Vote - which of the final fifteen?

[Hayduke]

How in the heck is "Thunderhawks" getting any votes at all? 

[ScottM]

"Spirit" and "Pride" need to die, post haste.

[nodakhoops]

I wish they would release potential logo designs for the finalists... I am having a hard time imagining a Sundog or Pride logo not being made fun of by opposing fans as being something GLBT related. Unless by Pride we go with some sort of Lion connotation?

 

This is where this gets interesting. I would argue the logo design is even more important than the nickname because that is what people are going to see and what will be on merchandise. My preference would be whatever the name is come up with 3-4 potential logos and have a vote just so we don't get forced some bad logo design from some hired marketing company. Regardless of what the name is logo design is way more important than just the nickname IMO. 

 

Maybe they can even form a committee for that. 

 

Edit - forgot to mention i don't think we'll see any logos until a name is chosen. 

[Csonked Out]

"Spirit" and "Pride" need to die, post haste.

I am trying to think of what a mascot would be for these 2 or even a logo and have literally no idea

[siouxfan512]

Coworker and I just discussed this exact topic. I explained what a sundog is and laughs erupted.

Exactly!

[siouxfan512]

This entire process is getting more embarassing by the day.

[82SiouxGuy]

Not true...I believe there are three other schools with no formal nickname.

The only school I know of that doesn't have a nickname other than UND is a small, private women's college in Virginia named Hollins University.  They have about 800 students and compete in DIII.  Not exactly a great role model for a DI school to follow.

[The Sicatoka]

Not true...I believe there are three other schools with no formal nickname.

 

Pictures School names or it never happened.

[siouxfan512]

The only school I know of that doesn't have a nickname other than UND is a small, private women's college in Virginia named Hollins University.  They have about 800 students and compete in DIII.  Not exactly a great role model for a DI school to follow.

 

A better role model that a school named the Sun Dogs

[82SiouxGuy]

A better role model that a school named the Sun Dogs

If a school can be successful as the Banana Slugs then they could be successful as the Sun Dogs.  I don't like it, but almost anything is better than no nickname (and North Dakota is not a sports nickname).

[scpa0305]

The only school I know of that doesn't have a nickname other than UND is a small, private women's college in Virginia named Hollins University.  They have about 800 students and compete in DIII.  Not exactly a great role model for a DI school to follow.

Really, I shouldn't have stated that as fact as I was listening to an open conversation between some people and there was 2-3 direct schools mentioned.  I should have remembered them.

[scpa0305]

The only school I know of that doesn't have a nickname other than UND is a small, private women's college in Virginia named Hollins University.  They have about 800 students and compete in DIII.  Not exactly a great role model for a DI school to follow.

http://www.smargon.net/nicknames/

 

Is this right?

[UNDfan2013]

I believe I saw where the committee has 9-10 criteria that they now have to evaluate each of these fifteen. I agree that the logo and marketing are very important beside the obvious way the nickname sounds when you say it verbally or in a cheer. The intangible ones are weak options IMO (blaze, force, pride, spirit). I am not in favor of North Dakota either since it is time to move on and also students and athletes want a nickname identity.

[Siouxperfan7]

I think that if Red River High School is not the "Roughriders" then we probably would not being having any of thise fiasco going on.  Because it would be the obvious choice.  It is a name that fits the criteria laid out by the committee.  So should we really throw it out and setle for a name like Sundogs or Pride because a local high school already uses it?  Pick your poison, but I would rather be the Roughriders and share the name with RRHS than be one of the other lame names. 

[scpa0305]

I think that if Red River High School is not the "Roughriders" then we probably would not being having any of thise fiasco going on.  Because it would be the obvious choice.  It is a name that fits the criteria laid out by the committee.  So should we really throw it out and setle for a name like Sundogs or Pride because a local high school already uses it?  Pick your poison, but I would rather be the Roughriders and share the name with RRHS than be one of the other lame names. 

Absolutely.

