College Hockey:
NCAA says Fighting Sioux logos can stay at Ralph Engelstad Arena

USCHO Staff Report • Sept. 27, 2012

According to a report in the Grand Forks Herald, the Fighting Sioux logo can stay at Ralph Engelstad Arena as the NCAA has reportedly backed off its demand on removing the name and logo from North Dakota’s home rink.

The NCAA agreed to the changes after one of its top officials, vice president Bernard Franklin, visited Grand Forks in August and toured the arena with attorney general Wayne Stenehjem, UND president Robert Kelley, rink general manager Jody Hodgson and Earl Strinden, who as leader of the UND alumni association had helped to arrange the late Ralph Engelstad’s gift to build the arena bearing his name.

An addendum passed this week requires removal of large signs on the outside of the arena that say “Home of the Fighting Sioux” as soon as possible, Stenehjem said to the paper, and replacement of the logo carpeting as it wears out.

The “Home of the Fighting Sioux” signs are not accurate, according to Stenehjem, “because it isn’t the home of the Fighting Sioux anymore since the State Board retired the name.”

Stenehjem also said it will be “up to the managers of the arena how quickly they can do it, and they will have to decide what they replace it with, ‘Home of UND Hockey’ or ‘Home of Champions’ or whatever.”

Stenehjem added that he was “pleased that the NCAA was willing to show flexibility in its policy.”

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RalphandSue
Why does North Dakota hockey get special privileges?
Miami had to give up their name and logo.
Did Ralph pay the NCAA?
- TheCaptainsParty
  A bod decision by the NCAA as they should have to remove those logos.
  They must have invited the NCAA officials to the captains party. It must be one big party in Grand Forks.
  - ndhockey
    True but what will happen now if the ncaa looks at them for hazeing and also I hope them freshman figure out how much their team mates care for them when they were being dumped off I mead carried off to their dorms to be left on their own at 8pm with the onset of alchol poisioning can you feel the team famil respect and love
  - Billy
    True dat – just a bunch of drunks up in GF….
  - chet
    I love how people think its a big deal when a few no dak boy go out and drink then u have BU/BC fellas having sex parties in the locker and its the “norm”.. Get a life.. Its college- if u didnt drink in college u probably didnt go to college
- jdhockeyboyz
  Special Privileges?? Look no further than Florida State and try to figure out why NoDak had to retire nickname and logo.
  - lakes19
    Do you still not get it or are you blind???? The tribes in Florida, approved on letting Florida State keep the nickname.
    All North Dakota Tribes did not approve of UND keeping the nickname!
    The nickname is not going to change the University or it’s teams!
    UND will still be a top notch College Hockey Team!!!!
    - tgeyhgedyhgygi
      only one tribe said no
      - Scott Reed
        Zero tribes said no… one tribe never voted
- crovin
  First of all, Ralph has been dead for 10 years. Second, North Dakota Hockey didn’t get any special privileges. They lost their name and logo. Ralph Engelstad Arena is a private entity, not a university owned building. The NCAA has no direct control of them, anymore than they do of the Xcel center or any other privately owned sports venue. This agreement just gets Ralph Engelstad Arena of the sanctioned arena list and means that the Ralph can now host post season NCAA events. That’s all.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FAWLNDDPH2QLSFPKCWIDPI7MGY Dirk Smith
This political correctness sums up the NCAA’s infinite hypocrisy.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=531960170 Brad Schaack
  Yep. The name is hostile and abusive but not in the confines of the Ralph Engelstad Arena. Makes sense to me. Not.
CollegeFan
While the NCAA did say the Sioux logos could stay in place, it did rule that all NoDak games must be officiated by NFL replacement refs.
- http://twitter.com/pucknut9 Kegs
  Have you seen the WCHA refs? They would probably be better.
lostinnd
I don’t understand why ND just didn’t pay off the tribes like Florida does. Don’t they know $$$$$$’s always trump principle with politically correct people?
- crovin
  The vast majority of the native americans in the state were in support of the name and logo. That’s why und got to keep it as long as they did. The tribes were actually suing the NCAA stating it was discrimination for the NCAA to not allow native american logos. The NCAA got those lawsuits thrown out of court. So don’t blame the tribes, many of them fought hard to keep UND known as the sioux.
  - Nagiom
    What about the Seminole tribes in Oklahoma that oppose the use of the name? It’s a money thing pure and simple.
    - jer
      Ralph had plenty of money. Trust me- money is not the issue here
mahogma
Good thing for them…there must be like 10,000 of those things scattered all over the place. It might have been cheaper just to rebuild it,and ND has a big enough rebuild to do as it is :-)
Baldwin
UND is still a top notch program….until they play Boston College
- SIOUX
  LOL soooo true, and im a die hard SIOUX!!!! fan………i hate BC so much….
boynamedsioux
I’m guessing this has something to do with the arena being registered as a state landmark?!
CaptainsParty
I hope those drunk captains in Grand Forks get what they deserve.
When are they going to close the program down.
They have hostile logos and drunk captains that like to host hazing parties.
Come on NCAA wake up and smell the cofffee.
RalphMalph
Does the Ralph have a room that houses his collections? We all know who he admired the most? I mean, you can’t separate Ralph’s name from the World War 2 leader he admired the most. Interesting that his name is on the building given whose birthday he celebrated. Well, never let his stand on democracy get in the way of a good hockey arena
PartyHardyNDCaptains
When am I going to get invited to the drinking party at the Ralph?
Are the captains hosting a keg party at Ralph?
Man they know how to party in Grand Forks?
Scott Reed
There was a story in the Grand Forks Herald almost a year ago when the NCAA sent an official to visit the arena and point out what Native American symbols would have to be removed and what could stay. Anything cultural, historical, or too cost prohibitive to remove can stay. They just had to formalize the decision they already made since UND isn’t fighting to keep the logo anymore. This is old news! but I guess all you haters in your caves don’t get out much. You will take any story and somehow turn it against UND. BC wins NC…UND isn’t as good as BC Date rape at another college… He should transfer to UND he would fit in there Two other schools get in a fight… just like the goons at UND Your obsessed with hating UND… its sad get a life!

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