Nearly nine months after handing down orders for the elimination of American Indian imagery at its sporting events, the NCAA Executive Committee once again ruled that Chief Illiniwek – as well as two other schools’ nicknames – creates a “hostile and abusive” atmosphere and should be retired.

On Friday the Executive Committee reviewed cases from Illinois, Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., University of North Dakota and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Only Bradley, with its Braves nickname, was cleared of its status as a violator of the Aug. 5 policy. Bradley was placed on a five-year watch, but will be allowed to continue the use of their nickname.

The NCAA said in a press release that Illinois, North Dakota and Indiana University of Pennsylvania invoke Native American Imagery that “create(s) hostile or abusive environments inconsistent with the NCAA constitution and inconsistent with the NCAA commitment to diversity, respect and sportsmanship.”

The University has spent eight months appealing the NCAA restrictions, claiming primarily that the University should act autonomously in choosing its nickname and imagery. Friday’s ruling was, according to the NCAA, the last opportunity to appeal.

In the first round of appeals, the nickname Fighting Illini was deemed by the NCAA to be based on the name of the state and not on the name of a particular tribe, so it not affected by the NCAA ruling.

The University will now be unable to host NCAA postseason competition and “will only be invited to participate in NCAA championships if they elect to do so without Native American references on their uniforms and associated athletic program activities,” the NCAA release said.

University Athletic Director Ron Guenther said in a press release that the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics strives to keep teams competing at the highest level possible and has invested “large amounts of resources” in the school’s non-revenue programs, which would be the hardest hit by the NCAA policy.

“The inability to host NCAA championship competition would have an unbelievably negative effect on our programs,” Guenther said.

Board of Trustees Chairman Larry Eppley called the claim that Chief Illiniwek is a racist stereotype a jab at the University, the symbol, and the alumni and supporters.

“By branding an 80-year tradition ‘hostile and abusive,’ the NCAA inappropriately defames generations of Illinoisans and University of Illinois supporters,” Eppley said in the University’s press release.

Bradley is the first institution to be placed on a “watch list.” Four other schools have been cleared because namesake tribes approved their uses. Five schools have chosen to discontinue the use of their imagery.