Specialty License plates

[PK]

From the DMN:

State puts the brakes on some college plates

09:57 PM CDT on Monday, June 27, 2005


By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News


Many Texas colleges and universities simply don't make the grade when it comes to specialty alumni license plates.

Dwindling support for the program at some colleges and universities has led the Texas Department of Transportation to phase out 24 of the 49 higher education specialty plates.

Texas Woman's University will be gone. So will be the University of Texas at Dallas. And the one person each who currently sports Brookhaven College or Richland College license plates should be prepared to turn them in at their mandatory replacement age.

"We haven't heard from the universities yet," said Christina Flores of the Transportation Department's vehicle titles and registration division. "We may be hearing from some alumni soon."

Specialty plates, which tout and support things like universities, organizations and veterans with special logos directly on them, have taken off. In May, more than 356,000 of almost 19 million Texas vehicles had some type of specialty license tag, up from 342,000 a year earlier.

Statewide in May, 16,647 cars and trucks sported collegiate plates. They and most other plates require an annual fee of $30, generally with $8 going to defray production costs and $22 going toward programs associated with the plate's theme.

Faced with $15,000 in production costs for every new plate issued, the Legislature passed a law several years ago that established criteria for eliminating many low-performing plates. And though stricter criteria went into effect in September, the state is now beginning to look at the plates issue.

According to the state transportation code, specialty plates should be allowed only if:

•3,500 sets of plates have been issued during the plate's life span;

•the Transportation Department has made $15,000 from the issuance of the license plates;

•a university or other sponsoring group deposits $15,000 to start a new plate, keep existing plates available or restart a plate in the future. That money would be returned once the minimum number of plates, including annual renewals, had been issued.

The rules, which the agency is not required to enforce, eventually could affect other plates, such as the United States Olympic Committee plates (195 in use statewide). The state has no plans to discontinue any noncollegiate plates, said David Pyndus, a spokesman for the vehicle titles and registration division.

For universities, the $15,000 requirement is the same, but the threshold for plates issued during its lifetime was lowered to 1,500 sets.

"Quite a few of the smaller colleges and universities didn't even come close," Mr. Pyndus said.

It wasn't a difficult decision to eliminate the program at TWU, where 78 university supporters have a specialty license plate.

"It just wasn't economically feasible," said university spokeswoman Amanda Simpson. "There wasn't enough demand to warrant the cost. We're a public university, and our No. 1 priority is to our students."

On the opposite end of the spectrum stands Texas A&M University, which outpaces all other colleges and universities in specialty plate registrations. With 6,346 plates in May, Aggie pride easily outdistanced its closest license plate competitor, the University of Texas, which has 3,121 plates. Taking the bronze medal in the competition is Texas Tech University, with 2,764 registrations.

Texas Christian University (472) has the most specialty plates of any North Texas school, and the University of North Texas (320) draws the second-highest local support.

Although the bumper-based measure of school pride is sure to warm the hearts of Aggies everywhere and frustrate Longhorn supporters, the money raised goes to a good cause. This year, the plate helped raise enough for $156,000 in need-based scholarships, said Mike Huddleston, the university's executive director for contract administration.

"We're very thankful for the program, and we're very proud of the success we've had with it," he said, adding that it does give College Station a certain measure of bragging rights. "That's always fun. This is the friendly part of the rivalry."

A&M doesn't do much special with its license plate programs, placing brochures at spots including the university visitors' center and the parking garages.

"Most of it is the camaraderie our students feel to each other," Mr. Huddleston said. "They like to be associated with the university, and they like to show pride."

