KSU to present football plan to Board of Regents
Kennesaw State will present its financial plan for football to the State Board of Regents on Tuesday in the last step needed before the Owls can start the program.
If the Regents approve a $100 per-semester increase in student fees, Kennesaw State will make official at a pep rally on campus Wednesday what was first discussed in 2010 when the students approved the fee increase: a football team.
That rally, which will be held at the Convocation Center, may include the unveiling of a major donation, according to a person familiar with the Owls’ plan, but who wished to remain anonymous because the Regents haven’t given the green light.
The Owls hope to begin play as early as 2015. The person with knowledge of the plan said that if the Regents approve, athletic director Vaughn Williams will begin the search for a coach, whom he hopes to have hired by Signing Day in February. He also must begin the search for a conference on the FCS level, previously known as Division I-AA. The Atlantic Sun, the Owls’ home in all sports, doesn’t have football.
The team will play at the KSU Stadium, which seats slightly more than 8,000. The soccer stadium likely won’t be expanded, but there will be a renovation to the suites on the West side of the stadium. The stadium was constructed with the addition of football as a possibility, so there’s not a lot of work that needs to be done to make the stadium football-ready.
The team will likely practice in a field adjacent to the stadium, which is on the east side of I-75. Most of the campus is on the west side.
The increase in student fees will bring the total earmarked to athletics to $251 per semester. Multiplied by the university enrollment of more than 24,000, the increase is expected to cover the projected $3.5 million in annual operating costs for the football team. The fee will go into effect for the Fall semester later this year.
The university announced in Sept. 2010 that, after a committee chaired by former Georgia coach Vince Dooley spent 10 months examining the possibility, it was going to move ahead with adding football and hoped to field the first team by 2014. However, they weren’t able to get on the Nov. 2012 agenda, which has likely pushed back the program’s first season to 2015, at the earliest.
Doug Roberson, AJC staff
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94 comments Add your comment
blazerdawg
January 3rd, 2013
9:42 am
Go Owls! Hope to see you on Valdosta State’s schedule in the near future.
Buckhead Benny
January 3rd, 2013
9:48 am
Blazerdawg- They are going directly to 1-AA Herb Reinhard and the losers at VSU don’t have the gonads to go 1-AA- They enjoy beating up on the Quachita Baptists and wonder why they have 3k fans show up for home games and can’t understand why in the world would students and alumni not want to watch such a game at Valdosta High School-
Just makes you wonder when you see Mercer now, Ga. State, Shorter, Kennesaw State, Reinhardt College start football teams from scratch and build stadiums from scratch makes you wonder how in the world in AD like Herb Reinhard keeps his job at VSU-
Last I checked having good facilities for your football team should be a requirement for an AD to keep his job, fyi.
ben t
January 3rd, 2013
9:48 am
Let’s go Owls!!!!
JK
January 3rd, 2013
9:49 am
College football in Marietta, I’m game. Bring it on!
Cobb Owl
January 3rd, 2013
10:23 am
Bad news for Valdosta St., as well as Georgia St., Georgia Southern, West GA, etc. A school growing as fast as KSU will be a football powerhouse in no time. Go Owls!
Coach D
January 3rd, 2013
10:35 am
Yes!!!!
mad~catfish
January 3rd, 2013
10:37 am
why go to 1-aa with all the teams bouncing around why not go to 1-a like the sunbelt with middle-tennessee and others jumping to the big east to try and save it there is alot of room. ksu has the student body and the campus size. i mean they have more students than tech…smh i dont get it if your jumping in the game go all in.
blazerdawg
January 3rd, 2013
10:53 am
BB- agree with you about the VSU AD. Penny wise and pound foolish.
If Valdosta State does not go FCS in the future I hope they will at least schedule up with a couple of FCS teams. I have heard the argument that it hurts with regional rankings come playoff time if you lose- but they could win, and VSU has won three Natl Championships in the last eight years, so I believe that their rep should keep them high in the polls even if the Blazers lose to an FCS/FBS team.
Sure was fun and interesting when the Blazers were scheduling (and winning against) Central Florida, Florida Atlantic, GA Southern, UTEP, Troy, etc.
