An excerpt from the NYTs (permalink here):
The new law, signed by Gov. Jack Dalrymple, has left the university in a difficult position: defy the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which has mandated that all American Indian mascots be dropped, or break the law. The legislative debate has reopened wounds over retiring a beloved mascot that has graced hockey jerseys and pennants across the state for years.
University officials hope that a meeting later this month in Indianapolis between Mr. Dalrymple, legislative leaders and N.C.A.A. officials will help resolve the conflict. As it stands, if the university continues to use the name after Aug. 15, its athletics program would face penalties that could jeopardize much-lauded plans to join the Big Sky Conference.
For many North Dakotans, the future of the logo — a profile of an Indian with feathers in his hair — is personal. Grant Shaft, the president of the state’s Board of Higher Education, went to law school there and said five generations of his family attended the university. But Mr. Shaft says it is time for the university to move past the matter and comply with N.C.A.A. guidelines.
“My roots with the Fighting Sioux nickname go as deep as anybody,” he said. “The reality of the situation is that the Aug. 15 date is looming, and we’re starting to realize the consequences are really untenable for the athletics department.”
Turtle Talk 
maybe they should be renamed the fighting idiots (or the fighting bigots) and have the governor’s face on the logo
Paul Finkelman
Albany Law School
I’m appalled by the ruling the NCAA has set regarding Native American names or adjectives used that are not in anyway offensive. The closest thing that could be ruled offensive would be “red skin”. I’m not convinced that that is offensive either unless it’s directly applied to an individual in a tormenting manner.
My thought is that we as Native Americans should appreciate that colleges and university’s have in some way given us recognition as a brave and courageous group of people that are every bit as competitive and honored as the athletes that wear the jersey.