Kennesaw State to merge with Southern Polytechnic

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

http://mdjonline.com/bookmark/23964073-Kennesaw-State-University-and-SPSU-to-merge-in-2015

Will be interesting to see how this affects athletics. In the other mergers in the state, the athletics departments were not able to keep their nicknames or their logos with the exception of Augusta State because MCG/GHSU did not have any athletics to begin with.

Also, all city names have been eliminated from the names of merged institutions (e.g. Augusta, Macon, Waycross, Gainsville) , so the whole university might get a completely different name.

Hopefully since KSU is the only DI NCAA institution involved in a merger the BoR will let them keep their brand.

AJC article on previous merges.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/regents-give-final-ok-to-merge-georgia-colleges/nTqH4/

[blueballs]

When I was playing (over 30 years ago) Southern Tech owned NAIA district 17 in hoops... of course their eligibility standards were waaaaay different than any of their competitors.

[walliver]

The comments on the above article are quite interesting. Apparently the students of SPSU are unaware of the famous engineering school in Atlanta.

[dgtw]

I have never heard of SPSU. Seeing as they are NAIA, I imagine Kennesaw will just absorb their athletic department.

[DFW HOYA]

Whatever one calls it ("Kennesaw Tech"?), the athletic branding is bound to change.

I can't think of a recent example of two schools with full-fledged athletic departments merging, but when the Case Tech Rough Riders and Western Reserve Redcats merged in the 1970's, they went with a competely different approach, renaming the team the Spartans.

http://www.case.edu/its/archives/Sports/teams.htm

[eaglemachine]

Whatever one calls it ("Kennesaw Tech"?), the athletic branding is bound to change.

I can't think of a recent example of two schools with full-fledged athletic departments merging, but when the Case Tech Rough Riders and Western Reserve Redcats merged in the 1970's, they went with a competely different approach, renaming the team the Spartans.

http://www.case.edu/its/archives/Sports/teams.htm

The new institution will still be named Kennesaw State
https://web.kennesaw.edu/news/stories/kennesaw-state-and-southern-polytechnic-will-consolidate

[BlueHenSinfonian]

Whatever one calls it ("Kennesaw Tech"?), the athletic branding is bound to change.

I can't think of a recent example of two schools with full-fledged athletic departments merging, but when the Case Tech Rough Riders and Western Reserve Redcats merged in the 1970's, they went with a competely different approach, renaming the team the Spartans.

http://www.case.edu/its/archives/Sports/teams.htm

They missed a golden opportunity to become the Cat Riders.

KSU looks to be about 6x the size of SPSU and already has D1 athletics, this looks less like a merger of equals and more like a big school absorbing a smaller one.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

The new institution will still be named Kennesaw State
https://web.kennesaw.edu/news/stories/kennesaw-state-and-southern-polytechnic-will-consolidate

Noted, but a lot of folks thought the MCG/GHSU-Augusta State merger would be "University of Augusta" or something very similar. Instead, they ended up with the "Georgia Regents University" (lol) name which practically no one other than Ricardo Azziz or some bozos in the BoR wanted.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

This whole thing seems weird to me. Aren't their school missions basically different?

I also found it interesting that the Tech people are spinning this as a "hostile takeover".

Athletics-wise, is the merger goes through it will make Kennesaw Tech from a "borderline wannabe FBS school" to a "definite wannabe FBS school", IMO.

[walliver]

This whole thing seems weird to me. Aren't their school missions basically different?

I also found it interesting that the Tech people are spinning this as a "hostile takeover".

Athletics-wise, is the merger goes through it will make Kennesaw Tech from a "borderline wannabe FBS school" to a "definite wannabe FBS school", IMO.
I think Kennesaw State was always a definite FBS school.

[DSUrocks07]

Alabama is another state where these type of mergers should happen.

[WataugaDave]

Why are mergers so in vogue in Georgia. Are budget cuts that bad or is it just a new way of thinking?

[dgtw]

Alabama is another state where these type of mergers should happen.

What would you suggest?

[Laker]

The University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg will merge with the University of Texas at Brownsville by the fall of 2015. I'm not sure why more mergers aren't happening around the country.

