[edsg25]

how would you describe the U-M/MSU relationship? Is it typical of "University of _____" and "______ State University" in other states....or are there differences?

How do these two schools relate to the other public universities in Michigan?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by edsg25

how would you describe the U-M/MSU relationship? Is it typical of "University of _____" and "______ State University" in other states....or are there differences?

How do these two schools relate to the other public universities in Michigan?

MSU students/fans/boosters will tell you that UofM is their biggest football rival. UofM students/fans/boosters will tell you that Ohio State is their biggest rival.

MSU is sometimes made fun of and called a "farm school" because of its history as the country's first land grant school and agricultural college, and the Southern end of the campus actually has a lot of farmland for its agricultural and veterinary programs.

But MSU, UofM and Wayne State University are huge research schools, and actually have a formal working relationship called the University Research Corridor.

University Research Corridor

The other public universities in Michigan are a peg/step/conference down and don't really work with the Big 3 or each other. They're extremely competitive actually, and will advertise on billboards right outside each other's campuses.

I do know that WMU draws a lot of kids from Chicago. When I went there, I was told by more than a few Illinois students attending there that the Illinois public colleges are not great at all (other than Northwestern), and that it was better for them to pay out-of-state tuition and go to Western. Is that true?

[magellan]

More, from MSU's perspective.

Roles Reversed For Instate Rivals - Michigan State Official Athletic Site