North Dakota Supreme Court justices refused to block a June vote on the University of North Dakota's controversial team name. The NCAA says it will sanction the university if it keeps the nickname, while the Legislature has passed a law requiring the university to keep it.

The NCAA has threatened sanctions against the University of North Dakota for keeping its Fighting Sioux nickname. While that threat has not yet led to disappearance of the controversial name, it has prompted several other schools to drop North Dakota from their athletic schedules.

The move comes after supporters of the controversial nickname filed petitions to put the issue before a statewide vote. The university's president said the school will continue to use the name and logo out of respect for the state's referendum process. The NCAA has told the school it could face sanctions.

The Fargo Forum reports petitioners are within 1,000 signatures of the 13,500 needed to put the debate surrounding the University of North Dakota nickname on the November ballot. The deadline to gather and file the signatures is midnight Tuesday.

The judge ruled the lawsuit filed by six University of North Dakota students was rendered moot by this summer's statewide vote to retire the controversial nickname and logo. The judge ruled the nickname dispute has been "consigned to the dust heap of history." Some supporters still hope to file a petition to force another statewide vote.

People working to persuade North Dakota voters to allow retirement of the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname next month say they’re encouraged by poll results released Wednesday. But leaders of the effort to require UND to keep the historic name and logo vow they will continue the fight through to a June 12 vote.

The University of North Dakota must forfeit postseason play if the school displays the controversial nickname or logo, the NCAA said in a letter to the university provost.