Category: UND Athletics

There have been a lot of criticisms of the settlement of N.D.’s Sioux nickname lawsuit against the NCAA (from questions about what UND got for $1m to theories about a football cabal conspiring to pressure UND to sacrifice the nickname for a chance to play Big Ten teams). The bottom-line, as many noted at the time, was that UND was suing the NCAA on procedural grounds — UND was asserting that the NCAA executive committee didn’t have the authority to issue the nickname rule — so all the NCAA needed to do to render the lawsuit moot was pass the same rule using proper procedures.

What the State of N.D. knew when it settled, and a lot of fans speculated, is that the NCAA was about to change their rules to formally grant the executive committee such authority.

From Increased Authority (Grand Forks Herald)

“In my estimation, we were going to win the lawsuit,” Stenehjem said, “but this amendment would have mooted that. We would have won the lawsuit in December 2007, and this was enacted January 12, 2008. So, it would have been a short-lived victory.”

Fan predictions that the NCAA membership wouldn’t grant its executive committee such authority, due to fear of their own oxes being next to be gored, proved unfortunately wildly wrong.

Stenehjem said he’d been told the amendment vote passed with about 99.6 percent of people voting in support.

UND faculty NCAA representative Sue Jeno attended the Nashville conference and said she was one of only a handful of representatives to vote against the amendment.

A 2007 NCAA student-athlete handbook lists the number of the association’s member institutions at slightly more than 1,000 spread between the three divisions. If the percentage vote quoted to Stenehjem is correct, that would mean Jeno was one of only about five members to vote against the amendment.

Continuing the lawsuit, given this, would have been throwing good money after bad. Given the inevitable outcome, it’s hard to argue that N.D. should have done anything other than precisely what it did. They put an immediate halt to the rising court expenses and won the valuable settlement concessions of being removed from the hostile and abusive list and being granted additional time, not subject to sanctions, to resolve the issue.

As The Sicatoka said in the “Negotiated Settlement” thread:

The AG, Mr. Stenehjem, did what he could with (what little) he had and based on this he deserves some credit:

At least he got us (temporarily) off the list and some time to look for middle ground.

As UND looks toward its transition to D-I, it is also evaluating candidates for the Athletic Director who will lead athletics through that transition.

The selection committee has whittled down the numerous applicants to a few leading candidates, though information on those candidates has been somewhat hard to come by from the University itself. Thanks particularly to the efforts of Sioux fans in the 221-post forum thread, UND’s Next Athletics Director, supplemented with an afternoon of web searches, here’s a look at the remaining UND athletic director candidates.

Have anything to say about the candidates, or know something we don’t? Stop by the forum and chat.

Barbara Burke

Senior Associate Athletics Director, University of Wyoming (NCAA D-I/BCS, Mountain West Conference)

M.E. Education/Administration of Athletics, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 1984

B.S. Physical Education, Western Michigan, 1980 (letters in basketball and softball)

Notable experience

• 2001 – Wyoming – Senior Associate Athletic Director
• 1998 – Wyoming – Associate Athletics Director/Senior Women’s Administrator
• 1998 – Texas El Paso (UTEP) – Interim Athletics Director
• 1994 – Marshall – Associate Athletics Director/Senior Women’s Administrator

“Burke oversees all internal operations of the UW Athletics Department, as well as directly supervises game management for football and men’s and women’s basketball.”

“In addition to overseeing the sports programs, she is in charge of the day-to-day internal operations of the department, is directly involved in the marketing and promotion of Wyoming’s athletics programs and is responsible for the department’s compliance with Title IX objectives. Currently, her focus is on the completion of several major building projects.”

Resources

• Also an applicant for AD position at EIU — resume
• UW’s Burke to be Honored by the All-American Football Foundation
• Wyoming’s Barbara Burke Appointed to NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee
• Bio from NCAA Convention- “Hot Topics in Gender Equity” sesssion (2007)

Tim Hickman

Associate Athletic Director, Operations, University of Missouri (NCAA D-I/BCS, Big Twelve Conference)

B.S. Business Administration, University of Missouri, 1989

Notable experience

• 2002 – Missouri, Associate Athletic Director
• 2001 – Missouri, Assistant Athletic Director (following merger of Hearnes and Missouri athletics operations)
• 1992 – Director of the Hearnes Center

“Hickman oversees all business activities for the Missouri Department of Athletics, including development and oversight of the department’s $44 million budget, purchasing, human resources and daily office operations, while additionally directing the operations of Mizzou Arena and the Hearnes Center. He also oversees the areas of facilities, game operations, food service and computing operations, while serving as the administrative liason to Mizzou’s nationally ranked baseball program and up-and-coming softball program. In his current capacity as department CFO, Tim also works very closely with development, Mizzou Sports Properties and outsourcing contracts.”

