<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000950134-01-501566
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<ITEMS>7
<FILING-DATE>20010511
<FILER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>RENT A CENTER INC DE
<CIK>0000933036
<ASSIGNED-SIC>7359
<IRS-NUMBER>481024367
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>DE
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
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<FORM-TYPE>8-K
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-25370
<FILM-NUMBER>1631051
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>5700 TENNYSON PARKWAY
<STREET2>THIRD FLOOR
<CITY>PLANO
<STATE>TX
<ZIP>75024
<PHONE>2144192613
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>13800 MONTFORT DRIVE
<STREET2>SUITE 300
<CITY>DALLAS
<STATE>TX
<ZIP>75240
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
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<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>RENTERS CHOICE INC
<DATE-CHANGED>19941128
</FORMER-COMPANY>
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<TYPE>8-K
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>d87202e8-k.txt
<DESCRIPTION>FORM 8-K
<TEXT>

<PAGE>   1

================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                -----------------


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


               Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):

                                  MAY 11, 2001



                                -----------------

                               RENT-A-CENTER, INC.
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)




DELAWARE                             0-25370                   48-1024367

(State or Other Jurisdiction       (Commission               (IRS Employer
of Incorporation)                  File Number)            Identification No.)



                              5700 TENNYSON PARKWAY
                                   THIRD FLOOR
                               PLANO, TEXAS 75024
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)


                                 (972) 801-1100
                             (Registrant's telephone
                          number, including area code)


                                    NO CHANGE
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)



================================================================================

<PAGE>   2

ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS

        A copy of the Registrant's press release, dated May 11, 2001, announcing
        that the federal court in Kansas City, Missouri, denied the plaintiffs'
        motion for class certification in the matter of Murray, et al. v.
        Rent-A-Center, Inc., is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is
        incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS.

        (a)      FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF BUSINESSES ACQUIRED.

                 Not applicable.

        (b)      PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION.

                 Not applicable.

        (c)      EXHIBITS

        99.1     Press release, dated May 11, 2001.


                                      -2-

<PAGE>   3



                                   SIGNATURES


         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                       RENT-A-CENTER, INC.




DATE:  May 11, 2001                    BY: /s/  MITCHELL E. FADEL
                                          --------------------------------------
                                          Mitchell E. Fadel
                                          President



                                      -3-

<PAGE>   4
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

<TABLE>
EXHIBIT
NUMBER         DESCRIPTION
-------        -----------

<S>            <C>
 99.1          Press release, dated May 11, 2001.
</TABLE>



</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.1
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>d87202ex99-1.txt
<DESCRIPTION>PRESS RELEASE DATED MAY 11, 2001
<TEXT>

<PAGE>   1

                             For Immediate Release:

                               RENT-A-CENTER, INC.
                           CLASS CERTIFICATION DENIED
                                 IN MURRAY CASE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


PLANO, TEXAS, MAY 11, 2001 -- Rent-A-Center, Inc. (the "Company")
(NASDAQ/NNM:RCII) today announced that the federal district court in Kansas
City, Missouri denied plaintiffs' motion for class certification in Brian
Murray, et. al. v. Rent-A-Center, Inc. The Murray case, filed in May 1999,
alleged various claims of racial discrimination in the Company's hiring,
compensation, promotion and termination practices on behalf of a purported
nationwide class. The court's ruling limits the case to the eight individual
plaintiffs' claims, subject to their right to appeal the court's decision.

"The court's ruling is a very favorable development in this ongoing matter,"
commented J. E. Talley, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The
court agreed with our long-standing position that this matter should proceed on
individual claims only, which we believe are without merit."

Rent-A-Center, headquartered in Plano, Texas, currently operates 2,198
company-owned rent-to-own stores in 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
The stores offer high-quality, durable goods such as home electronics,
appliances, computers, and furniture and accessories to consumers under flexible
rental purchase agreements that allow the customer to obtain ownership of the
merchandise at the conclusion of an agreed-upon rental period. ColorTyme, Inc.,
a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is a national franchisor of 342
rent-to-own stores, 330 of which operate under the trade name of "ColorTyme,"
and the remaining 12 of which operate under the "Rent-A-Center" name.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties. Such forward looking statements generally can be identified by
the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect,"
"intend," "estimate," "anticipate," or "believe," or the negative thereof or
variations thereon or similar terminology. Although the Company believes that
the expectations reflected in such forward looking statements will prove to be
correct, the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to
have been correct. The actual future performance of the Company could differ
materially from such statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such
differences include, but are not limited to, the risks detailed from time to
time in the Company's SEC reports, including the Company's annual report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000 and the Company's quarterly report on
Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2001, and the results of the Company's
litigation. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press
release. Except as requested by law, the Company is not obligated to publicly
release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect the events
or circumstances after the date of this report or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events.

CONTACTS FOR RENT-A-CENTER, INC:

Mitchell E. Fadel, President
(972) 801-1114
mfadel@racenter.com

Robert D. Davis, Chief Financial Officer
(972) 801-1204
rdavis@racenter.com

Peter J. Bates, Vice President - Finance
Director of Investor Relations
972-801-1205
pbates@racenter.com


</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
