Of Minor Division I Leagues, Hyphens, and Acronyms

[rams80]

Oh Look, they think they're people.

Among the highlights: Newcomer Nebraska-Omaha is no longer that or UNO, but "Omaha",

Missouri-Kansas City in no longer that or UMKC, but "Kansas City"

Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne is no longer IPFW, but "Fort Wayne"

Fear not, though, Ooey Pooey (IUPUI) remains.

[Max Power]

Many non-flagship campus schools have gone this route over the last decade or so in an attempt to establish their own identities. I don't know how successful it's been, but I can understand their motivation to want to be known as something other than 'the university campus that isn't the one most everyone associates with that university system.'

[Red Wolf]

I've thought schools like these should have gone this route a long time ago. Being Missouri-Kansas City, Nebraska-Omaha and such sounds small-time. Being Kansas City and Omaha is a much better option. It certainly works for California State University, Fresno (Fresno State). I've also always wanted Arkansas-Little Rock (UALR) to just go with Little Rock. It just makes it seem less like you're just the little brother school (even if you are).

[rams80]

I've thought schools like these should have gone this route a long time ago. Being Missouri-Kansas City, Nebraska-Omaha and such sounds small-time. Being Kansas City and Omaha is a much better option. It certainly works for California State University, Fresno (Fresno State). I've also always wanted Arkansas-Little Rock (UALR) to just go with Little Rock. It just makes it seem less like you're just the little brother school (even if you are).

UALR probably sticks with the title since "Little Rock" was the formerly independent private school that was bought by the University of Arkansas system to form UALR.

That said, this is about the only time I think we will ever see "Fort Wayne" pushed as more appealing than, anything, really.

[SJAnfield]

So, is it just the conference using the names or will the schools transition as well? The Roos and Mastedons are still using UMKC and IPFW on their websites and jerseys.

[rams80]

So, is it just the conference using the names or will the schools transition as well? The Roos and Mastedons are still using UMKC and IPFW on their websites and jerseys.

Conference only.

[sc49erfan15]

So, is it just the conference using the names or will the schools transition as well? The Roos and Mastedons are still using UMKC and IPFW on their websites and jerseys.

Conference only.

Well that just makes this silly, then.

[rams80]

New Summit League theme song:

[illwauk]

I would argue that's actually unnecessary for UMKC... the fact that it says "KC" lets you know where the school is, thus it can be sold nationally like UCLA or UNLV. Good move for Omaha and Fort Wayne though... especially since there's already a "UNO" in D1 (University of New Orleans).

Either way... aside from a few exceptions for situations like California... I'd like to do away with hyphens in university names in general. For the most part, it was just a gimmick from the 50s and 60s for large universities to have a presence in other parts of their state and therefore increase their political influence. In hindsight though, it was a shortsighted move that causes nothing but confusion that not only makes it more difficult for the non-flagship schools to establish their own identity, but also leads to work done at a non-flagship school being credited to the flagship. The situation in Omaha is especially confusing since there's not only UNO, but the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's (the school we all know for the Cornhuskers) medical school also happens to be in Omaha. Can anyone seriously argue that UNO wouldn't be better off as the University of Omaha? Or UNC Charlotte as the University of Charlotte?

[winghaz]

Does that mean NDSU is no longer NDSU? That would come as quite a shock here in Fargo.

[illwauk]

No. Academically, all of the schools still have the same names. All it means is that for the purposes of athletics "North Dakota State" is preferred over "NDSU."

[facelessrouge]

Summit is a little crazy for doing this.

UMKC is UMKC not Kansas City. Changing the "nickname" to Kansas City won't really work because there are a few colleges and universities who can claim that name. Changing the actual name to University of Kansas City (or some derivative) won't work because we have Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (who have no sports) and that will lead to some confusion. UMKC is just fine the way it is.

In regards to University of Nebraska-Omaha, when they were in the MIAA for a few years, we called them simply UNO (like the card game). Sometimes they were referred to as Omaha but as often as UNO.

[winghaz]

No. Academically, all of the schools still have the same names. All it means is that for the purposes of athletics "North Dakota State" is preferred over "NDSU."