[siouxfan512]

If a school can be successful as the Banana Slugs then they could be successful as the Sun Dogs.  I don't like it, but almost anything is better than no nickname (and North Dakota is not a sports nickname).

disagree, I'm all about North Dakota. Its worked well over the past few seasons, and would continue to work well. That being said, I take RoughRiders and Cavalry over the rest of this garbage.

[The Sicatoka]

http://www.smargon.net/nicknames/

 

Is this right?

 

Seems reasonably well maintained. 

 

What I noticed:

Of the "no nickname" schools (and the "I don't know if they have one" schools) there's only one playing NCAA Division I athletics without a nickname. 

 

You only get one guess as to whom it is. 

[Risky]

I think that if Red River High School is not the "Roughriders" then we probably would not being having any of thise fiasco going on.  Because it would be the obvious choice.  It is a name that fits the criteria laid out by the committee.  So should we really throw it out and setle for a name like Sundogs or Pride because a local high school already uses it?  Pick your poison, but I would rather be the Roughriders and share the name with RRHS than be one of the other lame names.

I agree. The only negative is the local high school uses that name. In spite of that it is by far the best option. Go with it. Other than some Red River Grads the rest of the country will love it.(Maybe some of those Grads will still like it).

[82SiouxGuy]

http://www.smargon.net/nicknames/

 

Is this right?

I'm not going to check every name on that list, but the vast majority of those schools don't have sports (remember this is a sports nickname issue).  Most of those schools are medical, law or art related.  At least a few are online only schools.  They don't have athletic departments and don't compete in the NCAA, NAIA or any other organized competition above the club team level.  As far as I have seen in past research, the only schools with collegiate athletics that don't have a nickname are Hollins University and the University of North Dakota.  Feel free to examine each school on that list and find other schools that actually have sports but don't use a nickname.

[Hambone]

I agree. The only negative is the local high school uses that name. In spite of that it is by far the best option. Go with it. Other than some Red River Grads the rest of the country will love it.(Maybe some of those Grads will still like it).

I never thought I'd get to this point, as I never really have liked Roughriders (and that is only because of GFRR using it), but I completely agree that it makes the most sense out of what is left.

[tnt]

I agree. The only negative is the local high school uses that name. In spite of that it is by far the best option. Go with it. Other than some Red River Grads the rest of the country will love it.(Maybe some of those Grads will still like it).

I think more Red River grads like it than not.  It is the Central grads I would think that would be predisposed to disliking it, and I guess I can understand that.  It is a shame that there aren't the options we were all hoping to have. 

[wasmania]

Something to think about - every opposing fanbase,largely composed of young people, will quickly look up the nickname in the urban dictionary for ideas about how to best humiliate UND fans at the game.

 

Has nobody on the committee considered this in the context of names like ' rough rider' ?

[The Sicatoka]

Something to think about - every opposing fanbase,largely composed of young people, will quickly look up the nickname in the urban dictionary for ideas about how to best humiliate UND fans at the game.

 

Has nobody on the committee considered this in the context of names like ' rough rider' ?

 

And "Pride" (and the connotations that would bring) would be better? 

 

If you're really concerned, you'd better call the University of Southern California ... you know, the Trojans. 

[ericpnelson]

Something to think about - every opposing fanbase,largely composed of young people, will quickly look up the nickname in the urban dictionary for ideas about how to best humiliate UND fans at the game.

 

Has nobody on the committee considered this in the context of names like ' rough rider' ?

As someone who made a living hurling awful statements at the opposing teams bench at the Alerus, there isn't a nickname on the list that can't be contrived in some awful way. If the connotation legitimately is bothersome, it's not a case of finding a name which that can't be done to, but predicting how it will be done and choosing the least evil, which puts a lot of control into the hands of our enemies. It also discredits the possibility of unforeseen manipulations of any nickname.

[SiouxScore]

There are probably a couple others on the list I could live with but the only one I checked is North Dakota because that is far and away my favorite option and what I hope the committee chooses.