Reaction to Iowa State President Martin Jischke’s decision to support a “Jack Trice Stadium” was largely positive Tuesday.

Jischke announced his recommendation to the state Board of Regents Monday.

It is likely the regents will approve Jischke’s recommendation, which he will submit to them at their Feb. 19-20 meeting. For more than 20 years, members of the ISU community have worked to get Cyclone Stadium renamed in Trice’s honor.

“I think it’s a fantastic idea,” said Head Football Coach Dan McCarney. “My staff and I are all supporters of the process. I know [Jischke] put a lot of consideration into this issue and sought out a lot of people to make his recommendation. Speaking for my staff and I and the football team, we gladly support the naming of the stadium for Jack Trice.”

Trice was ISU’s first black athlete and the first Cyclone to die as the result of injuries sustained during competition. Trice died on Oct. 8, 1923, two days after a game against Minnesota.

McCarney, who said he is busy recruiting, added that he has not yet had a chance to speak to his players about Jischke’s recommendation.

Minority student leaders said a Jack Trice Stadium will serve ISU well.

Milton McGriff, spokesman for The September 29th Movement, said he expected Jischke’s decision. “Of course it’s a ploy to make the university look good, and it does look good,” he said.

McGriff was critical of Government of the Student Body President Adam Gold. He said he was surprised when he read in Tuesday’s Daily that Gold took much of the credit for pushing the decision.

“I think this should have happened 22 years ago,” McGriff said. “If he [Trice] had not been African-American, it would have happened shortly after he died.”

McGriff, often sharply critical of the ISU administration, said he approved of the way the university handled the Trice situation. “I think it was handled well and quickly,” he said. “I think it shows what the university can do when they put their minds to it.”

Still, there were some students who said a new stadium name isn’t a “big deal.”

“I think it’s fine to rename it, but I don’t necessarily see it as being important,” said Ted Crow, a graduate student in liberal arts and sciences. “There’s other things the university could be concerning themselves with.”

Teresa Garthright, a freshman in horticulture, said she has not heard many people talking about Jischke’s decision.

“Personally it doesn’t matter to me either way,” Garthright said. “It happened in the past and if people want to honor him by renaming the stadium, then I think it’s a good thing.

“I haven’t heard any valid reason from anyone of why it shouldn’t be changed.”