MSU receives “Best University” fourth straight year
For the fourth consecutive year, Minnesota State received the Star Tribune’s Gold in the “Minnesota Best” poll for Best College/University.
MSU also won its second year of the Gold Minnesota Best Poll for Best College Sports Team.
Senior Director of University Marketing and Communications Sara Frederick said MSU was “delighted” to receive the honor.
An anonymous person nominates MSU and once the Star Tribune creates the polls, readers can go to the website to vote. Frederick said MSU shares the link with students, alumni and university partners to go out and “express their pride” for MSU.
Frederick said the recognition affirms what past and present Mavericks know about the university.
“We have a lot of pride from current students and alumni and people recognize us as a great place to go to school and have a great college experience,” Frederick said.
In a statement, President Edward Inch said “Minnesota’s Best” is a point of pride for the university.
“What I appreciate most about this honor is that it comes from our community,” said Inch in the statement. “It means so much that our students, our faculty and staff and our alumni care so much about this institution that they vote for us. It says a lot about the pride they have in the university, and the value they place on their experiences here.”
Besides MSU being a place of pride, Frederick said another contributing factor to MSU’s win is the feeling behind the #MavFam sign.
“Anytime you have an affinity or allegiance to an institution and they give you the opportunity to express that, constituents are excited by that,” Frederick said. “We have a community around this university that feels really strongly about the sense of family we build here on campus.”
Assistant Athletic Director Charlie Snelson said the Maverick Athletic Department was “proud” to receive the recognition.
“We believe the values of #BuildingChampions and the #MavFam resonate from our administrators to coaches to student-athletes to fans,” Snelson said. “Everyone contributes to make MSU such a tremendous place to root for the Mavericks.”
Snelson also said bringing home the two NCAA Division II National Basketball Championship trophies made last academic year special and the athletics department “couldn’t have done it” without the support of students and the Mankato community.
“I’m looking forward to another athletic season because frankly, I don’t see any reason to doubt the Mavericks can reach even greater heights this year,” Snelson said.
MSU’s first time receiving the recognition was in 2021, following the COVID-19 pandemic and a university president transition. While Frederick said a lot has changed at MSU since then, she said it’s built a stronger community where students feel like they are part of “something big, important and supportive” for them.
“The university is always working to get better at what it does to meet the needs of its students in more ways to provide a better experience,” Frederick said. “We’ve been on that journey during this process and it’s reflected in the fact we keep being voted the best.”
When it comes to the impact the recognition has on MSU moving forward, Frederick said it helps “bring more attention and awareness” to MSU in the state and beyond.
“It’s great to be recognized as the best any time it happens,” Frederick said.
Caption: Students enjoyed the fresh air the first few weeks of school. One of the things faculty said contributing to the win of MSU in the Star Tribune’s “Minnesota Best” was the quality of the campus community.
Write to emma.johnson.5@mnsu.edu