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[RoyalShock]

Is the Wichita State name really that bad? Other than a few opposing fans holding signs saying Wichita is not a State. Wow, such geniuses. Simply blinding in their brilliance. Obviously Wichita State is not even close to being alone in that category.

Personally, I think Wichita State is a pretty decent and well-recognized brand in college athletics, especially basketball, baseball and perhaps now Volleyball, but that also carries over to all sports and to the University itself. In certain academic areas Wichita State is also a solid brand.

If the Wichita State brand totally sucked I could see it. But I don't see that as being the case, but maybe I'm all wet in that assessment.

Edit: Perhaps I should throw the WSU bowling teams in the mix as well.

It's pretty simple for normal people.

Wichita is not a state BUT Wichita State is a State University in Wichita.

Misery State fans ain't no normal people.

[shox1989]

Well that sucks.

Another option would be to brand yourself for athletics only. We are seeing such a thing right here in Omaha with the University of Nebraska-Omaha ("UNO"). After years of referring to itself as UNO, UNO has made a marketing decision to refer to itself in athletic matters (i.e., scrolling score updates, lists of conference standings, nlists of names of teams in a conference, etc.) as "Omaha". The feeling was that UNO and/or Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha, was too cumbersome/confusing. According to something in the local paper, a lot of the other schools in the Summit have apparently decided to do the same thing, even though they will not change their name formally. I suppose you could do that, but I readily admit that I have no idea what sort of approvals/processes are necessary to bring that about. Could the regents really stop WSu from calling itself "Wichita" for athletics?

Our baseball team kind of did this for awhile. There was a period (I think in the 80s maybe in the 70s too) where the baseball road uniforms just said Wichita on them (instead of Wichita St). The baseball cap has always just had a flying W instead of a WS or a WSU.

[Kung Wu]

Yes! And not only would U transcend all other schools in the U.S., but there would also be mass confusion in every other country that calls college 'university'

Our evil plan is woooorking. muhaha MUhhaha MUGHAHAHAHAHH!!!

[Ta town]

nm

[SubGod22]

I'd hate to be San Diego State University, or even Boise State University. The get very little respect, too.

San Diego State has no option as there's already a San Diego. Does anybody really call Boise, Boise State anymore? I don't follow college football all that closely as I don't have a team to care about, but I don't hear the State used with them a lot when I do pay attention. And I don't use it when talking about them nor do most people I interact with.

[1972Shocker]

San Diego State has no option as there's already a San Diego. Does anybody really call Boise, Boise State anymore? I don't follow college football all that closely as I don't have a team to care about, but I don't hear the State used with them a lot when I do pay attention. And I don't use it when talking about them nor do most people I interact with.

But in this case when you are refer to Boise, you know and I know your are simply using shorthand to refer to Boise State Unversity. That has a lot to do with the brand they have built through there success on the blue football field. They would not all of a sudden become a more recognized brand name if they changed their name to Boise University. In fact, most people would still think of them as Boise State for a long time because their brand has been built as Boise State.

[Kung Wu]

I don't get government. Why does KU and KSU have any say what-so-ever in what WSU's name is?

[SubGod22]

I don't get government. Why does KU and KSU have any say what-so-ever in what WSU's name is?

Because gov't entities want a say in everything

[ABC]

They wanted a say in the mid 1960s. I don't think it has been seriously discussed since then.

Washburn is all but a member of the Regents, and they remain WU, so . . .

[Ta town]

They wanted a say in the mid 1960s. I don't think it has been seriously discussed since then.

Washburn is all but a member of the Regents, and they remain WU, so . . .

Washburn is funded via county taxes and has its own board of regents according to wiki. Now whether or not that is true I don't know.

[ABC]

Washburn gets plenty of money from the State and is all but-in name a Regents university. Yes, they do get local taxes too. They are the last Municipal University in the Country - but they get a lot of help from the State.

[WSUwatcher]

I'd hate to be San Diego State University, or even Boise State University. The get very little respect, too.

SDSU is kind of stuck, because there's also a University of San Diego.

But I can't imagine why WSU couldn't rebrand if they wanted to, as DJ suggests; and other schools have actually made the full change, such as Memphis and North Texas. It's also hard to believe, despite the rampant paranoia of some on here, that the Regents care that much about what WSU officially calls itself at this point -- or, for that matter, that they seriously believe adding "State" to the name somehow denigrates WSU's status. Do you suppose anyone in Ohio feels that way about Ohio State vs. Ohio U.?

[wuhog]

The only thing more ridiculous than this thread is the fact that I have read the whole thing.

[shox1989]

Washburn gets plenty of money from the State and is all but-in name a Regents university. Yes, they do get local taxes too. They are the last Municipal University in the Country - but they get a lot of help from the State.

Ironically, WSU gets more money from local property taxes than Washburn. WSU gets $7.4 million annually from their 1.5 mills levied countywide in Sedgwick County while Washburn gets $3.3 million annually from the 3.1 mills levied in the city of Topeka.

I understand that Washburn also gets a hefty amount like over $15 million a year from a city wide sales tax levied in Topeka. Washburn also gets at least $11 million annually from the State of Kansas even though they aren't technically a State institution.

[WSUwatcher]

The only thing more ridiculous than this thread is the fact that I have read the whole thing.

Well, at least you recognize the folly of your ways. Usually it takes more than 28 posts for someone to reach that point.