Ever wanted to name a university's mascot? Now's your chance!

[RealSNR]

The University of North Dakota got rid of the Fighting Sioux in 2012, and since that time, they have been simply "The University of North Dakota." No mascot. Fighting Sioux was beloved by the community of Grand Forks largely because of the tradition associated with it in the university's college hockey program, which has been historically and recently one of the top college hockey programs in the NCAA.

The university has finally assembled a committee to look through suggestions and recommend a new mascot to the president of the university. They just need the suggestions. That's where you come in. Simply click the link and fill out the online form: http://und.edu/nickname/

Here are the basic guidelines to consider (from the UND announcement):

Spoiler!

Online suggestions, which must be 25 characters or less (including any spaces), will be accepted from Wednesday, April 1 at 8 a.m. CDT to Thursday, April 30 at 11:59 p.m. CDT. All mail-in submissions must be postmarked no later than April 25.

The Nickname Committee will evaluate submissions based on a list of attributes that the group has developed:

• Be unique, recognizable, inspiring, and distinctly UND’s;
• Promote a sense of pride, strength, fierceness, and passion;
• Be representative of the state and region in a way that honors the traditions and heritage of the past but also looks to the future; and
• Be a unifying and rallying symbol.

Submissions are anonymous; individuals submitting suggestions will not be asked to provide their names. All nickname submissions are subject to North Dakota open records law. Individuals submitting nickname suggestions are not entitled to compensation or anything of value in exchange for the submission, and all submissions become the property of the University of North Dakota.

The Committee will accept suggestions for nicknames only. Drawings, designs, logos, art files, special characters, etc. will not be considered.

Nickname suggestions will be sent directly to PadillaCRT, a group that has national expertise in nickname development and that has been advising the Nickname Committee. Any nickname suggestions known to be trademarked and/or subject to third-party rights or uses may not be considered by the Committee.

Since I'm originally from Grand Forks, I have connections to people who are abuzz with this process. I can tell you that there are already some favorites being championed:

--Flickertails. This was the university's mascot prior to becoming the Fighting Sioux in the 1930s. Given the university's recent goals of expanding into a tier-one research university, it makes a lot of sense to go with rodentia like their counterparts in the Big 10 (gophers, badgers). North Dakota is also known as the Flickertail State.

--Roughriders. The safest bet. Nothing says North Dakota pride like references to Teddy Roosevelt. Would also still manage to piss off a few people, since Teddy Roosevelt probably killed a few Indians when he was out in the North Dakota Badlands. It largely boils down to whether or not the university is cool with proudly stating to people, "Yeah, you might think of condoms when you hear our name, but we're still going to beat you in hockey!"

--Pilots. UND's aviation research and development program is unanimously known as the best in the country. It's odd to pick a mascot based on the strength of an academic program, but eh... weirder things have happened.

--Green Meadowlarks. This one combines creativity with tradition and old-sounding college mascot nomenclature, but it's also kind of weird. The Western Meadowlark is the state bird of North Dakota, and green and white are the school's primary colors. A problem with this is that I believe the Western Meadowlark is also the state bird of like 20 other states. It's still better than Banana Slugs.

--Keep using no mascot. The most likely option, I think. It's the last method that UND fans have to tell the NCAA to go **** itself for making the university ditch Fighting Sioux. There's a rule in place that they can't have a racial mascot, but there is no rule that says the school has to have a mascot, just a nice little memo that says, "It would be really nice if your school had a mascot so we could maintain the entire aesthetic of the neighborhood. Smiley face." It would also make the university stand out and be truly unique.

But that doesn't mean you can't play a role in creating collegiate athletic history! So get in there!

[TimBone]

SNR, did you call your people yet? Seal the deal, bud.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by TimBone

SNR, did you call your people yet? Seal the deal, bud.

Better than that. I'm in Grand Forks visiting family this weekend. I'll pay them a visit.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by SNR

Better than that. I'm in Grand Forks visiting family this weekend. I'll pay them a visit.

OH YEAH, BABY! Let's get this thing done. I'm sincerely convinced that it'll be a huge marketing coup for the university.

[KC native]

Originally Posted by SNR

Better than that. I'm in Grand Forks visiting family this weekend. I'll pay them a visit.

**** YEA.

LET'S GO ERMINES! CLAP CLAP CLAPCLAPCLAP

[Rain Man]

We can probably also emphasize that fans can hold up signs of an ermine on a motorcycle in a black leather coat with twin guns, labeled, "(T)ermine(ator)".

