The NCAA's continued reliance on this statement to justify its policy represents some of the most misguided, illogical thinking ever.
I read an article during March Madness about a couple of basketball players who drew the worst kind of hostility and abuse from the fans of opposing teams. Did the NCAA order the schools to leave those players at home? No.
We've all heard of instances in which black players had racial slurs hurled at them by opposing fans. We've all heard of sexist comments directed against women athletes by fans of opposing teams. Does the NCAA tell schools to leave their black players or female teams at home? Of course not.
It's silly to penalize one school for the behavior of other school's fans. If something needs to be done, the burden is on the school with the unruly fans to do something about them. Solving behavior issues related to racism at the schools of UND's oppenents in athletics is NOT our problem.
But for some reason, when it comes to American Indian nicknames and imagery, schools such UND and William & Mary are expected to shoulder the responsibility for the racist behavior of opposing teams' fans -- as if they have the power or authority to control any school's fans but their own. It puts UND in the position of having to control the "hostile and abusive" behavior of all the teams they play, which is absolutely ridiculous.