Minnesota State University - Mankato Athletics

Q. Where is Minnesota State University, Mankato located?
A. Minnesota State is located in south central Minnesota, approximately 100 miles southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Q. What conferences/leagues do Minnesota State teams belong to?
A. With the exception of men's and women's hockey (these teams are NCAA Division I programs and are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association) for women's hockey and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association for men's hockey), MSU's teams are member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

The NSIC is a NCAA Division II conference that besides MSU, includes St. Cloud State, Minnesota-Duluth, Augustana, the University of Mary (N.D.), Minnesota-Crookston, MSU-Moorhead, Northern State, Southwest Minnesota State, Minot State, Wayne State (Neb.), Bemidji State, Concordia-St. Paul, Winona State, and the University of Sioux Falls (S.D.).

Q. What are MSU's school colors?
A. MSU's school colors are officially listed as Purple and Gold.  (Side Note:  While our original school colors were purple and gold, there was a time when this was not the case.  A rival school had similar colors and in a homecoming game in 1936, MSU lost a coin toss to Winona State and our teams then wore orange and black or orange and dark blue until 1956 when purple and gold were officially reinstated as the colors for our teams.

Q. Didn't the school used to be called Mankato State?
A. Yes. In September of 1998 the school changed its name to Minnesota State University, Mankato to reflect its increasing global reach. Athletics is branded as Minnesota State.

Over the years the school has undergone several changes to its name.  Starting in 1968, the University was called Mankato Normal School. Then Mankato State Teachers College (1921), Mankato State College (1957) and in 1975 became Mankato State University.

Q. What is the athletic department mailing address?
A. Minnesota State University, Athletics
135 Myers Field House
Mankato, MN 56001

Q. Where can I park for events?
A. In general, parking for Minnesota State Athletic events is free and located in lots 20, 21 and 22. This map (located HERE) shows were these lots are located.

Q. How can I get tickets?
A. Tickets to events in at Blakeslee Stadium and Taylor Center can be purchased each respective facilities box office the day of an event or online for basketball and football HERE. MSU men's hockey tickets can be purchased in advance at Ticketmaster outlets or at Mayo Clinic Health Service Event Center box office.

Q. How can I receive information on getting a scholarship to MSU?
A. If you're interested in a specific sport, please visit your sport of choice and click on recruiting questionnaire to fill out a questionnaire to email back to the coaching staff.

Q. How much is tuition and housing at MSU?
A. Please visit the MSU Prospective Student page. Lots of great information located HERE.

Q. How can I find information on employment at Minnesota State?
A. The University is required to post all employment opportunities on the campus' main website (www.mnsu.edu). Please visit the Minnesota State University, Mankato employment page.

Q. Why are the teams called the Mavericks?
A. We're the Mavericks now, but it hasn't always been that way.

Prior to July 1, 1977 (beginning in 1935), MSU teams were called the "Indians." The old name, "Indians," was dropped for several reasons, the main objection coming from Native Americans. Another reason was that the school had switched conferences, joining the Northern Intercollegiate and it was felt that it was a good time for a fresh start.

Douglas Moore, MSU's president at the time, asked University Relations Director John Hodowanic to begin working on changing the title and a group composed of interested students, faculty, and alumni brainstormed for a list of nearly 75 nicknames. The name "Mavericks," originally suggested by MSU Education Professor Roy Cook, emerged over other suggestions such as "Fighting Muskies" and "Lightning."

The first design of the nickname was a horse, but Moore maintained that the design too closely resembled the "Golden Mustang" used by Southwest State - another NIC school. One description from the dictionary describes a Maverick as "an unbranded range animal (either a horse or a steer)" and Moore, a native of Texas, suggested it be changed to a steer. It may have had something to do with the many Maverick longhorn steer in the Lone Star state, but the idea stuck and was accepted.

In case you were wondering, the sports programs at our school started out as the "Purples" before becoming the "Peds" (short for Pedegogue - meaing "teacher") - from 1927-30. Indians came along in 1935. The MSU Athletics logo itself has gone through a transition of sorts, with the original design - the words "Mavericks" inside a line drawing of a bull, used from 1977 until 1995. The next logo featured a line drawing of a bull and was first used in the fall of 1995. The third generation design, a more cartoonish version of the bull, was incorporated in the spring of 2001 before the current logo, designed by CI Apparel, was unveiled in the fall of 2005. More information on the inaugural logo and the nickname appears Here.

Also, although Minnesota Athletics officially became the Mavericks in 1977, "Stomper" didn't become "Stomper" until Oct. 14, 1993 during Homecoming Week when a name the mascot contest was held.

Updated April 7, 2024