Remaining Lunch with the U

[usdlaw]

On Thursday, March 10th at noon, Scott Pohlson (Dean of Enrollment/The University of South Dakota) will speak. On Thursday, April 14th, Dr. Laura Jenski (Director of Research) will speak. Also, a quick reminder, Tom Douple (Commissioner of the Summit League) will speak on Thursday, March 3rd at noon.

Please put on your calendar, and hope to see you there. These are our final speakers for this year. The event does not run from May until July.

[usdlaw]

reminder next Thursday Tom Douple.

[usdlaw]

reminder tomorrow is Tom Douple, please join us thanks

[usdlaw]

Reminder tomorrow Scott Pohlson, Dean of Enrollment. Noon Pizza Ranch. Please join us.
Thanks

[usdlaw]

Next Thursday, April 14th - Dr. Laura Jenski - Vice President of Research at USD. Should be interesting to hear about all the research projects going on at the U. Please join us. Noon, Pizza Ranch. This will be our last Lunch with the U until next August. We are taking the summer off.

[usdlaw]

REMINDER last Lunch this school year is this Thursday at noon. Please join us. Thanks

[usdlaw]

Reminder about today's lunch. Come join us.

Dr. Laura Jenski - VP of Research - speaker.

Noon - Pizza Ranch - near 41st St and Kiwanis Ave.

[Yote 53]

I don't work anywhere near Sioux Falls so am unable to make it to any lunches with the U. Wondering if anyone here can ask Mr. Sayler or anyone else some questions so we get some clear answers in a couple subjects.

First, future scheduling with UND in football. Is this series dead? If so, why? What is the reasoning behind it? I've heard that we've done about everything we can but UND is just not receptive to continuing the series. Just want to find out the story.

Second, the logo. Given the massive blowback from the Argus, Volante, and pretty much every comment I've read, is the U going to take a second look at some different designs, maybe get some feedback from students, alumni, etc. Personally, I don't mind the new logo. It's a classic design. But I also like the Paw, don't want it to go away. It would make a nice alternate logo. Every major school has a primary and secondary logo. Notre Dame has the interlocking ND and the Irishman. Iowa has the block I and the Tigerhawk, etc, etc. Has there been any thought to going that route?

Thanks. I'll hang up and wait for your response.

[usdlaw]

Yote 53
I'll give a complete recap tomorrow, but Sayler was there along with Lawrence & Schiller and Bob Fitzpatrick. After Dr. Jenski gave a great presentation (I was really impressed with all the research SD is doing) Notice I said SD. We need to get used to calling us South Dakota, not necessarily just USD.

The SD shown in the paper was only a small part of the logo. They showed many looks to it, and others. The new football helmets look AWESOME. The new paw looks great too.

I'll expound more tomorrow, but after this presentation I'm much more of a believer in the new logo. I think others would agree after what they showed today becomes more public.

More tomorrow ... gotta run.

[Yote 53]

New Paw! New Paw! Cool.

I had heard this was possible. I've also heard about some of the ideas being kicked around for the basketball floor. Great ideas.

I have no problem with SD changing the logo, that was long overdue as I think most of us would agree. I don't necessarily dislike the new logo. What I think SD needs to work on is communication. They need to communicate these types of things better with the public. Example, I did not know this was just one of many variations on the logo. The Argus and Volante give the impression that L&S came up with a logo that would have taken any of us 5 minutes to create and charged SD $60k to do so. Well, it appears there was alot more to it than that, however, because we weren't given the full story SD and L&S took a beating in the press and on the interwebs. Even if they come out with the rest of the package it is to late, the negative press damage has been done and that bell can't be unrung. SD needs to do a better job with communicating, that is all.

Notice I dropped the U in USD now. Hard habit to break. The USD term has bothered me ever since the State student section taunted us up in Brookings for wearing USeD helmets. Get it, USeD?

[usdlaw]

Ok, I'll do my best to remember and summarize.

