BISMARCK, N.D. (AP Dec 13, 2012) – A group pushing a state constitutional amendment to save the University of North Dakota’s retired “Fighting Sioux” nickname has missed a one-year deadline to submit petition signatures.
 
     The group had until Wednesday to turn in 27,000 signatures to Secretary of State Al Jaeger to get the issue on the June 2014 primary ballot. Jaeger says no petitions were submitted.
 
     The proposed constitutional amendment would have required UND’s sports teams to be known as the Fighting Sioux. Jaeger says if the group wants to continue pushing the proposal, it will have to start from scratch.
 
     Group spokesman Sean Johnson didn’t immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.
 
     UND dropped the contentious nickname after more than two-thirds of North Dakota voters in the June primary chose to dump the moniker.