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Several cosmetic changes are considered for Utah's field as the university prepares to replace the aging turf this summer. The end zones might be red with "Utah" spelled in white surrounded by black trim. The numbers could have a different font and the large block 'U' at midfield might be made even larger surrounded by a circle.

But don't expect to see any feathers trailing off that circle, which would make it the drum and feather logo frequently used by Utah's athletic teams.

Utah, following a growing trend among colleges and universities, is phasing out the drum and feather logo on items deemed "permanent," or lasting for more than a year. The logo will also be referred to as a "circle and feather," in the future.

The logo still will be used on uniforms, apparel, media guides and TV commercials.

Utah athletic director Chris Hill said the policy isn't a change in philosophy but only formalizes something that has been a rule of thumb for him for several years.

"The reality is if you look around campus, the block 'U' is used so it brings the athletic teams more in line with the school," he said. "But it's also just in case something happens." There isn't anything that we couldn't change if we had to without much difficulty."

Utah's football team has the drum and feather on its helmets and its pants.

Utah has approval from the Ute Tribal Council to use the word "Utes" and the drum and feather logo, but use of Native American symbols by athletic teams remains a sensitive topic.

In 2005, Utah was among 18 schools subject to restrictions by the NCAA for having American Indian nicknames, mascots or images. Utah successfully appealed because its images were endorsed by the Ute Tribe.

Other schools that successfully appealed with written endorsements from tribes were the Central Michigan Chippewas, the Florida State Seminoles, the Catawba College Catawba Indians and the Mississippi College Choctaws.

William and Mary was allowed to keep "The Tribe," nickname but eliminated its green and gold feathers from its logo in 2007 after the NCAA deemed it "hostile and offensive."

Erik Christianson, the director of public and media relations for the NCAA, said there have been no policy changes toward Utah.

However, Hill acknowledged there might come a time when the school has to consider changing the nickname altogether.

"It depends on the climate," he said. "We've been able to keep the logo and the 'Utes' so far."

Forest Cuch, a member of the Ute Tribe who serves as the Executive Director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs, said the school still has the tribe's approval to use the symbols.

"One reason we support it is if it weren't for that, there would be no other landmark that the tribe existed," said Cuch, who attended Utah.

Cuch said a drum symbolizes the heart beat of mother nature and people while the feathers symbolize the eagle which is a sacred bird to Native Americans.

Phasing out the drum and feather on permanent surfaces is the latest in a line of changes for the school.

Utah's athletic teams were referred to as the "Utes" and "Redskins" until 1972 when the Utes stopped using the "Redskins."

The school also briefly had an unofficial mascot named "Hoyo," a cartoon character of an Indian boy. In the mid-1980s the Utes had the "Crimson Warrior," a horseman who would ride onto the field before football games much like FSU's Chief Osceola.

The school did away with the Crimson Warrior in the early 1990s and formed a committee to create a new symbol for the school. With the Ute Tribal Council's blessing, the committee settled on "Swoop," a red-tailed hawk that is indigenous to Utah.