The NCAA Diversityniks vs. the Florida State Seminoles has turned out to be the most entertaining preseason matchup I’ve seen in many an August. Here’s the latest action:
A controversial NCAA decision restricting Florida State University’s use of an American Indian mascot was based on incomplete information and will be reconsidered, a top NCAA official said Thursday. Walter Harrison, who chairs the committee that approved a policy directed at 18 schools with “hostile and abusive” American Indian mascots, said FSU has “good grounds” to appeal. Among the reasons, he said, are that the NCAA Executive Committee thought the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma opposed FSU’s use of the Seminole image as a mascot.
That was based partly on letters the committee received from David Narcomey, a member of the General Council of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. But Narcomey was not authorized to speak on behalf of the tribal nation and “misrepresented” its view, the tribe’s attorney general said Thursday. In fact, Narcomey pushed for a tribal resolution condemning the use of American Indian mascots and imagery, specifically at FSU. It was defeated last month by an 18-2 vote.