They have several goals with the new branding campaign. Some of which include what we have already discussed: focusing on we are "South Dakota", much like how pretty much all other major institutions refer to themselves. When ESPN says Alabama beats Texas, or Nebraska beats Michigan, or Iowa beats Minnesota, or North Carolina beats Virginia, etc etc etc, the main flagship institution of the state is called by their state name. Not many throw the U in front of it. Now do people in Minnesota call it the U instate like we call USD the U. Yes. But people from Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska and others don't refer to Minnesota as the U. The only real school that is called the U on a national scale is Miami. So, since we are South Dakota we should call us such. With that, like most other flag ship schools, they use the state initial or abbreviation.

State fans get pissy because they have their blue and yellow SD that they use. Well, for those State fans who think USD has to have a U in the logo need to look in the mirror and put a SU or SDS. It is what it is, we are the flag ship school and we are South Dakota. (that had a little We are Marshal feel to it as I typed it Not to mention the new SD logo is a lot like the old SD logo on the baseball hats. It's not like USD has never used SD before in logos.

Next, I think they are going away from focusing on USD, but rather focusing on South Dakota. The reason, on the national scale this is better for us. Plus USD is more nationally known as Univ of San Diego, and with the press they have right now we don't really want to be associated with that. SDSU has the same problem with San Diego State. It is what it is, we're not going to nationally be known as USD or SDSU because people will think that is San Diego and not South Dakota. But ... we are the ONLY South Dakota. So why not focus on that? I think that's a smart move.

Moreover, there was indication that we seem to focusing less on the "The" in front of The University of South Dakota. I know Ohio State does this, but I never really got too excited about the The.

Next, the Argus article did not give the new brands and logos justice. First, it only referred to a minute portion of the new logo. They only showed the red SD, which has and will be tweaked probably more in the next few months. Some shadow boxes etc may be added.

They showed several other designs yesterday, and I think to truly understand the feel of the entire new logo you need to see more, and understand that more is coming. I don't have access to these other designs or I would post. But I'm guessing you will get to see over the next few months. It's not that it's totally private or public, it's just the forum to view it.

There is a new version of the Paw and it looks GREAT. They passed around pictures of the new football helmets too and they are AWESOME. He had pictures of possible designs for the basketball floor, carpet in dome, etc, but he did not pass them around. I saw them sitting there. They looked good to me from what I saw.

GONE is the U. THANK GOD. AMEN. HALE LULA.

The reality: we as South Dakota fans need to rally around our new logo. I really think the lack of sales and merchandise at stores is because the U. never sold. It was ugly, inconsistent with past logos, etc. The new logos are sexy and going to sell. Maybe, just maybe, Scheels will actually stock some South Dakota apparel and slow down the shrine to SDS it has at its Sioux Falls store. Right now the best place to buy South Dakota stuff is Walmart. Yes, I said Walmart. They really have a lot.

So all I'm saying is give the new logo a chance. SDS people are mad because they have the blue and yellow SD logo and some of them argue there are trademark issues. Well, good luck with that argument. I don't see NC State telling the Tar heels they can't use NC, or SC State telling the Gamecocks they can't use SC (hence the reason USC (California) is the main school to put the U in front. Add also the USF and UCF's in Florida.)

I'll see if I can get a hold of the designs and post, but not sure I'll be able to.

We are SOUTH DAKOTA.
GO YOTES.

[usdlaw]

PS FWIW Lawrence & Schiller and Bob Fitzpatrick and whoever else worked on this stuff has done a good job. When you see what we were able to see yesterday I think you'll agree. Not all of you, but many more than those just responding to the red SD in the paper.

[GoYotes]

Thanks for the summary.

If I could find a red baseball cap with the white SD, I would buy it today.

[Yote 53]

Thanks for the report USDLaw. Like I said, it's about communication. I think someone from the U needs to give an interview to the Volante, P&D, and AL to lay this all out and squash some of the negative press it has received so far. The change in logos is supposed to be a positive thing the SD community can rally around. So far it has not happened that way.

I would also like to purchase a red baseball hat with the white SD even though I am partial to my red hat with the Paw on it. I believe they are available as I'm almost positive that is the design the club baseball team uses.

[usdlaw]

No problem. I think most of the negative talk started because a couple SDS people went nuts on the Argus site. I guess I never saw the Volante or P&D article, but I did read most of the Argus comments and most were SDS people.

I think the point of announcing it now was so that it wasn't just sprung on people in July or August.