Need a stadium on Baytree or a reno to Cleveland Field in the worst way.
Anyway, would love to see Kennesaw State jump in and hope to go to a game in Cobb one day.
Georgia Regents is next – and they will certainly go D1.
VSU Alumnus
January 3rd, 2013
11:00 am
This sounds like the Georgia State board of two years ago. Please KSU don’t go that route and by that I mean trashing others before you ever take the field. Building a program takes time and a certain amount of luck. VSU was roughly a .500 team for 15 years until we got Hal Mumme and a short QB named Chris Hatcher. Georgia Southern got lucky early with the hiring of Erk Russell. But please stop the trash talk. We are too busy shining our most recent national championship trophy we won LAST MONTH. Good luck to you and go Owls and Blazers !
Eagle Nation
January 3rd, 2013
11:36 am
Owl – Hope y’all fair better than Georgia State. It would be nice to have an in-state rival. The Panthers won’t have a football team in 5 years. I know y’all folks up there in the Yankee outpost of the south have high regard for KSU and its growth potential, but what you probably don’t know is that Georgia Southern is growing quite rapidly as well – not to mention we have tradition, legitimate football facilities, a beautiful campus, and oh yeah…6 National Championships! Best of luck KSU! GO EAGLES!!!
Heisenberg
January 3rd, 2013
11:36 am
Word on the street is the Big East is looking to replace a few teams defecting to other conferences. lol
crash001
January 3rd, 2013
11:47 am
blazerdawg – be honest when you write….I am an Alumni of Troy and we haven’t played Valdosta State since my playing days in the 80’s, when Troy was DII in the GSC and you didn’t win then. Troy won 2 DII championships under Chan Gailey & Rick Rhodes. Valdosta State has waited too long not to move up therefore, continuing during what you do because Troy football program has moved on and has interest in scheduling the elite programs NOT Valdosta State.
Delbert D.
January 3rd, 2013
11:48 am
Good news; I hope the regents approve the plan.
Sanjeev
January 3rd, 2013
11:59 am
The regents will pass this fee, all that the politicking is done behind closed doors. Also can’t wait for KSU to stomp on Georgia State if they’re not too scared to play them. It would be a wise move to move to the SoCon. Easy driving distance for a majority of the schools for the fans of both teams.
mad~catfish – with a $3.5M budget no way they can compete at the FBS level. not to mention every single move so far with conference realignment has to do with media market. Where does Marietta rank? Charlotte doesn’t even have a team yet but got a FBS invite because of the media market. State’s record speaks for itself and they got picked too.
TheEagleWay
January 3rd, 2013
11:59 am
Best of luck to the Owls!
Veteran Fan
January 3rd, 2013
12:05 pm
This new AD at KSU seems way over his head when it comes to football. He has moved with glacier like slowness to implement this program! He has lost much of the excitement and enthusiasm generated by Coach Dooley’s committee! 2015 are you kidding me! The reccomendation and study was concluded in 2010 and it will take 5 years to put a team on the field! While they are looking for a coach, they might want to reopen a search for an AD as we have seen what a disaster the basketball program has become! Good luck KSU, you are going to need it!
potato
January 3rd, 2013
12:10 pm
Georgia Southern has an in-state rival. They’re called Savannah State. KSU’s rival is SPSU.
blazerdawg
January 3rd, 2013
12:21 pm
crash001 – reading comprehension must not be a part of the instruction at Troy. My post stated that it was fun and interesting when we played Troy, among others. I never stated any date or classification.
And for the record, Valdosta State has beaten Troy – in 1988, 1989, and 1990 in fact. All time the Blazers are 4-7 against you, so I understand why you would not want to schedule ol Dosta.
Apologies to the Kennesaw State folks for digressing on your board – go Owls! Hope you get a great coach. (consider Chris Hatcher)
Call It Like It Is
January 3rd, 2013
12:26 pm
Love it, the owls don’t even have a team yet and people are already talking smack! Southern Football it’s not life or death…….its more important than that.
