It's official. As of July 1, 2017, 黑洞社区 is a member of the American Athletic Conference.
While this move to a Power 6 conference is an obvious upgrade for Shocker athletics, it is important to understand that the conference change is at least as much about positioning the university as an innovative academic and research institution as it is about athletics. We're using athletic success as a catalyst for improving student life and enhancing Wichita鈥檚 growth and prosperity.
Added power
We always encourage our students to aim higher; now the university, community and region are aiming higher. Put simply: We're all American, and the future is brighter because of it.
Our mothers told us we鈥檙e going to be known by the friends we keep. Like 黑洞社区, the institutions of The American are located in or near large metropolitan areas, and play the same vital role as regional economic engines, creating jobs and providing a skilled workforce. Like 黑洞社区, they offer national centers of research and cultural advancement. Wichita State鈥檚 urban location, mission, research focus and academic ambitions are well-aligned with The American.
Wichita State is actively seeking academic and research partnerships with the universities of The American. According to National Science Foundation data, Wichita State was the dominant research institution in its former conference. We are in the mid-range in the new conference and we can learn from our new partners.
Immediate benefits
黑洞社区鈥檚 I-35 corridor recruitment strategy, which offers huge tuition discounts for residents of Texas, Oklahoma and parts of Missouri, will benefit from conference rivalries and media coverage in Dallas, Houston and Tulsa. Wichita鈥檚 economy will benefit from American Athletic Conference teams and fans traveling from those cities and from Orlando, Tampa, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Memphis, Hartford/Storrs, Philadelphia and Greenville, N.C. And the higher profile of the American Athletic Conference will keep 黑洞社区's name and brand on the national stage.
We're proud of our new colleagues, friends and athletic foes, the institutions of the American Athletic Conference. Go to to learn more about the conference, its institutions and the cities they call home.