Why the editorial matters: a specific case: editorial board reaches compromise without lawsuit.

In Grand Forks, we've had a great example recently about the unique and vital role editorial boards can play. Here's the story:

As you probably know, the NCAA in 2005 ruled against universities that have American Indian team nicknames. The association made exceptions only for those universities that had the permission of a "namesake tribe," such as Florida State University, which calls itself "the Seminoles" with the blessing of the Seminoles' tribal council.

Well, that threw North Dakota into a tizzy, because the Fighting Sioux nickname at the University of North Dakota (here in Grand Forks) has for years been a hugely controversial issue on campus and in the state. To make a long story short, the NCAA rejected UND's various appeals; in May 2006, UND was considering a lawsuit against the athletic association.

So, the Herald editorial board met to hammer out a position. Our board is split on the nickname issue, but after arguing for awhile, we found a compromise.

UND should not sue the NCAA, we said in the next day's editorial (May 3, 2006). Instead, the university should:

* Acknowledge the importance of a tribal council's approval.

* Take two or three years to seek that approval.

* Enlist the governor and other top officials to approach the tribes.

* Declare up front that if the two- to three-year effort fails, then the university will change the nickname.

Well, UND rejected that advice and sued the NCAA anyway.

But this is where it gets interesting. Fast forward to October 2007. UND and the NCAA have been fighting in court for a year; teams of lawyers have been negotiating in private, too. Each side has spent more than a million dollars thus far.

Then, two weeks ago, the attorney general of North Dakota (whose office is representing UND) announced a settlement.

Under its terms, UND will:

* Acknowledge the importance of a tribal council's approval.

* Take three years to seek that approval.

* Declare up front that if the three-year effort fails, then the university will change the nickname.

And when asked who should do the negotiating with North Dakota's Sioux tribes, the attorney general said the governor and other top officials should be enlisted to approach the tribes.

The State Board of Higher Education unanimously accepted the settlement's terms.

I can't claim credit for the settlement. The AG actually wasn't aware of the editorial when I mentioned it to him a few weeks ago. (There's a fair chance somebody on his or the NCAA'S team knew about it, though.)

But I can claim credit for this: Our editorial board listened, discussed, debated among ourselves--and found a responsible middle ground, one that anticipated the issues ultimate settlement in every important way.

No other outlet in American opinion journalism does that on a regular basis. That's the strength of an editorial board. That's our advantage over talk radio and opinion sites on the Internet, almost all of which cater to the extremes.

And that's the best way we can add value to our newspapers, too.

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Tom Dennis is editorial page editor of the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota. Email: TDennis@gfheralfl.com