The Tallahassee Democrat reports:

Florida State needs a victory in court to keep its Seminoles nickname without suffering potentially damaging penalties to many of its teams.

[...]

The NCAA [...] will not allow such nicknames or symbols to be on team uniforms or clothing in NCAA postseason competition beginning Feb.1. There would be no such ban for the regular season. FSU and Illinois were among at least 18 schools determined to have “hostile or abusive” nicknames, symbols and mascots.

That rule will not affect FSU’s football team - the school’s most visible team and biggest moneymaker - because the NCAA does not have a championship format for that sport. Other sports, including baseball and softball, regularly host NCAA postseason competition.

“We’re not going to change the name - that’s not an option,” [Florida State University President T. K.] Wetherell told the Tallahassee Democrat Friday evening. “We would not do that.”

Wetherell, who was angered by the decision, said he had it in his mind “to paint (the Seminole logo) three times as big on the field (at Doak Campbell Stadium).”

Apparently, Florida State’s president wasn’t the only one angered. So was Max B. Osceola Jr,. a Seminole Tribal Council member:

Osceola said the Seminole Tribe of Florida disagrees with the NCAA’s decision and determination that FSU’s nickname and symbols are “hostile and abusive.” Osceola was also concerned that his tribe was not approached by the NCAA regarding the matter.

“It’s like history - they left the natives out,” Osceola said. “They have non-natives telling natives what’s good for them or how they should use their name. You have a committee made up of non-natives telling people that they can not use a native name when you have a native tribe - a tribal government, duly elected and constituted - that said they agree with Florida State.

“There are some names, like the NFL team the Washington Redskins - that’s derogatory. Those are abusive and hostile but not this.”