Kennesaw State University Athletics: Building Rivalries and Achieving Success

Kennesaw State University (KSU) has rapidly grown its athletics program, establishing itself as a competitor across various sports. Starting from its early days in the NAIA to its current status in NCAA Division I and transition to Conference USA (CUSA), KSU has fostered rivalries and celebrated numerous achievements. This article explores the development of Kennesaw State's athletic program, highlighting key rivalries, milestones, and the university's commitment to athletic excellence.

From NAIA to Division I: A Rapid Rise

Kennesaw State's athletic department was founded in 1983, initially offering nine sports, including women's basketball, men's soccer, and men's & women's cross country and track and field. The program began competition in the Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GIAC), part of the NAIA. After spending ten years in Division II's Peach Belt Conference, the university fully transitioned to Division I status in the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the beginning of the 2009-10 season. All of Kennesaw State's sports teams competed in the Atlantic Sun Conference through the 2023-24 school year, except that football competed as an FCS independent in the 2023 season only. In July 2023, KSU started a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in advance of its move to Conference USA, which happened in 2024.

Baseball: Building a Foundation of Success

Kennesaw State's baseball team began play in 1984 as an NAIA program. Jim Nash was the team's first head coach, leading them to a 30-20 record. In 1985, the Owls hired John Barrett, who guided the team to the NAIA District 25 Tournament with a 31-24 record. Chip Reese, who coached for five seasons (1986-1990), led the Owls to four appearances in the NAIA District 25 Tournament. Steve Givens coached the team in 1991, leading them to another appearance in the NAIA District 25 Tournament.

The hiring of Mike Sansing in 1992 brought stability and success to the program. In 1994, the Owls achieved a school-high record of 48 wins and went undefeated in the postseason, winning the NAIA World Series final against Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Moving to Division II and joining the Peach Belt Conference in 1995, the Owls continued their success, winning the conference with a 19-4 record and advancing to the NCAA South Atlantic Regional after winning the Peach Belt Tournament. In 1996, the Owls won the NCAA Division II World Series, defeating St. Joseph's in the championship game. From 1997 to 1999, the Owls made three straight appearances in the Division II World Series. The program transitioned to Division I in 2006. In 2011, the Owls defeated No. 8 Georgia Tech. In 2012, they reached the A-Sun Championship game. The 2014 season was particularly successful, with the Owls winning their first A-Sun Championship and advancing to the NCAA Regional in Tallahassee.

Basketball: Growth and Championship Glory

Beginning in the 1985-86 season, the Kennesaw State Owls basketball teams began play as an NAIA team, competing in the GIAC conference. The Kennesaw State Owls basketball teams currently play NCAA Division I basketball in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The team was formed in the Convocation Center on the campus of KSU. Preston took a leave of absence in January 2014, citing personal and medical reasons. Preston was replaced by Jimmy Lallathin on an interim basis for the remainder of the 2013-14 season. On February 21, 2019, Skinner announced his resignation from Kennesaw State effective at the end of the season. In 2023, men’s basketball won its first ASUN championship and showcased its talents nationwide in March Madness.

Cross Country: Consistent Performance

Kennesaw State's men's cross country team is currently coached by David Poteet. In the 2009 season, the Owls finished first in five of their eight meets, including a first-place finish in their conference at the A-Sun Cross Country Championship. The men ended the 2009 season finishing eighth at the NCAA South Region Championship. The women's team finished first in four of their seven meets in the 2009 season and finished second in their conference at the A-Sun Cross Country Championship.

Women's Soccer: A History of Success

Kennesaw State started women's soccer in 2002. In their first year of competition the school finished 18-0-1 and earned a trip to the national tournament. The following year Kennesaw State won the Division II National Championship. 2004 was the start of the transition to Division I and during the 2006 season, the Owls won the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title. On November 5, 2009, the KSU Owls defeated Jacksonville in overtime. This win put the Owls in the finals versus Belmont on November 7, 2009. In the finals, Jade Dempster found the net with a penalty-kick goal in the 87th minute lifting Kennesaw State to its second Atlantic Sun Women's Soccer Championship in three seasons with a 2-1 victory against Belmont. The Owls opened a new home in 2010. KSU and the Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer entered into a public-private partnership to build the new Kennesaw State University Soccer Stadium, now known as Fifth Third Bank Stadium, near the KSU campus. The facility, which opened on May 2, 2010, has been home to the Owls ever since. The Beat played there until WPS folded after its 2011 season.

