Georgia Southern University has been referred to by students as “the real GSU.” According to the Sun Belt Conference reference guide, the university will be referred to by the media and announcers as GS.

The decision was handed down Tuesday by the Sun Belt in response to the addition of new teams to the conference. The Commissioner of the Sun Belt, Karl Benson, announced the regulation that affected four other teams in the conference.

“We’ve sent out a document to our member universities encouraging them to adhere to the reference guide even though it may not be what they normally or historically or traditionally have referenced,” Benson said in a news release.

The reasoning behind the name change was to assist announcers and other media outlets differentiate between the different schools in the Sun Belt. It is also important to note that the change does not affect current logos or uniforms.

To come to this decision the conference officials met with the member universities that say how they want to be referenced. The purpose behind the meeting is to establish how the member university defines its identity.

“Our member universities should be referenced as they want to be references, regardless of history or tradition or state guidelines,” Benson said in a news release.

Some GSU students are embracing the new change, thinking it will start a new tradition for future students to follow.

“I think its fine, I’m tired of people confusing us with Georgia State. It will be a new identity for a new conference,” freshman C.J Brzail said.

While some don’t mind the new abbreviation, most are passionately against the change.

“I don’t like it, we’ve been GSU for a long time and I think we should have had more input in the decision,” junior Brittany Klassen said.

“Our football team has been around much longer and when I came here we were known as the real GSU and I don’t want that to change,” freshman Paige James said.

The Eagles’ long-time rivals Appalachian State University were not exempt from the change. Formally known as ASU the reference guide now deems them to be referred to as APP.

The change will change how the media refers to GSU, not how the students refer to it. So whether a new tradition of GS or the old of GSU relies entirely upon how current students and alumni want it to continue.