Sorry, but very few here in Fargo outside of North Dakota State University itself, refer to it as North Dakota State. It is NDSU. Or the Bison.

[TalktoChuck]

No. Academically, all of the schools still have the same names. All it means is that for the purposes of athletics "North Dakota State" is preferred over "NDSU."

Sorry, but very few here in Fargo outside of North Dakota State University itself, refer to it as North Dakota State. It is NDSU. Or the Bison.

They aren't doing this for the people who live in or around the campuses. They are doing this for the guy in Los Angeles who looks at the football standings online and goes "Where the heck is UMKC?"

Granted, I still don't think it's a very good idea.

[Bmac]

As a current student at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, I like the move. I have always wanted it to just be Omaha. Normally I refer to my school as Omaha in hopes of spreading the idea. Unfortunately it hasn't really stuck yet. People ask where I go to school, I say "Omaha." They respond with something like "Ok, but where in Omaha?" If I went to UNL, I could simply say "Nebraska," and people would know what I mean.

UNO is fine except that people read it as uno, like the spanish number. It is the shortest and easiest way to say it, and I don't see it going away any time soon. A huge step in the right direction would be to put "Omaha" on the road sweaters this year for hockey, as opposed to "UNO" the past few years, and "Nebraska Omaha" before that.

[TruColor]

As a current student at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, I like the move. I have always wanted it to just be Omaha. Normally I refer to my school as Omaha in hopes of spreading the idea. Unfortunately it hasn't really stuck yet. People ask where I go to school, I say "Omaha." They respond with something like "Ok, but where in Omaha?" If I went to UNL, I could simply say "Nebraska," and people would know what I mean.

UNO is fine except that people read it as uno, like the spanish number. It is the shortest and easiest way to say it, and I don't see it going away any time soon. A huge step in the right direction would be to put "Omaha" on the road sweaters this year for hockey, as opposed to "UNO" the past few years, and "Nebraska Omaha" before that.

My parents are both graduates of UNO - although in the days they went there, it was known as the University of Omaha - or "OU". Technically however, the official name at the time was the "Municipal University of Omaha".

University of Omaha would be a logical change.

[Needschat]

The State University of New York at Albany goes by Albany or University AT Albany

[illwauk]

Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University goes by Virginia Tech. I honestly don't understand why a school like UNO can't/won't just choose remain the "University of Nebraska-Omaha" as a legal entity, but simply brand themselves as "Omaha" or "University of Omaha" publicly.

[Red Wolf]

I've thought schools like these should have gone this route a long time ago. Being Missouri-Kansas City, Nebraska-Omaha and such sounds small-time. Being Kansas City and Omaha is a much better option. It certainly works for California State University, Fresno (Fresno State). I've also always wanted Arkansas-Little Rock (UALR) to just go with Little Rock. It just makes it seem less like you're just the little brother school (even if you are).

UALR probably sticks with the title since "Little Rock" was the formerly independent private school that was bought by the University of Arkansas system to form UALR.

That said, this is about the only time I think we will ever see "Fort Wayne" pushed as more appealing than, anything, really.

Supposedly they do it because they don't want to be stuck as being just Little Rock's team, even though the LR at the end of the name kind of gives it away. Regardless, UALR needs to do a much better job branding itself. I grew up just outside of Little Rock and went to school at North Little Rock HS and I (and everybody else) still knew very little about the school or its athletics programs. The only time I ever saw anything UALR related was whenever Arkansas State came down for a basketball game. Then again, that was back when they were playing off-campus in basketball and basically everything else. They've moved just about everything onto the campus which is always good.

Regardless, I'm only 23, so it's not like I'm recounting stories of my high school life from the 80s or something. It was pretty recent that everybody at my school who was going to college were generally either going to Arkansas, Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, or some private school. I don't remember a single person ever saying they were going to UALR. That's probably changed some recently though.

[Saint Zephyr III]

In Texas, the attitude seems to be that it's actually a positive to be a part of the UT System even though there's so many of them (EIGHT in total, including two Division-I football programs).