Big Donnie
January 3rd, 2013
12:29 pm
Bad news for Ga Southern? JIGGA PLEASE!
crash001
January 3rd, 2013
12:30 pm
blazerdawg – good come back….I wanted to make sure you understand we have no interest unless you move up. Valdosta may have won 88 – 90 but you still have a losing record against the Trojans of Troy. OWLS good luck on your football program.
blazerdawg
January 3rd, 2013
12:34 pm
crash001 – I agree, if I were Troy I would not schedule a DII team either – part of the frustration some of us Dosta folks have with our own AD. Indeed Troy owns us, but that is why we would love to get another shot at y’all some day – those were good games with big gates. Good luck to the Trojans in the SBC next year.
will
January 3rd, 2013
12:40 pm
They should sell the naming rights to the football field and basketball arena to Hooters.
DaveDawg
January 3rd, 2013
12:43 pm
It’s a no brainer for KSU to go to the Southern Conference, and also a no brainer for the Southern Conference to admit a school from metro Atlanta. Georgia State going to the CAA never made sense and it likely killed their program’s new team excitement and momentum.
ManOfTeal
January 3rd, 2013
12:44 pm
Georgia Southern has also increased its student athletic fees in order to make itself ready for the transition into NCAA Division 1 (FBS). That’s BCS real deal football folks, and the Eagles are going.
So KSU could potentially take Georgia Southern’s vacated Division 1-AA (FCS) spot in the Southern Conference if the timing works out.
GeorgiaState1913
January 3rd, 2013
12:52 pm
@DaveDawg… Georgia State was only in the CAA for one season in football as we are now members of the Sun Belt. Having said that, you are probably right about that contributing to lack of support and momentum.
@CobbOwl… LOL. Powerhouse? Grow up. KSU will be stuck in FCS forever, and they will most likely be no better than your atrocious basketball program.
Jee S. You
January 3rd, 2013
12:55 pm
Uhh…DaveMutt, Georgia State was in the CAA for years before they announced football – you are right that it never made sense (just like FCS football was never going to work in downtown Atlanta), but going to the CAA had nothing to do with football.
Other than that, it is nice to see that the GaSots are still reeling from the idea that they will soon be an afterthought in their own state. (And ManOfTeal – FBS does not equal BCS. GaSo will be lucky to get an invite to the crap Sun Belt conference that Georgia State got invited to after two years of play).
Come on guys
January 3rd, 2013
12:56 pm
@ManOfTeal IF GA Southern moves up, it will be to the FBS, no a BCS AQ conference. Still have to get that invite first.
Best of luck to Kennesaw and hope you guys get the program started off right with a good coaching hire. Don’t count out what is happening down in Macon either. Mercer is building their program the right way and will see success quickly.
Also, http://www.gsu.edu.
Woody Paige
January 3rd, 2013
1:01 pm
Don’t worry. As long as KSU keeps an AD that is driving the department into debt faster than the politician in Washington are doing it to the country, the Owls won’t be flying anywhere anytime soon.
Woody Paige
January 3rd, 2013
1:03 pm
Doug, any word on if Vince Dooley is out in Arizona for the big game tonight?
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1345089824?bctid=609841851001
crash001
January 3rd, 2013
1:04 pm
blazerdawg – Yeah those were good games and I wished Valdosta and Georgia Southern both would move up. There is not a rationale for them not to, Valdosta State should atleast move to FCS. I see Jacksonville State is planning to move to FBS.
Oxwinkle
January 3rd, 2013
1:05 pm
An educational powerhouse and soon to be football powerhouse should be in the SEC, ACC or Big 10!
New KSU student
January 3rd, 2013
1:05 pm
Please host GSU panthers and kick their behinds!! Go Owls!!!
ManOfTeal
January 3rd, 2013
1:10 pm
@Jee S. You and Come on guys
Georgia Southern seems to prefer the Sun Belt conference from what I understand. It’s still Division 1, I’ll take it. Plus with Middle Tennessee State and Florida Atlantic moving to Conference USA in 2014 that frees up two spots in the Sun Belt
Although Louisville and Rutgers are leaving the Big East so, who knows?
It’s not a question of “if” Georgia Southern will get an invite, it’s a question of “when.”
