North Dakota Announces ‘Hawks’ will Replace ‘Sioux’ in Team Name

The University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks!

That’s the new name of the former UND Fighting Sioux, announced at a press conference held by the school today following the results of a vote. In all over 27,000 votes were cast with Fighting Hawks beating out the runner-up “Roughriders” to the tune of 57% to 43.

In 2005 the NCAA banned the use of Native American imagery in their member teams, the school was ordered both to remove the name and to keep it by various politicians over the next few years before finally retiring the name in 2012. The athletic teams have been operating without a name in the three years since.

And the new nickname is: Fighting Hawks. pic.twitter.com/mx53J449aO
— Univ of North Dakota (@myUND) November 18, 2015

Fighting Hawks? Don’t like it. Sounds like an elementary school nickname. https://t.co/BTETaFcrEH
— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) November 18, 2015

While I was a big fan of Bison Slayers, I can live with Fighting Hawks. https://t.co/mT7jJ6S1D5
— Dave St. Peter (@TwinsPrez) November 18, 2015

It took over a year for UND to decide on Fighting Hawks, which is the same name an 8 year old would come up with if you gave him 30 seconds.
— Logan Hanson (@HansonLogan) November 18, 2015