[DSUrocks07]

What would you suggest?

Alabama State - Auburn University Montgomery

Alabama A&M - UA Huntsville

Merge those two in particular ala Tennessee State / UT-Nashville

[BlueHenSinfonian]

The University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg will merge with the University of Texas at Brownsville by the fall of 2015. I'm not sure why more mergers aren't happening around the country.

Are they going to keep both campuses open?

I think the big factors preventing it from happening more often are the pride of institutions who don't want to lose their history or identity and just the logistics of it all, if you keep both campuses open how much does it really save, and if you consolidate to one campus, it leaves one area suddenly without a school.

[dgtw]

Alabama State - Auburn University Montgomery

Alabama A&M - UA Huntsville

Merge those two in particular ala Tennessee State / UT-Nashville

Under what banner would you have the schools? Would they both retain their HBCU names or their PWC names or make up something new? There is also the issue of dealing with four different boards of trustees.

You may not be aware, but we don't have the greatest history when it comes to race relations. While not a bad idea, it would set off a firestorm that would be fun to watch, but not healthy for the state as a whole.

[DSUrocks07]

Under what banner would you have the schools? Would they both retain their HBCU names or their PWC names or make up something new? There is also the issue of dealing with four different boards of trustees.

You may not be aware, but we don't have the greatest history when it comes to race relations. While not a bad idea, it would set off a firestorm that would be fun to watch, but not healthy for the state as a whole.

Those terrible race relations in Alabama are why UAH and AUM exist in the first place. Parents in Huntsville and Montgomery didn't want their kids to go to the "black school".

They should retain the Ala. A&M and Ala. State names IMO. It makes no sense to have two metropolitan in a state with two four year colleges within 10 miles of each other.

[Laker]

Are they going to keep both campuses open?

I think the big factors preventing it from happening more often are the pride of institutions who don't want to lose their history or identity and just the logistics of it all, if you keep both campuses open how much does it really save, and if you consolidate to one campus, it leaves one area suddenly without a school.

I believe that they are keeping all campuses open. Los Arcos, the UTPA publication that I got last week, said "we don't know what the name will be, we don't kow what the colors will be, and we don't know what the mascot will be." In addition to UT-Brownsville, the UT Regional Academic Health Center will be put together. They are predicting enrollment to reach 28,000.

I hadn't heard a word about this until it the magazine came in the mail.

[ccd494]

Those terrible race relations in Alabama are why UAH and AUM exist in the first place. Parents in Huntsville and Montgomery didn't want their kids to go to the "black school".

They should retain the Ala. A&M and Ala. State names IMO. It makes no sense to have two metropolitan in a state with two four year colleges within 10 miles of each other.

The best thing about that would be Alabama A&M suddenly sponsoring D1 ice hockey.

[DFW HOYA]

Merger talk in Mississippi is a political landmine. No one wants to discuss merging Mississippi Valley with Alcorn State.

[danefan]

I've been advocating mergers in the SUNY system for years. Way too much administrative overhead. We now have 65 campuses. The 4 Universiy centers should just have satellite campuses within their regions. No need for an entirely different schools offering duplicative majors.

[Laker]

I've been advocating mergers in the SUNY system for years. Way too much administrative overhead. We now have 65 campuses. The 4 Universiy centers should just have satellite campuses within their regions. No need for an entirely different schools offering duplicative majors.

I agree. The number of vice presidents and assistants to the assistant that many schools have is staggering, because the salaries aren't going to the janitors.

[danefan]

I agree. The number of vice presidents and assistants to the assistant that many schools have is staggering, because the salaries aren't going to the janitors.

Not to mention that recently it seems like most of these high level "executive" jobs are going to out of state Academic journeymen.

And then you have the top level overall administration reeling huge salaries and benefits as well. Some certainly deserve it, but I just question whether any of them have ever heard of economies of scale.

[Laker]

nm

[Laker]

but I just question whether any of them have ever heard of economies of scale.

They were probably sleeping during that part of econ. :D They were using the idea of opportunity cost and picked sleeping instead of listening.