Kennesaw State University Football: A History of Rapid Ascent
The Kennesaw State Owls football program represents Kennesaw State University in college football. The Owls team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of Conference USA (CUSA). From its inception, the program has demonstrated remarkable growth and competitiveness, quickly establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with.
The Genesis of a Program
Kennesaw State had 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. The journey to establishing a football program at Kennesaw State University was a multi-staged process, reflecting careful planning and strong student support. 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. This clear indication of student interest fueled further exploration. In December 2009, KSU President Daniel S. Papp appointed a football exploratory committee headed by legendary University of Georgia coach, Vince Dooley. This appointment signaled the university's serious intent and commitment to building a successful program. KSU athletic director Vaughn Williams stated that KSU was targeting fielding a team for the 2014 season playing at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level formally known as I-AA.
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. KSU would thus have to either play as an independent or find a new conference to join, either for all sports or as a football associate. 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.
Early Success in the Big South Conference (2015-2023)
The program began playing games in the fall of 2015, with a 56-16 win against East Tennessee State. This inaugural victory set the tone for a program characterized by rapid development and ambition. 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.
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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. That made the Owls the first team to win the conference outright in back to back seasons since former member Liberty did so in 2007 and 2008. 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.
Transition to Conference USA and FBS (2024-)
The Owls have appeared in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs four times. A significant step in the program's evolution came with the announcement that Kennesaw State would join Conference USA (CUSA) in 2024-25 and transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). This move reflects the university's ambition to compete at the highest level of college football.
Key Moments and Achievements
- Inaugural Game (2015): A resounding 56-16 victory against East Tennessee State marked the beginning of the program.
- 2017 Big South Championship: The Owls achieved an undefeated conference record (5-0), securing their first conference title and an FCS Playoffs berth.
- 2018 Big South Championship: A second consecutive conference title solidified Kennesaw State's dominance in the Big South.
- FBS Transition: The move to Conference USA in 2024 represents a significant step forward for the program.
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tags: #kennesaw #state #university #football #history
