menu
Logo
99+
Bobcat Attack Menu
Logo
99+
Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: U of Akron considering name change
Page: 1 of 4
SBH
General User
SBH
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 4,678
person
mail
SBH
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 11:43 AM
settings_applications edit_note
New president facing declining enrollment, significant debt load. Thinks rebranding might help attract better quality students. One name being floated is "Ohio PolyTech." Commence snickering.
Toast
General User
Member Since: 3/11/2015
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 178
mail
Toast
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 11:56 AM
settings_applications edit_note
Rubber U. sounds better.
Tyler
General User
Member Since: 7/7/2010
Location: AZ
Post Count: 894
mail
Tyler
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 12:00 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Kent State University - Akron Campus
OUVan
General User
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Bethesda, MD
Post Count: 5,580
mail
OUVan
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 12:00 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Thought this was a joke thread but nope. Funniest quote I've seen is the suggestion that it be changed to "An Ohio State University."
GoCats105
General User
GC105
Member Since: 1/31/2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Post Count: 7,820
person
mail
GoCats105
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 12:28 PM
settings_applications edit_note
LOL to the nth degree
Ohio69
General User
O69
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 3,123
person
mail
Ohio69
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 12:40 PM
settings_applications edit_note
SBH wrote:expand_more
New president facing declining enrollment, significant debt load. Thinks rebranding might help attract better quality students. One name being floated is "Ohio PolyTech." Commence snickering.
Snicker? LOL?

We should be very afraid. Ohio Tech is a genius move. Right now there's Ohio and Ohio State. (Nobody thinks of Northern Ohio.) But, Ohio Tech... Fits nicely on a lot of tee shirts and sweat shirts. Tougher for OHIO to differentiate itself. Not good for us at all.

They can start saying "if you are interested in science, math, engineering, and technology, well, Ohio Tech was created specifically for that for the state of Ohio".

You hear Akron or Toledo or Tulsa and you think its a nice public commuter style regional/city school. Ohio Tech is a totally different thing. Like Virginia Tech. Or Georgia Tech....

Genius move for them if they can pull it off me thinks.
Last Edited: 3/12/2015 12:46:41 PM by Ohio69
100%Cat
General User
Member Since: 1/17/2013
Post Count: 2,727
mail
100%Cat
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 12:45 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Ohio Tech has the same number of NCAA tourney wins as Akron, correct?
Recovering Journalist
General User
RJ
Member Since: 8/17/2010
Location: Cleveland, OH
Post Count: 1,864
person
mail
Recovering Journalist
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 1:10 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Ohio69 wrote:expand_more
Snicker? LOL?

We should be very afraid. Ohio Tech is a genius move. Right now there's Ohio and Ohio State. (Nobody thinks of Northern Ohio.) But, Ohio Tech... Fits nicely on a lot of tee shirts and sweat shirts. Tougher for OHIO to differentiate itself. Not good for us at all.

They can start saying "if you are interested in science, math, engineering, and technology, well, Ohio Tech was created specifically for that for the state of Ohio".

You hear Akron or Toledo or Tulsa and you think its a nice public commuter style regional/city school. Ohio Tech is a totally different thing. Like Virginia Tech. Or Georgia Tech....

Genius move for them if they can pull it off me thinks.
You might be onto something here, but the very fact that they're considering something so radical speaks to a serious problem at the university. Proenza loaded that place with half a billion dollars in debt with a ton of capital improvements. To the naked eye, things never looked better at Akron, but couple the debt load with declining enrollment and you have a pretty nasty scenario playing out in slow motion. Their debt has already been downgraded by ratings agencies, and the decline in enrollment has continued. Some of it came from raising standards (a good thing) but long-term, they need to attract more students and they are attracting fewer, as seen here:

http://ir.uakron.edu/Headcount_year/index.aspx

Right now, our school is fortunate to be one of the few winners in the enrollment wars in Ohio. This is a flat population growth state and the number of college-aged kids coming of age is declining. There are already winners and losers, and Zippy is retrenching to try to get on the winning side.
OUVan
General User
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Bethesda, MD
Post Count: 5,580
mail
OUVan
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 1:12 PM
settings_applications edit_note
100%Cat wrote:expand_more
Ohio Tech has the same number of NCAA tourney wins as Akron, correct?
LOL, that got the guy in the office next to mine up and in to check on why I laughed so hard. Well played!
OUVan
General User
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Bethesda, MD
Post Count: 5,580
mail
OUVan
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 1:14 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Ohio69 wrote:expand_more
Snicker? LOL?

