UND: Call us North Dakota

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GRAND FORKS — As part of the University of North Dakota’s effort to transition away from the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, a senior UND athletics official has circulated an email to officials of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and other conferences, advising them that UND will discontinue using the name and logo as of Jan. 1.

“As of that date, please only refer to our athletic teams as the University of North Dakota and please use the interlocking ND logo as the official logo of the UND Athletics Department,” Sean Johnson, senior associate athletics director, wrote in the email.

The email initially went to Bruce McLeod, commissioner of the WCHA, as well as leaders of the Great West, Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences, in which one or more UND teams compete.

Johnson was not immediately available for comment on the email or the decision to make Jan. 1 the effective date for asking other schools to stop referring to UND teams as the Fighting Sioux.

Haga is a reporter for the Grand Forks Herald, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

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