New Web site puts focus on SMSU sports programs

The Southwest Missouri State University athletics department in August unveiled a new Web site for SMSU athletics, according to a news release from the school.

The site, www.smsbears.net, features rosters and schedules for all 21 sports in SMSU's intercollegiate athletic program. In addition, the site will feature more graphics, photos and stories than the previous Web page. There also are pages and photos of SMS facilities, and site updates will be more timely.

The site was designed and is being hosted by Jason Planck and Sports Information Systems Inc., out of Peoria, Ill. Sports Information Systems also hosts Web sites for Bradley University, the Gateway Football Conference and the Missouri Valley Conference.

Biographies for each athlete and coach will be available on the site prior to their first game of the season.

Other special features on the site include links to the SMSU home page, ticket office, bookstore and the SMSU Bears Fund. Links to the university home page, the ticket office, the bookstore and the Bears Fund also are accessible on smsbears.net. Visitors to the site can link directly to the Web sites for the Missouri Valley Conference, the Gateway Football Conference and the NCAA. Media guides also will be available on the site.

"We're very excited about this opportunity to enhance the visibility of SMS intercollegiate athletics on the World Wide Web. This avenue is important for our fans, our boosters, the parents of our student-athletes, the athletes themselves, and our coaches and administrators," said Bill Rowe, SMSU director of athletics.

"It's also an important avenue for media personnel to gain information about our programs. It will help media in Springfield and southwest Missouri, and across the country, including the communities from which our athletes have come and the communities of the schools against which our teams compete. We like the look the new Web site has as it begins today, and we look forward to opportunities to improve and enhance it in the future."