Dawgfan
January 3rd, 2013
1:11 pm
KSU can’t make the jump straight to FBS because there are too many requirements that would be a major hurt on their finances. They would need a larger stadium as well as have to offer more scholarships if they were to compete in the FBS which due to Title IX would mean having to offer more sports opportunities & scholarships for female athletes.
Tommy
January 3rd, 2013
1:12 pm
Why are students allowed to vote on increases in fees? Most of this is paid by parents. If the parents were allowed to vote, you would probably have different results.
BrianSC
January 3rd, 2013
1:13 pm
They should go to the Big South Conference. New, but growing tradition in football. Very solid in all other major sports.
KSUAlum
January 3rd, 2013
1:15 pm
@GeorgiaState1913:
Our ‘atrocious’ basketball program is still the only men’s basketball program in the state with a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
Hootie Hoot
January 3rd, 2013
1:15 pm
Great news! Check out http://www.HowlingOwlSports.com and follow us on Twitter @KSUOwlHowl
kevrock
January 3rd, 2013
1:17 pm
former eagle from 80’s here- yes there is a rationale for not moving up. That is if they move up they will never compete for national championship. If they stay put they will always compete for national championship!
KSU Football imminent. - City-Data Forum
January 3rd, 2013
1:19 pm
[...] KSU Football imminent. KSU will propose their plan to the BOR and hopes to have a team by 2015. KSU to present football plan to Board of Regents | AJC Sports News Now [...]
KSU
January 3rd, 2013
1:22 pm
I cannot wait to pound Georgia State, that sad excuse for a football program. WE RUN THE ATL!
Really???
January 3rd, 2013
1:22 pm
Wow, seems like there’s some jealousy around VSU’s recent NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP on this board…
Before you go bashing VSU, consider that it’s been the starting point for some of the nation’s best coaches (Hal Mumme, Mike Leach, Kirby Smart, Will Muschamp, Dana Holgorsen, among others). Maybe KSU should shop some current coaches at this highly successful school!
Just a thought…
I played football at VSU from 1995-1997, and played with 6 future NFL players…there’s definitely no lack of talent in Valdosta! I ended up transferring to and graduating from KSU, so GO BLAZERS and OWLS!!!
james
January 3rd, 2013
1:24 pm
I feel for the students having to pay for a Football Team
with the $250 a semister fee. Its a bunch of crap that all of
these schools do this including UGA which makes millions…
Most D-1 schools are losing money and I don’t how small
schools can afford to have teams and stay out of debt?
Like Ga. State- Kennesaw will draw very few after the first
couple of years…. Just saying….
ManOfTeal
January 3rd, 2013
1:26 pm
@kevrock
As a former Eagle myself, having graduated in 2000, I would rather see them play in a nationally televised Division 1 (FBS) conference game than a Division I-AA (FCS) conference where they are lucky if any of their games are picked up on public broadcast cable channel during the season.
VoiceOfReason
January 3rd, 2013
1:26 pm
Go Owls!
5150 UOAD
January 3rd, 2013
1:29 pm
$251 per student per semester is a JOKE. Please keep buying those Lotto tickets to pay for KSU to have football through HOPE money.
What a WASTE of money when Education is the purpose of COLLEGE.
KSUAlum
January 3rd, 2013
1:31 pm
@james:
I don’t know, KSU has an opportunity to build the program in I-AA and I think the plan is to stay there for a good long time. We also have our own football facilities here; it may only seat like 8500 but it’s OURS, as opposed to having to try to draw crowds to the Georgia Dome for games. As well, our stadium is mere minutes from campus, and in a nice area. I think we’ll draw a decent crowd and be able to build on that. I prefer we take a Georgia Southern route and try to be competitive at I-AA for at least the first 20+ years of the program.
