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Kennesaw State football decision deferred

12:51 pm January 8, 2013, by Doug Roberson

Kennesaw State’s quest for football may have to wait for at least one more month.

Kennesaw State asked the State Board of Regents at today’s meeting to approve an increase in student fees of $100 per semester to support a new football team and other Title IX efforts.

However, a Regents’ subcommittee recommended earlier today that the plan receive further study. The Regents are scheduled to meet later today and could decide to go ahead and review the plan, or follow the committee’s recommendation. Ken Bernard, who chairs the finance committee, referred questions to Regents spokesman John Millsaps. It is not uncommon for proposals to receive further scrutiny before reaching the Regents. KSU President Dan Papp said that his university will work with the Regents, but declined to answer any other questions.

Kennesaw State’s proposed increase would 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 would go into effect for the Fall semester later this year.

The Regents are next scheduled to meet Feb. 12 and 13.

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.

This is the second time Kennesaw State has been stiff-armed by the Regents. They also weren’t able to get on the Nov. 2012 agenda.

Kennesaw State had a press conference planned for Wednesday. It has been cancelled.

– Doug Roberson, AJC.

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55 comments Add your comment

KSUMom

January 9th, 2013
9:38 am

I have a student at KSU and I would like to see another vote on the campus about football. As stated above the vote was taken years ago and current students, who didn’t have a vote, are paying for the football program. This fee is hitting my pocketbook because I help with living expenses. If students want something to do on the weekends, look at the club sports programs. Also, remember football is only in the fall. It’s not going to help your boredom the rest of the year.

KSUAlum

January 9th, 2013
3:57 pm

@Big J:

You’re right, this does stink of Mercer rather than GSU. Makes sense, as we are in the same athletic conference with Mercer in our other sports. They’d rather we get a later start to them so they can be more dominant? Perhaps.

Mercer sucks. And tell Erick Erickson I said so!

KSUAlum

January 9th, 2013
4:01 pm

@KSUMom: Sure, that’s totally sensible. In fact, why don’t we just have a vote every single year on whether we want football or not? Since each year brings in a brand new crop of students, right?

Listen, when I was a student I paid fees for stuff that I didn’t get a voice in either. When I was at KSU, there were no dorms on campus. But you know what? I paid fees every semester that eventually went to building them. When I was there, the Convocation Center hadn’t been built. The new arts building hadn’t been built. In fact a crapload of the new campus today didn’t exist when I graduated. But I sure as hell paid for them in fees. So cry me a river and then go complain about something legitimate.

Big J

January 9th, 2013
11:37 pm

Another student vote?? We just had one less than 2 years ago. Roughly 9,000 students voted, all a student had to do was log onto Ga View Vista and vote, and 55% of those that voted wanted football. As someone who played FBS football before leaving school to play professionally overseas, I like what football would bring to KSU. I am graduating this summer and I understand the added value that football recognition brings. Someone mentioned earlier about Ivy League and the Service Academies not relying on football to bring a ROI to those degrees, uh know your history. During the 1920’s-1950’s when those schools were booming and building a name for themselves, they did it by winning National title after National title in FOOTBALL.

@KSUAlum- I agree MERCER SUCKS :)

Alpha23

January 11th, 2013
12:07 pm

Wonder if Jessica Colotl voted for football?

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