Other info from the ‘net

• Chamber of Commerce – chair of budget and finance committee
• Callaway Bank – board member
• He has served on committees or the boards of the Central Missouri Food Bank, the Mid-Missouri Tourism Council, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Balloon Corporation.
• Grew up in the family grocery business, Hickman’s IGA
• Owned Columbia, MO, restaurant, T.K. Brothers Grill & Games, with brothers

Resources

• Tim Hickman Biography
• Tim Hickman promoted to associate athletic director (2002)

Tim Leonard

Associate Athletics Director/Development – University of Central Florida (Conference USA, NCAA D-I/BCS)

B.A. Communication, Boise State University, 1992

Relevant experience

• 2003 – Associate Athletics Director/Development – University of Central Florida
• 1999 – Assistant Athletics Director for External Affairs and the executive director of the Golden Knights Club
• 1997 – Assistant Director of the Bronco Athletic Association at Boise State
• 1992 – Director of Annual Giving at Illinois State University

Led fundraising during the fundraising, building, and naming-rights sale of new football stadium.

“After serving as an assistant athletics director for external affairs and the executive director of the Golden Knights Club for four years, Leonard now has major gifts as his primary fundraising focus for UCF athletics. He also has management oversight of the GKC, premium seating and the University’s Annual Fund.”

“In his six years at Central Florida, Leonard has excelled at getting people to believe in potential. When the football team was struggling, it was tough to convince donors to invest in a program that didn’t appear to have the school’s full commitment. That mentality has been completely transformed, largely because of persistence.”

Resources

• Tim Leonard biography
• UCF’s commitment opens fund-raising floodgates

Tom Sadler

President, Global Entertainment Corp. Facility Management Company

B.A. Industrial/Organizational Psychology, St. Thomas Aquinas College

Relevant Experience

• 2005 – President, Global Entertainment Corp. Facility Management Company
• 2003 – Associate Athletics Director for Administrative Services, University of Hawaii (UH)
• 1983 – Various positions (incl Assistant Athletics Director, Stadium Management Director) Arizona State University

“While at UH, Sadler was responsible for the internal day-to-day operations of the department that covered multiple sports and related events. He also negotiated a new facility concession contract that generated an increase in revenue.”

“Sadler has been there and done it, helping to implement a $41 million capital campaign for ASU while also eliminating a $1 million budget shortfall.”

“…Arizona State University (ASU) over a period of 20 years, during which he directed intercollegiate operations, managing and staging more than 250 events each year for ASU, and serving as tournament director for several NCAA and Pacific-10 Conference championships. He served as a key member of the host committee in Arizona for Super Bowl XXX, and guided the development of a comprehensive operating manual for several sporting events.”

Resources

• Global Entertainment Names Tom Sadler, President and Roger J. Swanson, Vice President Operations of Facility Management Company
• Sadler’s New Challenge — Hawaii’s new associate athletic director sees his time here as an opportunity

Brian Faison

Assistant Vice President for Athletic Development, New Mexico State University (NCAA D-I/BCS, Western Athletic Conference)

University of Missouri, 1972

Relevant experience

• 2004 – Assistant Vice President for Athletics Development, New Mexico State University
• 1999 – Athletics Director, New Mexico State University
• 1988 – Athletics Director, Indian State
• 1984 – athletics administration, Louisville
• 1979 – athletics administration, Illinois State
• 1974 – athletics administration, Missouri

“Faison says the new position frees him up to focus on fundraising and one of his goals will be to elevate the Athletics Department’s revenues from its current $9.2 million to $18 million within the next 12 months.”

“Faison’s five years as head of the department have been highlighted by success in the classroom, on the playing field and in the development of athletic facilities.”

