There are 18 shopping centers in the United States with the name University Mall. That doesn't include the ubiquitous University Plazas, Centers and Squares. It seems that every college town, or town located within a 100-mile radius of a college, has a shopping center with University in the name.
South Parks, Gallerias and Town Centers also top the mall name game. Do the similarities of these malls end with the names? Or are they indeed clones? You be the judge.
While University Malls flourish in college towns across the country, the name is generally the last thematic link to the local school. Instead of developing an image around a mascot and school colors, these malls avoid the tie to the schools nearby. They seek to serve the students, faculty and the local trade area as shopping centers, not as extensions of the campus store.