We should be very afraid. Ohio Tech is a genius move. Right now there's Ohio and Ohio State. (Nobody thinks of Northern Ohio.) But, Ohio Tech... Fits nicely on a lot of tee shirts and sweat shirts. Tougher for OHIO to differentiate itself. Not good for us at all.

They can start saying "if you are interested in science, math, engineering, and technology, well, Ohio Tech was created specifically for that for the state of Ohio".

You hear Akron or Toledo or Tulsa and you think its a nice public commuter style regional/city school. Ohio Tech is a totally different thing. Like Virginia Tech. Or Georgia Tech....

Genius move for them if they can pull it off me thinks.
I don't know about that. When I hear Ohio Tech I'm wondering if their big rival is DeVry or Strayer.
colobobcat66
General User
C66
Member Since: 9/1/2006
Location: Watching the bobcats run outside my window., CO
Post Count: 4,744
person
mail
colobobcat66
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 1:25 PM
settings_applications edit_note
OUVan wrote:expand_more
Snicker? LOL?

We should be very afraid. Ohio Tech is a genius move. Right now there's Ohio and Ohio State. (Nobody thinks of Northern Ohio.) But, Ohio Tech... Fits nicely on a lot of tee shirts and sweat shirts. Tougher for OHIO to differentiate itself. Not good for us at all.

They can start saying "if you are interested in science, math, engineering, and technology, well, Ohio Tech was created specifically for that for the state of Ohio".

You hear Akron or Toledo or Tulsa and you think its a nice public commuter style regional/city school. Ohio Tech is a totally different thing. Like Virginia Tech. Or Georgia Tech....

Genius move for them if they can pull it off me thinks.
I don't know about that. When I hear Ohio Tech I'm wondering if their big rival is DeVry or Strayer.

We have Colorado Tech out here, but I don't think anyone is going to confuse them with Georgia Tech.
The Optimist
General User
Member Since: 3/16/2007
Location: CLE
Post Count: 5,610
mail
The Optimist
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 1:38 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Ohio69 wrote:expand_more
New president facing declining enrollment, significant debt load. Thinks rebranding might help attract better quality students. One name being floated is "Ohio PolyTech." Commence snickering.
Snicker? LOL?

We should be very afraid. Ohio Tech is a genius move. Right now there's Ohio and Ohio State. (Nobody thinks of Northern Ohio.) But, Ohio Tech... Fits nicely on a lot of tee shirts and sweat shirts. Tougher for OHIO to differentiate itself. Not good for us at all.

They can start saying "if you are interested in science, math, engineering, and technology, well, Ohio Tech was created specifically for that for the state of Ohio".

You hear Akron or Toledo or Tulsa and you think its a nice public commuter style regional/city school. Ohio Tech is a totally different thing. Like Virginia Tech. Or Georgia Tech....

Genius move for them if they can pull it off me thinks.
I'm not "afraid" as I feel "Ohio" will always be a superior name to "Ohio _______" (State, Tech, A&M etc) but I completely agree with you that this could be a genius move.

When it comes to names:
(state name) & (state name) _______ > (city name) or (directional) (state name)
^^^
Certainly not absolute, there are some notable exceptions. Miami (FL) and USC being the two biggest.
Last Edited: 3/12/2015 1:43:56 PM by The Optimist
bigtillyoopsupsideurhead
General User
Member Since: 12/1/2006
Location: Cincinnati
Post Count: 1,926
mail
bigtillyoopsupsideurhead
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 1:47 PM
settings_applications edit_note
100%Cat
General User
Member Since: 1/17/2013
Post Count: 2,727
mail
100%Cat
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 1:49 PM
settings_applications edit_note
bigtillyoopsupsideurhead wrote:expand_more
They have their hands full with that one.
colobobcat66
General User
C66
Member Since: 9/1/2006
Location: Watching the bobcats run outside my window., CO
Post Count: 4,744
person
mail
colobobcat66
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 2:10 PM
settings_applications edit_note
The Optimist wrote:expand_more
New president facing declining enrollment, significant debt load. Thinks rebranding might help attract better quality students. One name being floated is "Ohio PolyTech." Commence snickering.
Snicker? LOL?

We should be very afraid. Ohio Tech is a genius move. Right now there's Ohio and Ohio State. (Nobody thinks of Northern Ohio.) But, Ohio Tech... Fits nicely on a lot of tee shirts and sweat shirts. Tougher for OHIO to differentiate itself. Not good for us at all.

They can start saying "if you are interested in science, math, engineering, and technology, well, Ohio Tech was created specifically for that for the state of Ohio".

