The Kennesaw State Owls fields 16 varsity athletics teams, competing for Kennesaw State University. 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 compete in the ASUN Conference through the 2023–24 school year. In July 2023, KSU will start a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in advance of its move to Conference USA (C-USA) in July 2024. Of its 18 varsity sports, only women's lacrosse is not sponsored by C-USA. The school mascot is Scrappy the Owl.
The Kennesaw State Owls football represents Kennesaw State University in college football. The team began play in 2015 as a member of the Big South Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. In 2022, KSU's full-time home of the ASUN Conference launched an FCS football league, with KSU as one of its initial six members. After the 2022 season, KSU will start a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in advance of the school's 2024 move to Conference USA.
Fifth Third Stadium, known as Kennesaw State University Stadium until 2013, is a stadium near Kennesaw, Georgia, that is primarily used as the home for the Kennesaw State Owls football team as well as the KSU women's soccer and women's lacrosse teams. It was built as a soccer-specific stadium and opened May 2, 2010, with the first match played on May 9. The facility is the result of a public-private partnership between Kennesaw State University and the now-defunct Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer.
Sports in Atlanta has a rich history, including the oldest on-campus NCAA Division I football stadium, Bobby Dodd Stadium, built in 1913 by the students of Georgia Tech. Atlanta also played host to the second intercollegiate football game in the South, played between the A&M College of Alabama and the University of Georgia in Piedmont Park in 1892; this game is now called the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. The city hosts college football's annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the Peachtree Road Race, the world's largest 10 km race. Atlanta was the host city for the Centennial 1996 Summer Olympics, and Downtown Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park was built for and commemorates the games.
Brian Bohannon is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, a position he has held since the inception of the program in 2013. The Kennesaw State Owls began play in 2015.
The 2014–15 Kennesaw State Owls men's basketball team represented Kennesaw State University during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Owls, led by first year head coach Jimmy Lallathin, played their home games at the KSU Convocation Center and were members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. They finished the season 10–22, 4–10 in A-Sun play to finish in a tie for sixth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the A-Sun tournament to USC Upstate.
The 2015–16 Kennesaw State Owls men's basketball team represented Kennesaw State University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Owls were led by first-year head coach Al Skinner and played their home games at the KSU Convocation Center on the university's campus in Kennesaw, Georgia as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun). They finished the season 11–20, 7–7 in A-Sun play to finish in a tie for fifth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the A-Sun tournament to Florida Gulf Coast.
The 2015–16 Kennesaw State Owls women's basketball team represent Kennesaw State University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I Basketball Season. The Owls, led by fourth year head coach Nitra Perry. They play their home games at the KSU Convocation Center, in Kennesaw, Georgia and were members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. They finished the season 11–19, 6–8 in A-Sun play to finish in fifth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of A-Sun Tournament to Stetson.
The 2016 Kennesaw State Owls football team represented Kennesaw State University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Brian Bohannon and played their home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. They were second-year members of the Big South Conference. This season was the Owls second season of intercollegiate football. They finished the season 8–3, 3–2 in Big South play to finish in a tie for third place.
The 2016–17 Kennesaw State Owls men's basketball team represented Kennesaw State University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Owls were led by second-year head coach Al Skinner and played their home games at the KSU Convocation Center on the university's campus in Kennesaw, Georgia as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). They finished the season 14–18, 7–7 in ASUN play to finish in a tie for fourth place. As the No. 5 seed in the ASUN tournament, they defeated USC Upstate before losing to Florida Gulf Coast in the semifinals.
The 2017 Kennesaw State Owls football team represented Kennesaw State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Brian Bohannon and played their home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia as third-year members of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 12–2, 5–0 in Big South play to win the Big South conference championship. The Owls received the Big South's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, their first trip to the playoffs in school history. In the first round of the playoffs, the Owls defeated Samford in a rematch of their only regular season loss and marked the school's first ever playoff win. In the second round, the Owls upset No. 3 seed Jacksonville State to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, despite a furious second half comeback, they lost to Sam Houston State.
The 2018 Presbyterian Blue Hose football team represented Presbyterian College in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Tommy Spangler, in his second stint as PC head coach, as he coached the Blue Hose from 2001–06. The Blue Hose played their home games at Bailey Memorial Stadium as a member of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 2–8, 0–5 in Big South play to finish in last place.
The 2018 Kennesaw State Owls football team represented Kennesaw State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Brian Bohannon and played their home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia as fourth-year members of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 11–2, 5–0 in Big South play to win the Big South conference championship for the second consecutive year. The Owls received the Big South's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs. The Owls earned a No. 4 seed and a first round bye. They defeated Wofford in the second round before losing in the quarterfinals to No. 5 South Dakota State.
The 2018 Campbell Fighting Camels football team represented Campbell University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Mike Minter and played their home games at Barker–Lane Stadium. They were first-year members of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 6–5, 1–4 in Big South play to finish in fifth place.
Justin Sumpter is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Kennesaw State University and attended Sandy Creek High School.
The 2019 Kennesaw State Owls football team represented Kennesaw State University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Brian Bohannon and played their home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia as fifth-year members of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 11–3, 5–1 in Big South play to finish in second place. The Owls received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs. They defeated Wofford in the first round before losing to Weber State in the second round.
The 2020 Kennesaw State Owls football team represented Kennesaw State University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Brian Bohannon and played their home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia as sixth-year members of the Big South Conference.
The 2021 Kennesaw State Owls football team represented the Kennesaw State University as a member of the Big South Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Brian Bohannon, the Owls played their home games at the Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.
The 2022 Kennesaw State Owls football team represented the Kennesaw State University as a new member of the ASUN Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Brian Bohannon, the Owls played their home games at the Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.
