Kennesaw State Owls to begin competing in 2015; fees expected to increase

Kevin Crawford
COM 3330 Student
April 18, 2013

KSU football program executives and management team are planning for the team to be ready for competition in Division I-AA as early as the 2015 season.

Starting in the 2015 season, Kennesaw State University will have an official football team, which has lead to an increase of the student athletics fee to $251 per semester. According to AJC.com, this fee will go into effect as soon as the Fall 2013 semester. This fee is being raised in order to accommodate the $3.5 million annual operating costs that the football team will be funded by. The Kennesaw State Owls football franchise has been in development for years, and will officially be launched by 2015, much in part due to these student fee increases that are expected to take place in the upcoming semesters.

Coach Bohannon

KSU Owls Coach Brian Bohannon says that football program will improve the community of Kennesaw, and make KSU a more legitimate university.

Announced in late March at a press conference held inside the Fifth Third Bank Stadium, Brian Bohannon was given the job of the first-ever KSU head football coach. During an interview, he stated that "Kennesaw State University has had this football program coming for a long time now. One of the things that every big name university needs to be taken seriously is a strong athletic pool of students, and one of the biggest components of that is a football team." Coach Bohannon continued and stated that “the KSU Owls franchise will not only impact the economy and community of Kennesaw positively, it’ll give a more legitimate status to Kennesaw State University as a whole."

Artwork by Micah Entrekin

KSU Graphics Art Major Micah Entrekin argues that the football program is too demanding in terms of the fees, taking away from other academic programs.

When approached about the topic of the Kennesaw State University football program, Graphics Art Major Micah Entrekin responded by saying "I think it’s a bit ridiculous how many fees we are already charged with, especially one that many students here don't even support."  Micah insists that the football program is one that not as important as others make it out to be, adding “The Visual Arts building is a perfect example. There are so many improvements and courses that could be added to really improve things around here, but instead were spending our money to fund another sports team? It’s such a waste of resources!” 

KSU Communications Major Erin Guthridge offers that although a football program could make a university stand out, it comes at a price. 

 

Although many students and citizens around Kennesaw are divided by this issue, Communications Major Erin Guthridge tells us that “the football program isn’t necessarily an entirely good or bad thing for KSU.” Erin, a student with a concentration in Media Studies, argues that the KSU football program can lead to a lot of long-term opportunities for future generations of students. “I think that the Kennesaw State football program can definitely approve the sort of mainstream appeal and attention that a growing college town like Kennesaw really needs. But everything comes at a price.” Guthridge continues, stating that “Do I think this is a fee that every student should have to pay no questions asked? Not at all, but the fact is, the people in charge Kennesaw State University will always do whatever it takes to make this college a more successful environment, even if that means raising tuition fees every so often. In the long run, maybe it’ll make this university a better place for parents to send their kids to school, and that’s what really counts at the end of the day.”