A lawsuit challenging NCAA penalties over the University of North Dakota’s “Fighting Sioux” nickname will not be tried until next December at the earliest, and the state judge presiding over the case is encouraging both sides to consider settling the issue out of court, the Grand Forks Herald reported. The university is suing the National Collegiate Athletic Association over its ban on nicknames, logos, and mascots bearing American Indian names that are deemed offensive.

In a telephone conference with lawyers on Friday, Judge Lawrence E. Jahnke, of North Dakota District Court, moved the trial date from April to December 2007. A court order issued last month, allowing the university to retain the nickname while the litigation is pending, will remain in place until then. Meanwhile, Judge Jahnke suggested that the parties look for ways of altering the logo and nickname that would be acceptable to both sides.