Resources

• Biography
• Faison gets promotion, aims to double NMSU athletics income

Paul Schlickmann

Stony Brook University, Executive Associate Director of Athletics

B.A. American Studies, Trinity College (men’s basketball player), 1989

M.S. Physical Education, Springfield College, 1995

Relevant Experience

• 2005 – Executive Associate Director of Athletics, Stony Brook
• 2003 – Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Stony Brook
• 1999 – Senior Assistant Athletics Director for Varsity Program Administration and Football Operations, Yale University
• 1993 – Assistant Athletics Director for Varsity Program Administration, Yale University

“He is a talented administrator who understands that the primary function of intercollegiate athletics at Stony Brook is to advance the educational mission of the university.”

“Schlickmann has supervised the daily internal operations of 35 intercollegiate programs as a member of the senior management team that sets department policy at Yale. He was responsible for all varsity program operations for men’s soccer and men’s lacrosse while also overseeing facility operations and event management. He developed and managed department operating budgets which totaled nearly $2.5 million, and administered athlete initial eligibility, team travel, contest scheduling and the management of conference and postseason championships.

His football operations duties included the oversight of 150 gameday personnel in the 60,000-seat Yale Bowl which had an average attendance of over 23,000 for Yale home games. In addition, he served as the athletics department liaison to undergraduate admissions and financial aid while managing and formulating team budgets.”

“He is responsible for all varsity program operations for men’s basketball, football, baseball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s lacrosse, men’s tennis and men’s and women’s track and field while also overseeing facility operations and event management.

In addition, he develops and manages a department operating budget of $12 million, administers team travel, contest scheduling and the management of conference and postseason championships. In 2004-05, Stony Brook balanced its operating budget for the first time in the last six years while chairing the search committee for Men’s Lacrosse and Men’s Basketball, the Director of Speed Strength and Conditioning and the Director of Student-Athlete Development.

Schlickmann is responsible for personnel matters including the coordination of national searches for coaches, staff and administrative positions, personnel employment contracts and employee performance appraisals.”

“At the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Schlickmann served as a sector coordinator where he coordinated various aspects of facility preparation and event planning for the men’s and women’s soccer venue. He also worked as the Deputy Commissioner of the Special Olympics World Games in the summer of 1995.”

Resources

• Biography
• Paul Schlickmann named Senior Associate Director of Athletics

The University of North Dakota might soon need to replace the venerable Fighting Sioux nickname and logo. Why not use the official state horse, the Nokota, as the basis for a new nickname and logo? UND could become the Wild Nokotas or the Fighting Nokotas (or whatever adjective is appropriate).

Here are the reasons I believe the Nokota would make an outstanding new nickname for UND:

1. The Nokota is an athletic horse known for its intelligence, independence, strength, stamina and ability to survive in harsh conditions. Therefore, the Nokota is the ideal symbol for a North Dakota-based athletic team.
2. The name “Nokota” is a combination of the words “North” and “Dakota,” the name of the state and the university.
3. The Nokota horse is unique to North Dakota. It’s not likely that any other university would use or adopt this name.
4. The Nokota horse is indelibly linked to the state’s history, especially to some of the territory’s earliest and most famous inhabitants.
5. The Nokota is already officially recognized as North Dakota’s state horse. Therefore, it makes perfect sense for the state’s flagship university to adopt the Nokota as the symbol of its athletic teams.
6. Representing the people of North Dakota, the Nokota is a symbol in which everyone can take pride.
7. The potential to develop a strong, striking logo and marketing themes based on the Nokota are nearly limitless.
8. It’s likely that if UND changes its nickname, the vestiges of the old Fighting Sioux logo will remain in Ralph Engelstad Arena. A Nokota logo would not look incongruous next to the Fighting Sioux logo.

I encourage Sioux fans to visit the Nokota Horse Conservancy website to read about the Nokota breed and learn more about the efforts to preserve it. Any increased public exposure the Nokota receives could help raise awareness and assist in the effort to preserve an important part of North Dakota’s past.

UND’s hockey team is known nationwide and its other athletic teams will soon be competing on a national stage in NCAA Division I athletics. By adopting the Nokota horse as a nickname and logo, UND would get a terrific new identity and the efforts to preserve the Nokota horse would receive a boost.