Indiana University of Pennsylvania is one of 30 schools the National Collegiate Athletic Association has asked to explain the usage of Native American imagery in its sports programs.

IUP, a Division II school that competes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, uses Indians as its nickname.

The NCAA asked schools that use Native American nicknames, mascots or logos to examine the use of such imagery, which many Native American groups find demeaning.

IUP president Tony Atwater responded to the NCAA by letter. He gave the governing body background information and other details on the derivation of the school's nickname.

The NCAA could decide this summer whether it can ban schools from using Native American imagery.

"When our membership first met on the issue, we talked to tribes, the general public and athletes to get their views," said the NCAA's Corey Jackson. "That took place in 2002. Now we want to bring some closure to the matter. It's now centering on the institutions with nicknames and images, getting them to assess the climates on their campuses and their relationships with Native Americans."

It's unclear whether the NCAA legally can prohibit institutions from using Native American images, but Jackson said the NCAA could try to push through legislation depending upon the recommendations of two subcommittees that will study the issue.

The NCAA could penalize schools that refuse to change in the same manner it penalizes states that recognize the confederate flag. Those states -- Mississippi and South Carolina -- are not allowed to play host to association championships.

Indians are one of many Native Americans nicknames under scrutiny. Florida State (Seminoles) and Utah (Utes) are two of the more high-profile Division I schools on the list. Other nicknames under review are: Braves, Redmen, Savages and Warriors, among others.

Several schools have bowed to the pressure of Native American groups and changed their nicknames in recent years -- St. John's (Redmen to Red Storm), Marquette (Warriors to Golden Eagles) and Miami, Ohio, (Redskins to Redhawks), among them.

This is not the first time IUP has grappled with the issue of Native American imagery. A Brave had been the school's mascot until the 1980s, but that tradition was discontinued because the school became sensitive to the portrayal of Native Americans. The school went without a mascot for about a decade until former president Lawrence Pettit put together a task force and studied the issue.

In March 1999, after surveying more than 1,000 people, Pettit decided that a bear would be the official mascot for the school.

"He wanted to honor the Native American legacy, and the bear is revered in Native American culture," said IUP publicist Michelle Fryling.

Which leads to the question: Why not just use Bears as the official nickname?

That's where it gets a little complicated for IUP. Alumni and townspeople identify with the nickname. The local high school team goes by the name "Little Indians." In some minds, tradition is at stake.

Not to mention that the name of the university is derived from the name of the town (Indiana, Pa), which, according to the Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County, is named for Indians who inhabited the land centuries ago. Thus, the name pays homage to Native Americans.

"We take in all of the information they put forward," Jackson said. "For example, everyone knows about Florida State and how it has a relationship with the Seminole tribe. Anything submitted by IUP, we will take into consideration."

The NCAA's Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee will study the issue next month. The NCAA executive committee, composed of university presidents and chancellors, will make a final decision in August.

When asked if IUP was ready to change its nickname, should the NCAA recommend doing so, Fryling said, "We want to hear what the NCAA has to say and respond accordingly."