Illinois files new appeal

[PCM]

From The Daily Illini:

Trustees rebut NCAA response to appeal

The NCAA is overstepping its authority, the University said Wednesday in the latest installment of a nearly eight-month disagreement surrounding Chief Illiniwek.

Illinois' Board of Trustees issued a six-page "rebuttal" to an NCAA Executive Committee memorandum dated March 7. That memo responded to the University's Jan. 30 appeal of an NCAA Executive Committee decision that would limit Illinois' involvement in NCAA competitions because it uses American Indian imagery.

Illinois' Board of Trustees said in Wednesday's rebuttal that the use of American Indian imagery does not fall under the Executive Committee's jurisdiction. It argues that NCAA member institutions never intended the Committee's power to be so broad, or for the Committee to have unilateral say in what it considered a "core issue."

"The NCAA's position would give the Executive Committee virtually unlimited power," the University's rebuttal said. "If the NCAA is correct, the Executive Committee could issue policies on any issue it unilaterally deems to be a 'core issue' of the Association ... Such a view is untenable."

"As the NCAA admits, the University's membership in the NCAA entitles the University and other member institutions to certain contractual rights and reasonable expectations flowing from them," the Board said in the rebuttal. "These rights and expectations cannot be eliminated without inflicting substantial harm on the University and other member institutions."

Does any of this sound familiar?

[Sioux-cia]

As I was reading this, I thought for a minute PCM had posted the wrong appeal. Guess the U of ICU knows a strong case when they see one. Go for it Fighting Illini!!!

[PCM]

Here's a link to UI's appeal. It's in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.

[ScottM]

Illinois to NC$$: "Bite me!"

[BobIwabuchiFan]

Here's a link to UI's appeal. It's in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.

Any new information on the interactions/outcomes from the Tribal leaders and UND meetings back in December? If anything is key to us keeping the nickname with the NCAA determining the status, I think its the Spirit Lake Nation doing a re-affirmation of their stance from 2000. What say you?

BobIwabuchiFan