Softball: National Champions

The softball program was founded in the fall of 1983 by Gary Wiseman, with the intent to compete in both slowpitch and fastpitch. The Lady Owls began intercollegiate softball in 1985, with head coach Medra Ashmore leading the way. In 1987, Scott Whitlock began coaching the Lady Owls. In his first year with the Owls, Whitlock guided the team to a 36-5 record, and captured the Georgia Conference Championship. Following the 1990 season, the Owls made a seamless transition from competing in slowpitch to fastpitch. They went on to a 41-11 record in 1991 and made an appearance in the NAIA World Series that year. The following three years (1992-1994), the Owls dominated their conference again, with records of 46-8 (1992), 41-6 (1993), and 48-4 (1994). In 1995, the Lady Owls jumped from NAIA to NCAA Division II, where they competed in the Peach Belt Conference. In their first year of competition at the Division II level, the Owls posted a 53-5 record, en route to winning the National Championship. In their first year of Division I play, the Owls went 38-17 and tied for second in the Atlantic Sun.

Track and Field: Conference Dominance

The Kennesaw State track men's track team won the Indoor & Outdoor Conference Championships in 2008 and 2010.

Volleyball: Achieving Conference Honors

In the 2010 season, the volleyball team won nine out of ten Atlantic Sun Conference matches, finished in second in the A-Sun, and had four student-athletes receive All-Conference Honors. Head Coach Karen Weatherington was named A-Sun Coach of the Year.

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Football: A Program on the Rise

Kennesaw State has considered adding a football team at various points in its history. The school had concluded a feasibility survey which affirmed it would be possible to have Division I football. On November 9, 2007, a survey was administered by the Student Government with 77.6 percent of respondents voting in favor of starting a football program. In December 2009, KSU President Daniel S. Papp appointed a football exploratory committee headed by legendary University of Georgia coach, Vince Dooley.

KSU presented its plans for the football program to the State Board of Regents on February 13, 2013, and on February 14, KSU officially announced that the State Board of Regents had accepted its proposal for the football team. At the time that football started play, KSU was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, which would not sponsor football until the 2020s. On September 3, 2013, KSU announced that it would join the Big South Conference as a football-only member to begin play in the 2015 season. In 2016, the Atlantic Sun and Big South agreed to an alliance between the two conferences where football-playing schools in both conferences were part of one Big South conference for the sport.

The program began playing games in the fall of 2015, with a 56-16 win against East Tennessee State. In the program's fourth year of existence (third season played, as the 2014 season was practice only and every player took a red shirt) the Owls won the 2017 Big South Championship, going 5-0 in conference play. Kennesaw State received the conference's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs in both those seasons, in 2017 as an unseeded team the Owls hosted Samford in a rematch of the season opener, Kennesaw avenged the early season loss and went on the next week to upset the third-ranked Jacksonville State Gamecocks. At the time that was the best win in program history. After the huge win the Owls traveled to sixth-ranked Sam Houston State for the quarterfinals, the Owls lost the game 34-27, but had a huge swing of momentum heading into the 2018 season.

In the 2018 season the Owls opened at fifth in both polls, the highest in program history. Kennesaw lost its third-straight season opener, a road loss to nearby Georgia State. It was the program's first game against an FBS team and ended with a 24-20 loss at GA State Stadium (formerly Centennial Olympic Stadium and Turner Field). After the setback the Owls did not lose again, winning 11 games in a row. After a 56-17 road win against Gardner-Webb, Kennesaw was voted to the number two spot in both the FCS STATS and coaches' polls, behind only North Dakota State. Just like in 2017, Kennesaw finished 5-0 in the Big South, winning a second consecutive conference championship. The regular season was completed with a win against Jacksonville State at SunTrust Park. A five-overtime shootout ended in a 60-52 Owl victory that is now regarded as the most exciting in school history. Holding a 10-1 regular season record, Kennesaw received a first-round bye as the fourth seed in the FCS playoffs. In the second round the Owls hosted the Wofford College Terriers, winning 13-10. The Owls lost in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row the following week at home against South Dakota State. At the conclusion of the 2019 season, in which Kennesaw was 11-3, the Owls tallied a 48-15 total record from the start of the program. KSU football is the winningest startup program in college football history along with three conference titles and four NCAA Playoff appearances.

Conference USA: A New Chapter

In October 2022, Kennesaw State announced that it would join Conference USA (CUSA) in 2024. This move signifies a step forward for the university's athletic programs, providing increased visibility and competition on a national scale. Kennesaw State's athletic programs, except for women's lacrosse, will be sponsored by CUSA.

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Building Rivalries

As Kennesaw State has grown its athletic program, several rivalries have emerged. Some of the notable rivalries include:

Jacksonville State: The football team has had several memorable games against Jacksonville State, including a five-overtime shootout in 2018.
Georgia State: A nearby FBS team, the annual football game is a tough road loss for the Owls.
ASUN Conference Teams: Competing in the Atlantic Sun Conference, Kennesaw State has developed rivalries with other schools in the conference across various sports.

Commitment to Excellence

Kennesaw State University's commitment to athletic excellence is evident through its investments in facilities, coaching staff, and student-athlete development. The university provides resources and support to help its athletes succeed both on and off the field.

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