Gateway school changes name

[89rabbit]

Looks like the name of Southwest Missouri State University is going to change. They are going to drop the direction and go with "Missouri State University". SMS, as it is currently known is a member of the Gateway Football Conference and Missouri Valley Conference.

http://www.smsu.edu/namechange/?sess...tAwNVORHUZ8xqM

[89rabbit]

Re: Gateway school changes name

Another quick story about the name change.

http://springfield.news-leader.com/c...tAwNVORHUZ8xqM

SMS could become 12th 'state' school in I-AA

Missouri is on its way to becoming the 29th of our 50 United States to have its own State University competing in NCAA athletics.
As of now, there are 17 in Division I-A football, 11 in I-AA, one in Division II and another in a nonfootball Division I league.

Missouri would join Illinois and Indiana in the I-AA Gateway Conference. Others on this level are Idaho and Montana in the Big Sky, North Dakota and South Dakota in the Great West, Delaware and South Carolina in the Mid-Eastern, Tennessee in the Ohio Valley, Texas in the Southland and Alabama in the Southwest Athletic.

Four Division I-A conferences have three State Universities each: Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma in the Big 12; Michigan, Ohio and Penn in the Big Ten; Arizona, Oregon and Washington in the Pac 10; Arkansas, New Mexico and Utah in the Sun Belt.

The other I-A entries are Louisiana and Mississippi in the Southeastern, Florida and North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast, and Colorado State in the Mountain West.

Georgia is in the non-football Atlantic Sun Division I circuit and Kentucky is in Division II.

States with multiple state U's including their own name are California, Minnesota and New York. There are 17 with none. . . .

[Texas_Jacks_Fan]

Re: Gateway school changes name

I know this had been debated for a while. I'm glad they finally did it. A "State" or a "U" in a colleges name carries a lot more weight on a resume and in the business world than a directional designation does. It also carries more clout in the athletics world too.

[filbert]

Re: Gateway school changes name

SMS, er. Missouri State is the second largest campus in Missouri, after Mizzou . . .

[Texas_Jacks_Fan]

Re: Gateway school changes name

University of Missouri 27,003
Missouri State Univ. 19,000

[89rabbit]

Re: Gateway school changes name

Highlights from the Kansas City Star:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...l/11024849.htm

Legislature approves name change for Southwest Missouri State

HEATHER J. CARLSON

Associated Press


JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - After nearly two decades of struggle, Southwest Missouri State University will get its new name.

The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to drop "Southwest" from the school's name, allowing it to become Missouri State University. The 120-35 House vote follows previous Senate approval and sends the bill to Gov. Matt Blunt, who has pledged to sign it.

The name change would take effect Aug. 28.

Southwest Missouri State University President John Kaiser said he was thrilled by the bill's passage and particularly thanked Blunt - a Springfield native - for his support.

"We are very grateful to the team that got it done, and that team was captained by the governor, and he did some courageous and effective things," Kaiser said.

Blunt's staff pushed for the bill's passage during a 14-hour Senate filibuster last month that stretched straight through the night. It ended after supporters received University of Missouri President Elson Floyd's approval of a compromise allowing the Springfield school to have the new name in exchange for accepting some restrictions.

"This bill ensures that the University of Missouri will continue to be the state's premier land grant institution as well as the state's premier research institution," Blunt said in a statement Tuesday. "I also believe that the name of Missouri State University will more accurately reflect SMS's current role." . . .