Paddy
January 3rd, 2013
1:31 pm
Mad-Catfish………Their stadium is way to small to even begin the process of paperwork to go Div1. If you don’t have the ability to draw 15,000 to 20,000 you can’t qualify.
kevrock
January 3rd, 2013
1:33 pm
manofteal,
I hear you but if we had been in 1-A when I played I would not have my two rings 85 and 86 just for the sake for playing on TV. Plus even if and when we are in FBS it would never be nationally it would be regional.Moreover they were on TV regionally this past year when we played GA. The only benefit is more money
wsj
January 3rd, 2013
1:33 pm
We’ll see. KSU was hot stuff in DII basketball and won the national championship. Now they are regularly stomped in DI. You have to do more than just field a team and show up when you play DI.
GSU
January 3rd, 2013
1:34 pm
The Sun Belt has been decimated and GSot still isn’t guaranteed a spot. Yet, they can certainly tell you whether or not GSU will have a program in 5 years. News Flash: GSU is FBS, and you’re a sub division 1 team. Buh bye!
Dr Hook and the Medicine Show
January 3rd, 2013
1:34 pm
Hey KSU Alum, your mens basketball team won that title 10 years ago… wake up. The great new coach they hired, that supposedly was to bec the savior, he is now 4-39 in his KSU coaching career.
KSU???
January 3rd, 2013
1:35 pm
I thought Kansas State University already had a football team. Oh, well.
KSU
January 3rd, 2013
1:44 pm
@GSU
If us and Southern are sub D1, then why are you still here?
Oh thats right, because you couldn’t win at this level and hold a grudge.
Enjoy the empty Dome.
Dawgington
January 3rd, 2013
1:46 pm
Georgia State is still sub-D1 IMO. Can anyone name a Sun Belt team? NOOOOOO!!! You beat your chest while you have earned nothing. We own this State.
5150 UOAD
January 3rd, 2013
1:49 pm
Sorry I’m not going to donate money to KSU for sports. I will continue to Attend Georgia Tech games. I might get a ticket or two to a KSU game but no way will I support KSU Football with my money. I like being a KSU Alum but I will not give money for athletics only academics.
jj
January 3rd, 2013
1:51 pm
KSU will draw a lot of folks who like college football, in a local environment. I will probably buy a season ticket just because it’s close and convenient, and I suspect there are a lot of people just like me.
Interesting how they raise $4.8 million in fees for football but only budget $3.5, I guess they figured we couldn’t read or do simple math.
KSU>Commuter State
January 3rd, 2013
1:52 pm
You feel that Georgia State… its time for KSU to take the Atlanta Market and OWN YOU!
Jimbo
January 3rd, 2013
2:00 pm
As a KSU alumni (grad school), I think they should go back to the old team name. That was the “HOOTERS”. Think of the fun you could have with that. What would the mascot look like? How about the cheerleader’s uniforms. HOOTERS is a name you can really get your hands on.
5150 UOAD
January 3rd, 2013
2:04 pm
KSU>Commuter State………………exactly How many KSU students LIVE on campus and Don’t Commute?
Animal Control
January 3rd, 2013
2:06 pm
Can’t wait to see my school dominate the football field! I will definately be a season ticket holder! Go Owls!
5150 UOAD
January 3rd, 2013
2:06 pm
KSU and football will be perfect for the new law in Kennesaw. If you provide drinks to underage people or know they have drinks on your property you will be arrested. Man that should make Friday night parties and tailgating fun.
Educator
January 3rd, 2013
2:13 pm
The continued demise of the educational system continues. Athletics has ruined the educational system in our country – K -12 and college. If we spent as much time on actual education and learning, we would still be leading the world in STEAM. Yes yes – you learn about adversity and teamwork – big whoop. You learn that in everything valuable in life. Athletics is simply a drain on the educational system and we are finding that the relentless training and strain on young bodies and minds is actually BAD for our young people. Wake up America! Athletics is no answer to anything – it is simply a diversion.
Educator
January 3rd, 2013
2:16 pm
Just read the macho, aggressive, inane come backs that are posted in this thread. Athletics and ignorance go hand in hand.
DownTownATL
January 3rd, 2013
2:21 pm
a KSU alum saying “we run the ATL”? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…. you barely run town center mall. good luck with the football program, Owls, just please don’t say you run the ATL.
