# University of \_\_\_\_ and \_\_\_\_ University **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-of-____-and-____-university/553786 "2010-09-14T23:20:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![opossum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2bfe46/32.png) [@opossum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/opossum)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-of-____-and-____-university/553786/62 "2010-09-22T04:25:56Z")
> [@CTburns](#): > > > [@Neptunian\_Slug](#): > > > > New Jersey > > Rutgers of Course! Depending on what Zakalwhe meant by “State University” (considering his distinction between “State Name STATE” as the land-grant college and “University of STATE” as the liberal arts college), would Auburn and Clemson qualify? I don’t know enough about Rutgers to compare them, or does the existence of U of Ala. and USC rule them out? Also, on the OP, I would add that universities named after places would generally take the “University of \__**" form and universities named after anything else (such as major donors) could take the "**_ University” form. Yale University is named after Elihu Yale, and the University of Connecticut is in Connecticut. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-of-____-and-____-university/553786/63 "2010-09-22T13:19:31Z")
Don’t forget Ohio University. No one uses TOSU for Ohio State. And no one but their own PR department capitalizes the article. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-of-____-and-____-university/553786/64 "2010-09-22T14:05:19Z")
> [@The\_Scrivener](#): > > > [@RaftPeople](#): > > > > Most universities share their abbreviation with others, but Ohio State alums seem to be uniquely confused by the situation. Now, I don’t want to imply this reflects on the quality of the education, but …🙂 > > Nitpick: it’s not the quality of the education (most of the [T]OSU faculty were, after all, educated elsewhere), but of the matriculants. > > 😉 > A bit of a hijack here, but do you guys care to list the exceptions to the general rule that the U. of \_\_\_ is more prestigious or selective than the \_\_\_ State school? For example, in Florida, FSU’s criminology program is said to be very good indeed… there must be many, many similar examples across the US. I think there are probably infinite examples of this, actually. Not every university can be the top school in every field. For example, while Penn State may have a fine teacher education department, the education you’ll get at Shippensburg or any of the other PA State System schools may well be better. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-of-____-and-____-university/553786/65 "2010-09-22T14:45:07Z")
> [@Neptunian\_Slug](#): > > Ohio State had been The Ohio State University since the 1870’s and in the 1950’s and 60’s Oklahoma and Oregon decided to come in and rip off the OSU abbreviation. Trademark theft pure and simple. FWIW, the Universities of Texas and Tennessee reached an agreement in [1986](http://www.volnation.com/forum/897371-post5.html) over the use of “UT.” Tennessee had applied to the federal government for the right to use the trademark on a number of items not covered under Texas’ trademark rights. Tennessee uses the trademark east of the Mississippi River and in Louisiana’s West Baton Rouge Parish, home of Southeastern Conference member Louisiana State University. Texas owns the trademark everywhere else west of the Mississippi. In addition, the agreement gives the Longhorns and Volunteers limited rights to use the interlocking UT logo design in each other’s territory during bowl games or other special events. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-of-____-and-____-university/553786/66 "2010-09-23T14:37:44Z")
> [@Neptunian\_Slug](#): > > I don’t know about many that are interchangeable. I had a friend that went to the University of Denver which is abbreviated DU. I couldn’t tell you why they do that but I don’t know of him ever referring to it as Denver University. I can only imagine that they wanted to avoid confusion with another UD. Dayton? Delaware? UD is the abbreviation for University of Delaware, alma mater of Joe Biden, or University of Dallas, alma mater of Kizarvexius. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-of-____-and-____-university/553786/67 "2010-09-23T23:06:46Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Come to think of it, “Cal” isn’t so bad, but I do object to “California” used to mean just UCB, because of the implication that the other campuses are just lower division feeders, or specialized institutes–which is, in fact, how many of them started out, but is no longer the case. UCLA, for instance, started life around 1880 as the Los Angeles State Normal School. Later when it became part of UC, it was first known as UC Southern Branch, and only taught the first two years of a four year program.. In my experience, the use of [Statename] to mean The Flagship of the State University System is primarily in a sports context. “Michigan” = U of M, Ann Arbor. “Texas” = U of T, Austin. “California” = U of C, Berkeley. But in an academic context, I doubt that somebody would say they went to “Texas” …they’d be more likely to say U of T. And then, Berkeley is a special case. I, and most alums, say “I went to Berkeley\*”. They’d only say “I went to Cal” in a sports context, with “Cal” being a universally recognized abbreviation, like Ole Miss or Mizzou. \*Through gritted teeth. The University and the City loathe each other, and the city of Berkeley does everything in its power to impede everything the University attempts, especially athletically. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-of-____-and-____-university/553786/68 "2010-09-23T23:20:57Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > > [@Neptunian\_Slug](#): > > > > Ohio State had been The Ohio State University since the 1870’s and in the 1950’s and 60’s Oklahoma and Oregon decided to come in and rip off the OSU abbreviation. Trademark theft pure and simple. > > FWIW, the Universities of Texas and Tennessee reached an agreement in [1986](http://www.volnation.com/forum/897371-post5.html) over the use of “UT.” Tennessee had applied to the federal government for the right to use the trademark on a number of items not covered under Texas’ trademark rights. > > Tennessee uses the trademark east of the Mississippi River and in Louisiana’s West Baton Rouge Parish, home of Southeastern Conference member Louisiana State University. Texas owns the trademark everywhere else west of the Mississippi. > > In addition, the agreement gives the Longhorns and Volunteers limited rights to use the interlocking UT logo design in each other’s territory during bowl games or other special events. _sings_ “Well, it’s UT for Texas, UT for Tennessee, but a capital T for trouble over trademark law, you see.” 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/university-of-____-and-____-university/553786.md?page=3)