The NCAA announced on Friday that schools may no longer display “hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames and imagery” at NCAA championships beginning February 1, 2006. Furthermore, such schools will not be allowed to NCAA championship events in the future. Previously awarded championships will not be affected, though hosts will be asked to covered up any imagery that violates the policy.
This is similar to the policy where the NCAA will not award championships to institutions in states that display the Confederate flag in its own flag.
This is directed specifically at schools that use Indian, er, sorry, Native American mascots, and eighteen such schools were listed in the press release as affected by the new policy. In Division I, those schools are Alcorn St, Arkansas St, Bradley, Central Michigan, Florida St, Illinois, UL-Monroe and Utah. William and Mary has been given an unspecified extension for further study.
Florida State’s use of Seminole name and imagery was endorsed by Seminole tribe of Florida a couple of months ago. NCAA says other Seminole tribes in other areas don’t agree. Missing from the list of schools violating this policy is Notre Dame, though I can’t explain why.
The NCAA is not requiring these schools to change their nicknames because that is outside of their scope, but they are putting as much pressure to bear on them as they can.
Obviously, schools don’t have much time to change their mascots if that’s what they choose to do. After all, look how long it took for Marquette to not change its name.
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2 comments:
Florida St. is already making a huge stink about it. But hell, what do I care, as long as they let they don't ban the Duck I'm cool.
This is just idiotic. Even the schools who have the support of the ACTUAL TRIBES are now deemed offensive? I guess the NCAA knows more about being an Indian than the Indians do.
Goodbye Utes and Seminoles, now get back to the reservation.
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