Lawrence Eppley, the chairman of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, is blasting the NCAA for its new policy on Indian mascots.

Eppley says he is not out to defend the "Chief Illiniwek" mascot. But he said the new policy makes it difficult to come to a solution on the use of the controversial symbol.

The trustees have been debating the "Chief" for years but have not come to a formal decision either way.

Get the Story:
Illinois decries NCAA 'rhetoric' (The Chicago Tribune 8/17)
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U. of Illinois chairman fires back at NCAA ruling (The St. Louis Post-Dispatch 8/17)

Relevant Links:
Chief Illiniwek, University of Illinois - http://www.uiuc.edu/dialogue/index.html
Retire the Chief - http://www.retirethechief.org

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