North Dakota shunned due to nickname
The University of Iowa has decided not to invite the University of North Dakota to an April track meet because of the school's Fighting Sioux nickname.
Associate athletic director Mark Abbott Monday said Iowa decided against the invitation when UND reinstated the name earlier this month.
Iowa policy prohibits the athletic department from scheduling competitions with schools or attending tournaments hosted by schools using Native American mascots, unless those mascots are approved by the NCAA.
Abbot says Illinois, whose Fighting Illini mascot has come under fire, is exempt from the policy because of contractual obligations within the Big Ten Conference.
Other exemptions include games that Iowa has no control over scheduling, such as bowl games, and NCAA or conference-sponsored competitions.