chant "Sioux suck" and that's part of the reason why the former name needed to go. Then we can sit back and enjoy the popcorn while opponents have fun with the new nickname. I won't hold my breath for people demanding a change though when the first gay slur chant starts rolling thru an opponent's student section during a game...