[Rain Man]

It would be kind of cool if the front of the football helmets looked like the face of the ermine, with those little fierce eyes staring at the opponent from above the facemask.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Mighty Dicks

[Sorter]

Originally Posted by SNR

Better than that. I'm in Grand Forks visiting family this weekend. I'll pay them a visit.

**** yes.

[Rain Man]

Reminder for people to cast your vote today. You can vote for ermine multiple times.

[Superbowltrashcan]

I was wondering do they likely look at where the votes are coming from? Thinking I could get all my students to do a little "extra credit project"on opinion polling. Might be a bit suspicious if there are 1000+ votes from the high school where I work though.... Maybe a contest between the classroom teachers on site to see who can generate the most votes. I'll take the Pepsi Challenge....

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Superbowltrashcan

I was wondering do they likely look at where the votes are coming from? Thinking I could get all my students to do a little "extra credit project"on opinion polling. Might be a bit suspicious if there are 1000+ votes from the high school where I work though.... Maybe a contest between the classroom teachers on site to see who can generate the most votes. I'll take the Pepsi Challenge....

They might look, but even if they do, it'll just show a lot of national support. Go for it. Fighting Ermines Forever!

[TimBone]

Originally Posted by Superbowltrashcan

I was wondering do they likely look at where the votes are coming from? Thinking I could get all my students to do a little "extra credit project"on opinion polling. Might be a bit suspicious if there are 1000+ votes from the high school where I work though.... Maybe a contest between the classroom teachers on site to see who can generate the most votes. I'll take the Pepsi Challenge....

Do it, bud. My co-workers and I have been voting from the same computer. At work.

[Rain Man]

How are we coming along on this, people?

We need to feed them a steady diet of ermine. I'll propose the following schedule of submitting ermine as a name.

If your username begins with this letter...then submit your nomination on these days.

A, B, Y, Z - April 19, 25, 27
C, D - April 20, 26, 28
E, F, G, H, I - April 21, 27, 28
J, K, L, M - April 22, 27, 28
N, O, P, Q, R - April 23, 27, 28
S, T, U, V, W, X - April 24, 28, 29

Various themes that you can emphasize include:

Cute and furry
Matches large rodent theme of other nearby schools (Wolverines, Badgers, Gophers)
Fierce
Fierce for its size
Eyes that appear excited about causing panic and pandemonium
Native to North Dakota
Unique, not used in any other known schools
Marketing value of being unique (e.g., Fighting Irish, Buckeyes, etc.)
Very recognizable
Can match current UND color scheme
Highly energetic, which matches the passion theme
Has subliminal connection to royalty as old-time kings often had ermine trim on their kingly robes
No political controversy in the name
Strong unifying symbol given its uniqueness and positive traits
Has strong mascot potential

[RealSNR]

I can give an update:

When I met with the nickname committee member, I started the conversation as, "So, I know you've probably been getting bombarded with people coming up to you talking about their favorite suggestion, but I have one I'd like to discuss. Do you know what an ermine is?"

She gave a throaty laugh that seemed to say that she knew about the suggestion of ermines from the survey data that had come in, but when I asked her, she refused to say what else she knew about the data or how the committee has reacted to the idea.

She did, however, say that personally, from me just asking her, she likes it, but she doesn't know if she can support as a nickname. For one, she said, there are too many people who don't know what an ermine is, and if they're reading or hearing about it for the first time, they won't even know how to pronounce it. She also said that as much as she's against the modern trend of every mascot being something that has to destroy, wreck, maim, kill, eat, or brutalize something else, she doesn't think the student body or the president is emotionally secure enough with losing Fighting Sioux to embrace something as tame-sounding as "ermines."

The only way to make it a good idea is spread it through public support. She'd like to see a couple student/faculty groups in support of ermine as well as some local involvement in getting support for the name before it gets taken seriously. And at this point, what little gets done in that arena will probably be enough. NOBODY in this town really gives a shit, unfortunately, and if they had their way, I think UND going without a nickname would be the popular winner in a poll of the community.

[RealSNR]

Not sure if this affects anything right now, either:

She said that the president of UND got a bizarre vote of no confidence from the student senate at UND earlier this week because the undergrads are pissed about rumors surrounding a tuition hike. A few student government leaders e-mailed the entire campus and made baseless accusations that the administration was going to raise tuition by absurd amounts beyond the possible 2% that was being publicly considered. So the administration had to do damage control on that this week.

At the end of this month, if there isn't some visible outcry of support for ermines from around the university and community, I think it will be really hard for the president to select anything other than a really boring and dry nickname that doesn't piss anybody off. I really don't think such a name exists, because they all have their problems, but there will be the moron athletic boosters that won't accept anything less fierce-sounding than UND AIDS-infesting Giant Velociraptors.