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(AP) - The chairwoman of a University of
Minnesota advisory committee says the group will reconsider its
policy that bars competition with the University of North Dakota in
any sport except hockey, because of UND's Fighting Sioux nickname.

      Melissa Avery, who chairs of the school's Advisory Committee on
Athletics, said Tuesday her committee will "develop a process" to
reconsider the policy. She would not give details.

      Avery said the decision to reconsider was made at a Feb. 1
committee meeting that was closed to the public. She said no
minutes of the meeting were taken.

      UND, which is moving to NCAA Division I-AA next year, is suing
the NCAA over restrictions on the Fighting Sioux nickname in
postseason play. The NCAA considers the nickname hostile and
abusive.

      The Minnesota advisory committee will meet again March 1, Avery
said. She would not say whether the school's nickname policy will
be discussed at that meeting or when more details will be released.

      The advisory committee voted to close its February meeting to
the public and decided not to take minutes, Avery said.

      Bill Donohue, the university's deputy general counsel, said
Avery asked him for advice on whether the meeting could be closed.


He said he told Avery the state's open meeting law applies only to
the Board of Regents, the University of Minnesota system's
governing body, and the decision of whether other meetings should
be open is up to the chairmen of those meetings.

      Attorney Mark Anfinson, who represents the Minnesota Newspaper
Association, said the discussion should have been public.

      "If the Regents blessed this (committee), set it up and
approved of it -- if it's their creature, in other words -- you can
make a good argument it should be subject to open meeting law,"
Anfinson said.

      "This is an important policy debate, and it should have been done
publicly," he said. "It's shameful to (close the meeting) in a
case like this where no one's privacy is being affected, where they
just don't want public scrutiny."

      The Minnesota policy was put in place in 2003 but was not
strictly enforced until late last year, after the issue came up at
a Nov. 2 committee meeting.

      University of Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi said in
December he brought the nickname policy to the advisory committee's
attention with the idea that Minnesota could play UND in several
sports. Instead, he said, the committee voted to enforce the policy
more strictly.

      If Minnesota changes its nickname policy, the two schools could
compete more often, bringing money to both programs. Division I-A
football schools, such as Minnesota, usually guarantee opponents
between $125,000 and $400,000 per game, coaches said.

Gallery

North Dakota officials fight NCAA over UND mascot

NCAA upholds ban on Fighting Sioux mascot

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A University of Minnesota advisory committee will reconsider its policy that bars competition with the University of North Dakota in
any sport except hockey, because of UND's Fighting Sioux nickname.


U of M to reconsider North Dakota nickname policy

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