Woody Paige
January 3rd, 2013
2:25 pm
DownTownATL: As someone that is a KSU alum (Summer 2012), I can vouch that they don’t even run Town Center Mall. There’s more signage in there for Valdosta State than there is the school three miles up I-75.
Lakerman
January 3rd, 2013
2:26 pm
hey KSU Alum… you might want to do your homework before making statements. KSU IS NOT the only school in Georgia with a men’s basketball national championship. There was also West Georgia in 1974 and Life in 1997, 1999 and 2000.
Stringer
January 3rd, 2013
2:26 pm
RE: The Kennesaw State Fighting Hooters
I think a ladies mud wrestling team would be more appropriate for KSU than a football team.
Don Carter
January 3rd, 2013
2:37 pm
The football mascot could be named Owl Gore!….good luck with the team!
Really
January 3rd, 2013
2:39 pm
Did someone really type that KSU will be a “football powerhouse” in no time? Really?
BariBlue
January 3rd, 2013
3:02 pm
Georgia State plays Division I FBS football and is a national research university… Kennesaw is not a threat. Best of luck to the Owls!
KSUAlum
January 3rd, 2013
3:05 pm
@Lakerman:
OK, I’ll give you West Georgia (though, what division did they win? Was it NAIA? Cause that BS don’t count and you know it).
But Life?! No, Life is not a legit school. Life does not count in this category. Life should be in the same sports category as the University of Phoenix.
KSUAlum
January 3rd, 2013
3:11 pm
Yeah, West Georgia won a basketball national championship in NAIA. So no, they don’t count. Life? Also NAIA. They don’t count.
KSU – still the only school in Georgia to win an NCAA men’s basketball NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
andy009
January 3rd, 2013
3:37 pm
month her income was $20729 just working on the computer for a few hours. Go to this web site and read more http://www.qr.net/j38ℤ
DaveDawg
January 3rd, 2013
3:42 pm
Mercer has the best chance of all of these new programs. (Of course, Mercer Bears football is not new at all, just been dormant.) With all of Middle Georgia to support it, the potential is there. Could be like Clemson in 20-30 years.
Like It Is
January 3rd, 2013
3:44 pm
Don’t complain about the rising cost of tuition and then turn around and pay $200 per school year for football. That same $3.5 million could be spent in better ways. I guess it’s all about priorities.
Disoriented
January 3rd, 2013
4:01 pm
I’m opposed to a new football program for one reason and one reason only. I don’t want to sit through the KSU women’s soccer games with football lines on the field. The soccer team deserves better!
GSU
January 3rd, 2013
4:04 pm
I’m here because I knew the Podunk crowd from GaSo would bring GSU into a conversation that had nothing to do with GSU. I respect what KSU is trying to do and I respect every program in this state besides those clowns in Statesboro. Nothing but a bunch of losers with an over-inflated value of their pee-wee titles, running the most basic of offenses. Get a grip!
You laughed when we said we were going FBS and have essentially been on your knees begging for an invite on every message board and/or blog since 4/9/2012. What happened to the WAC-E?…..LOL, buh bye!
VSU Alumnus
January 3rd, 2013
4:13 pm
Within 5 years there will be 5 super conferences and they will dominate all D1 NCAA sports. Due to this the NCAA needs to create a division between D1 and D2 for the KSU’s, GaSo’s, and Georgia States of the world.I would support VSU moving up under these conditions. In the 1-AA of today you sellout all other sports for football. In Valdosta we have won recent NC’s in tennis and softball. I want to be competitive in all sports.
kevrock
January 3rd, 2013
4:14 pm
Podunk? Losers? What? I have 2 National Championship Rings that last time I checked means winners. Could you imagine if Georgia no campus State played Georgia this year what the score and the stats would of been? Thats your rebuttal? Losers and Podunk? You sound like a jealous child
Disoriented
January 3rd, 2013
4:17 pm
First year program, stadium staying at 8,000 seats, addition of women’s lacrosse (Atlantic Sun), slow start getting the program started…….
I believe the Owls will continue to compete in the Atlantic Sun in all sports and join fellow members Jacksonville, Mercer and Stetson in the Pioneer Football League. Non scholarship, but automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. This is a good thing!
