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Texas State
December 1, 2005, 11:30 p.m.
SAN MARCOS — A name is coming to life before our eyes. Texas State.
This is what football is for, by the way. Texas State is just now finding out what that means. Names have emotive value. A good name confers prestige upon a good university. A good football team connects that name with the public.
Academics who disagree aren't altogether wrong, and even those who agree don't have to like it. After all, the business of universities is education. The name of a school ought to not matter very much. Education, intellectual achievement and public service should be everything.
But education and public service can't do it by themselves. Even if you're the university that cures polio, produces a president or owns an infinite supply of oil reserves, you're on a constant campaign for students and funding. That's where the name matters and football helps.
That name, Texas State, began to matter on Nov. 26, when the Bobcats came from 19 points down late in the third quarter for a 50-35 win against Georgia Southern in their first Division I-AA football game.
It began to matter as an example of Texas State doing something great. It began to matter because a nearly full stadium on campus took part. It began to matter because thousands in the area spoke the name with resounding approval. It began to matter because the enterprise went out over national television, on ESPN2.
But it really began to matter because Texas State has begun winning the fight for its name.
In 2003, state Senator Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) authored legislation changing the university's name to Texas State University-San Marcos. Wentworth mentioned at the time that a name change from Southwest Texas State would deliver the university from regional stigmatization, but the legislation still included that "-San Marcos" bit, possibly to appease other universities in the state system who feared favoritism.
That little "-San Marcos" part of the name has been the one thread of hope left for the other state universities hoping they could someday become a Texas State. If you have Texas State-San Marcos, rather than just Texas State, then maybe San Houston State can become Texas State-Huntsville someday, and maybe Sul Ross State can become Texas State-Alpine.
From the time Southwest Texas State officially changed its name to Texas State-San Marcos, it has informally become Texas State where that's allowed. Which isn't everywhere. Even the university's web site uses "Texas State-San Marcos" on first reference, likely for legal reasons, but subsequently sticks to Texas State. However, the web site's athletic channel uses "Texas State" throughout.
Sam Houston State's official athletic literature still references "Texas State-San Marcos." A year ago, a rather hilarious exchange popped up between the sports editors in Huntsville and San Marcos fighting over the name, because the fellow in Huntsville wanted to go by the official name.
But the Huntsville Item has since relented, joining the Southland Conference, the NCAA, the Houston Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News, the Associated Press and everyone else without an ax to grind.
They all call it Texas State. And the ESPN2 announcers went out continuously last Saturday afternoon with "Texas State," adding special zeal during the game's late portions, never once tossing in the official name. So, Texas State is winning its name in the court of public opinion.
What's in a name? The Bard asked that question around 400 years ago, advancing an aesthetic argument that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. But a Texas State by any other name isn't as glamorous, nor would it be taken as seriously. The same would be said about one of the world's greatest public universities, officially named The University of Texas at Austin.
If Southwest Texas State is in the Division I-AA playoffs, it's not the same. Spurgeon Wynn was a good quarterback, drafted ahead of Tom Brady, but he played at Southwest Texas State. Barrick Nealy is going to the Hula Bowl as a pro quarterback prospect. He's Texas State.
It just has a better ring. And, thanks to a football team, it's beginning to ring pretty loud.
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