..I don't think its accurate to say that many people in Buffalo don't comprehend the big picture just because they don't like the name change: their priority is improving the city of buffalo and its reputation, they could give two stinks about UB if it isn't accomplishing that. I don't think its unreasonable for them to feel that de-emphasizing the Buffalo in SUNY-Buffalo is anti-Buffalo (the city): yes, it may improve national recognition of SUNY, but they aren't interested unless that is directly associated with national recognition of the City of Buffalo.
I guess I just happen to think they are wrong. Frankly the University of Buffalo sounds like some city university, perhaps little better than a community college. To be honest, when I started following MAC football, that's exactly what I thought; I thought that UB was some insignificant backwater college I had never heard of.
By contrast, the State University of New York has a great academic reputation, and I have certainly heard of it. The only problem is that, with multiple campuses, that reputation gets diluted. I was aware of SUNY-Buffalo, Stoney Brook and Albany, and figured that Albany was the flagship branch, given the location. I never dreamed that SUNY-Buffalo was the same as UB, nor that it's the largest branch of SUNY (which it is).
If UB rebrands as SUNY-Buffalo, that will be much more impressive than the level of awareness they have now. That, in turn, I believe, will bring more good to the City of Buffalo that vainly insisting on calling the place UB. It also, by the way, might get UB a shot at someday getting invited all the way up to the Big Tenfinity. If they want to annex New York, which they very well might, SUNY would be a much better statewide brand than "UB" or "Syracuse".
Last Edited: 7/13/2014 10:04:07 PM by L.C.