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PHASING OUT

Universities whose license plates are being phased out by the Texas Department of Transportation, and the number of vehicles registered with those plates in May:


St. Mary's University – 101

Texas Woman's University – 78

Tarleton State University – 61

Lamar University – 39

Abilene Christian University – 36

Texas Lutheran University – 36

University of Texas at San Antonio – 32

University of Texas at Dallas – 30

Texas A&M University-Kingsville – 23

Midwestern State University – 22

Texas Wesleyan University – 22

Howard Payne University – 21

Houston Baptist University – 18

McMurry University – 18

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi – 16

Incarnate Word College – 15

University of Texas at Brownsville – 12

Huston-Tillotson University – 10

East Texas Baptist University – 8

Texas Chiropractic College – 7

North Central Texas College – 4

Brookhaven College – 1

Richland College – 1

Parker College of Chiropractic – 0


PLATES IN

1. Texas A&M, 6,346

2. University of Texas, 3,121

3. Texas Tech, 2,764

4. University of Houston, 571

5. Texas Christian, 472

6. Baylor, 446

7. University of North Texas, 320

8. Rice, 269

9. Prairie View A&M, 253

[Fooball]

Beat out by Prarie View A&M. Wow.

At least we have more plates than Texas Chiropractic College.

[MustangSally]

I know if I lived in Texas (I'm a Florida resident for now), I'd get an SMU plate, IF they looked better. They are the plainest looking things out there. Unless you get up close and can read the 'southern methodist university' across the bottom, it looks like a plain white Texas license plate with a 1-inch pony sticker next to the numbers.

In Florida, the prices are similar, but they are far better designed. Here are some examples, notice the color scheme of the entire plate reflects the university. You can tell which school someone supports from a block away.

Florida State:


Florida:


Florida A&M:


Compare those with ours:


I know all the Texas collegiate plates seem to follow the same basic design, and they just switch out logos in that area on the left, but couldn't there be SOMEthing that stands out more than the plain pony? How about "SMU" arching over it or "Mustangs" in a cool font underneath. Other than the blinding burnt orange of UT's, I hardly even notice these plates because they are so non-descript.

[Bergermeister]

Of the Texas university license plates, I like Stephen F. Austin the best. They take advantage of the space allowed. The UA plates in Arkansas feature a HUGE Razorback. One doesn't have to squint to see that big pig. I've got SMU plates and they're okay. Never mind the small print across the bottom... if you don't recognize the red horse, the words "Southern Methodist University" wouldn't bring you any closer to understanding. Speaking of red horses, the SMU bookstore has re-stocked their sheets of die-cut, peel-and-stick Mustangs. Problem is, they're BLUE! Obviously, a non-stang placed that ridiculous order.

[OldPony]

I think we've sold one with every basketball and football win since the DP. Sounds like good support to me for what we've been watching. Let me show my pride in the football team and buy one quick..

[2112]

How many people on this board even have SMU plate holders, window stickers, or bumperstickers on their vehicles? I rarely see folks in Dallas with some sort of SMU gear on. Let's face it, our fans are equal to our football and basketkall teams.........lousy!

[Bergermeister]

speak for yourself.

[2112]

OK, I will! I have a plate holder, a window decal, and wear SMU gear everyday when I jog.

[BUS]

Running Mustang and SMU on back or dodge truck and the M-Club decal on the front window, where the inspection sticker should go. Ooops.

I do see some decals on cars but not near enough.

[EastStang]

In Virginia, the DMV requires 350 applications and school approval. Since we probably have about 200-300 SMU grads living in Virginia, the chances of getting such a license plate are slim. Out of state schools with Virginia plates include: (A&M, Marshall, UNC, NC State, Fla., Florida State, Duke, Georgetown, and Villanova, West Point, Naval Academy). I would love to have SMU plates instead of the window sticker which fades out in sunlight.

[MrMustang1965]

Not a problem for me, my friends. I've got the ULTIMATE S.M.U. license plate! Some of you have seen it. And it's in an S.M.U. license plate holder. But I agree that the 'specialty plates' could look a lot better.

I see so many SMU parking stickers on cars around Dallas, it's not even funny. My wife (an SMU grad) has some classic SMU decals. One is the Mustang raised up on its hind legs with the big block "M" (not a Diamond M) behind it. It'll cover half of my rearview window if I put it on there!

[RGV Pony]

In response to the question about who all has SMU license plates, I have the SMU license plate along with the silver mustang badge w/ SMU over it. On the back window, I have an LSU Dad sticker. I thought my Mustang Club sticker would clutter things up.

[Dutch]

i've got my mustang club sticker right next to my 'W' sticker.

[PK]

I thought those were "dubbya" stickers.