NotSam
January 3rd, 2013
4:26 pm
From a paying parent… Have you seen the cost of mandatory fees at KSU? They are about 1/3 of the tuition costs. Why are students in debt? Why are families unable to afford college? Think about all the fees. What’s more important, the education or the sports? I for one hate seeing $100 more added to each bill.
Contractor
January 3rd, 2013
4:29 pm
I feel as if it was a HUGE mistake to go with Adidas as their sponsor, considering Adidas is known for soccer and their continuous efforts to branch out to other sports has been slower than a turtle’s pace with not the greatest outcomes. It may sound like a small thing, but things just like this are what draws recruits, boost merchandise sales, and creates a buzz. If Kennesaw State would have gone with Nike, I feel as if the program would have quickly achieved a bigger name and offered more of a brand name to recruits with the equipment and free clothes acquire. I hope they get it together and do it the right way, but the athletic director at Kennesaw State has to make better decisions in order to support a football program that will eventually be worth a crap. He’s not grading out very well in my eyes at the moment. I do not want to see a nose dive like Georgia State has come to be.
VSU Alumnus
January 3rd, 2013
5:15 pm
@DaveDawg……..I must agree. I wish all the new programs well, but Mercer has the best chance of early success. Some of their alums have cut some huge checks for the new stadium and facilities. Their season ticket sells are going very well. I like the 1-AA non-scholly concept for a private school their size. Those will be real student athletes. Good luck Bears..
Football Lover
January 3rd, 2013
7:37 pm
Congrats to all of the KSU students and Alumni! There are over 20,000 students and thousands of alumni that live in the metro Atlanta area, which will support the new football program with their attendance and their financial support. I am personally excited about the addition of KSU football and can’t wait to buy my season tickets. This is the state of Georgia and we have more than 8 million people. We can support another D1 program and I look forward to the success of the program. Go Owls!
Realist
January 3rd, 2013
8:22 pm
Write this down. KSU will be battling Alabama for the BCS national title within 5 years.
Buckhead Benny
January 3rd, 2013
8:48 pm
Hell, I would like to see the state start funding some of these athletic ventures for these public schools like Ga. Southern, Kennesaw State, Valdosta State, etc like Alabama, and Missisippi and some other states do- The reason why is it ends up being a big money boost and gives your school great brand recognition and ultimately drives more students to your school-
I think it would be good if you had some other D-1 schools- Heck Alabama has Troy, UAB, Auburn, and Alabama and is a fraction of the size of Georgia- MS- Has Ole Miss, Southern Miss, and Missippi State- There should be at least 5 D1 schools in Georgia- UGA, Tech, Ga. State, Ga. Southern, and I think Kennesaw State will end up being there with 25k students and 10 years they can do it-
The state will need good facilities to keep good students and maintain them in state as well- Not saying break the bank but provide some type of loan assistance for capital projects that help fund stadiums, etc that end up creating a better student life environment-
Hell, if states with less money like MS and Alabama can do it no reason
GA can’t. Hell, lord knows my school Valdosta State could use the assitance just to build a D2 stadium.
Buckhead Benny
January 3rd, 2013
9:01 pm
http://www.kentucky.com/2012/04/01/2134910/college-sports-come-at-a-cost.html
link for State of Kentucky that directly funds athletics- I know State of Alabama does and so does state of MS-
Dr Hook and the Medicine Show
January 3rd, 2013
9:45 pm
Realist you are a complete idiot
5150 UOAD
January 4th, 2013
1:28 am
Is KSU still serving Beer at the games?
Jimmy
January 4th, 2013
6:15 am
This is one of the stupidest ideas ever for a school like Kennesaw. Football at this level is a financial black hole. Here Kennesaw has been making great decisions all these years and has grown into a great university. And now they are going to add football? You have got to be kidding.
Mooner
January 4th, 2013
2:07 pm
I am a big fan of Hooters.
Ergo, I miss Dagmar Midcap.
Mooner
January 4th, 2013
2:08 pm
Football brings in $$$$$$ to colleges and universities.
That is why they have teams.
Debate Teams?
Not so much.