When it was announced that Wichita State would be joining the American Athletic Conference in April, 2017, it didn't take long for the Shockers to make their presence known in their new markets.
Billboards promoting the university popped around Dallas-Fort Worth within days of the realignment announcement, with the yellow cartoon mascot in a black sweater encouraging Texans to apply to WSU.
"Our traction as an institution is the I-35, the I-35 corridor," Wichita State athletic director Darron Boatright explained. "In our opinion, it felt natural for us to join the American to gain regionalized partnerships."
The conference as a whole shares similar feelings about the value of the D-FW market.