You hear Akron or Toledo or Tulsa and you think its a nice public commuter style regional/city school. Ohio Tech is a totally different thing. Like Virginia Tech. Or Georgia Tech....

Genius move for them if they can pull it off me thinks.
I'm not "afraid" as I feel "Ohio" will always be a superior name to "Ohio _______" (State, Tech, A&M etc) but I completely agree with you that this could be a genius move.

When it comes to names:
(state name) & (state name) _______ > (city name) or (directional) (state name)
^^^
Certainly not absolute, there are some notable exceptions. Miami (FL) and USC being the two biggest.

Me thinks you put way more importance on this school name thing that it may deserve. Lots of colleges out there that have city names, family names and various other names that are renowned schools including UCLA, Duke , Rice, Northwestern, Columbia, Princeton, Chicago, Vanderbilt, etc that have made a name based on results more than having a state or state A&M name. Not talking athletics of course, but branding only goes so far.
Obc2
General User
O2
Member Since: 11/8/2007
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Post Count: 597
person
mail
Obc2
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 2:56 PM
settings_applications edit_note
THE Ohio A&M is available.
giacomo
General User
G
Member Since: 11/20/2007
Post Count: 2,761
person
mail
giacomo
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 2:59 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Many mid and lower tier schools will be in trouble. Enrolments are declining and many, if not all, have been spending money like drunken sailors to compete. All the big names will be fine, but schools like Akron will struggle.
Ohio69
General User
O69
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 3,123
person
mail
Ohio69
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 3:03 PM
settings_applications edit_note
colobobcat66 wrote:expand_more
Me thinks you put way more importance on this school name thing that it may deserve. Lots of colleges out there that have city names, family names and various other names that are renowned schools including UCLA, Duke , Rice, Northwestern, Columbia, Princeton, Chicago, Vanderbilt, etc that have made a name based on results more than having a state or state A&M name. Not talking athletics of course, but branding only goes so far.
Could be. But, if you were starting a public university in Ohio today, would you want it to be known as Akron University or Ohio Tech?

Next up if they are smart is dumping Zips for something better....
SBH
General User
SBH
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 4,678
person
mail
SBH
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 3:12 PM
settings_applications edit_note
I believe Akron, Kent and CSU should be consolidated into a super regional university. Won't happen, mostly due to politics.
Mike Coleman
Administrator
Member Since: 12/21/2004
Location: Near the Pristine Sandy Shores of Lake Erie, OH
Post Count: 1,999
mail
Mike Coleman
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 3:18 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Ohio Poly-Akron.
C Money
General User
Member Since: 8/28/2010
Post Count: 3,420
mail
C Money
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 3:27 PM
settings_applications edit_note
OUVan wrote:expand_more
Thought this was a joke thread but nope. Funniest quote I've seen is the suggestion that it be changed to "An Ohio State University."
Maybe take a cue from Buffalo:

Akron, an
OHIO STATE
University
El Gato Roberto
General User
EGR
Member Since: 12/21/2004
Post Count: 1,220
person
mail
El Gato Roberto
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 4:07 PM
settings_applications edit_note
OPI - Ohio Polytechnic Institute
Perhaps Ron Howard could lend his childhood likeness as a mascot?
GoCats105
General User
GC105
Member Since: 1/31/2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Post Count: 7,820
person
mail
GoCats105
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 4:18 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Ohio State University Ohio University of Akron

OSUOUA

Play on IUPUI and IPFW.

ORRRRRRRR

Northeast Central Ohio State University Mud Dogs
Last Edited: 3/12/2015 4:19:34 PM by GoCats105
100%Cat
General User
Member Since: 1/17/2013
Post Count: 2,727
mail
100%Cat
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 4:24 PM
settings_applications edit_note
I see South High Street runs by the western side of their campus. Maybe the South High Institute of Technology? SH...nevermind. Wishful thinking.
Last Edited: 3/12/2015 4:25:24 PM by 100%Cat
Bobcatbob
General User
Member Since: 12/21/2004
Location: Coolville, OH
Post Count: 1,351
mail
Bobcatbob
mail
Posted: 3/12/2015 4:38 PM
settings_applications edit_note
I like the way they do things in PA. Thus, Illinois University of Ohio, maybe? Or even better, University of Michigan of Ohio. That'll rile things up in Cowtown.
Showing Messages: 1 - 25 of 86
reply
vertical_align_top
vertical_align_center
vertical_align_bottom
add_comment
chevron_forward
MAC News Links



extra small (< 576px)
small (>= 576px)
medium (>= 768px)
large (>= 992px)
x-large (>= 1200px)
xx-large (>= 1400px)