On Friday the NCAA removed two more schools from its list of those with “hostile and abusive” American Indian mascots, logos and nicknames.

The NCAA announced that the University of Utah and Central Michigan University will no longer be prohibited from using their logos and nicknames at NCAA Championship events, and will be allowed to host those events after the ruling takes effect Feb. 1, 2006.

“Requests for reviews from other institutions will be handled on a case-by-case basis,” said Bernard Franklin, NCAA vice president for governance and membership.

The University of Illinois is one of 15 schools still affected by the ruling. As of Monday, Illinois had not sent the NCAA an appeal.

Franklin said the relationships between Utah and the Northern Ute Indian Tribe and Central Michigan and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe were the deciding factors in those schools being removed from the list. Utah’s sports teams are the Utes, while Central Michigan’s nickname is the Chippewas.

“The NCAA recognizes the many different points of view on this matter, particularly within the Native American community,” Franklin said. “The decision of a namesake sovereign tribe, regarding when and how its name and imagery can be used, must be respected even when others may not agree.”

When Utah appealed Aug. 31, it included a letter and resolution of support from the Northern Ute Indian Tribal Business Committee. Utah does not have an American Indian mascot or symbol, but uses a feather and drum logo in its athletic programs.

“For many years, the Ute Tribe and the university have maintained an effective partnership,” Maxine Natchees, chairman of the Ute Tribal Business Committee said in the support documents. “The Tribe, the university, and their members and supporters are proud of the Ute name and the culture it represents. Indeed, the Ute name and culture are the predicates of our state’s name: Utah.”

Central Michigan does not have an American Indian-based mascot or logo, but says it is proud of its nickname, which was adopted in 1942. Central Michigan President Michael Rao said in a press release that the university appreciated the speed with which the NCAA responded to the appeal.

“The University (of Central Michigan) is pleased by the NCAA’s decision to remove CMU from the list of universities deemed to be hostile and abusive in the use of the Chippewa nickname,” Rao said. “CMU cherishes its ongoing relationship with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.”

At least one school’s imagery is still in limbo. North Dakota appealed the decision on Aug. 30, a day before Utah sent in its appeal. As of Monday, the NCAA had not made a decision on North Dakota’s use.

NCAA spokeswoman Gail Dent said member institutions affected by the policy have until Feb. 1, 2006, to appeal their inclusion.

“The NCAA position on the use of Native American mascots, names and imagery has not changed, and the NCAA remains committed to ensuring an atmosphere of respect and sensitivity for all who participate in and attend our championships,” Franklin said.