We're Getting Closer to a New Logo

Good Monday Morning. After being sick for half the week and out of town, I am catching up on a few things. First, I am interested in seeing what the new logo looks like. I’ve said in the past, blow the new logo design and the hockey fans will never, ever get behind and embrace the new logo. While the other programs and sports fans have sort of embraced the new nickname. The UND hockey fans have been skeptical and slow to accept the Fighting Hawks nickname. Personally, I thought Fighting Hawks was the best choice of five bad logo options. I would recommend dropping Fighting from the nickname. If I had a choice, no nickname would have been the best option.

Former North Dakota Governor and current Interim President Ed Schafer had some interesting things to say about the nickname process.

Anna Burleson, Grand Forks Herald – Schafer said he isn't bothered by the continued popularity of the Fighting Sioux nickname but wishes the process of selecting the Fighting Hawks name had been done in a more professional way.

"It's a good nickname and we're going to build value to it, and in 10 years or so it's going to be very meaningful to the university, but we're not starting out saying this is really meaningful to North Dakota," he said. "It's not some unique special thing North Dakota has so we have to build value to that final nickname and logo. That's going to take longer and it's going to be harder to do than if you'd put the elements in up front."

The process involved two committees working for more than a year, accepting more than 1,000 submissions from across the country, which were then narrowed down and voted on by various stakeholder groups such as students, alumni, donors and university employees.

"We took 2,000 amateurs and said choose which one you want, so that's what we have," Schafer said.

I find Schafer's comment interesting. Thoughts?