KSU eager to get pro soccer team

Soccer is growing in popularity in Cobb County, and that spurs interest in locating a professional soccer stadium near Kennesaw.

“Gwinnett has already got the Gwinnett Center and the complex for AAA baseball. It would be great if we could get this in Cobb County,” said Steve Butler, North Cobb High School assistant principal and athletic director.

About 75 students play on North Cobb’s soccer teams, which have gone to the playoffs more than six times.

“Anything that increases exposure to the sport of soccer is a good idea,” Butler said.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is seeking a Major League Soccer franchise. Cobb is a likely location for a proposed 20,000-seat stadium but Gwinnett County is being talked about, too. A 50-acre site under option by the Kennesaw State University Foundation would be the ideal location, said Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens.

At Kennesaw State University, students are drawn to the idea of a pro soccer stadium shared with KSU’s proposed football team.

Students in his class support the plan, said Joe Draughon of Villa Rica, a sophomore sports marketing major. One school of thought is that a fledgling football team would be weak, and professional soccer would give students an exciting sport to watch and bring in big-time players from Europe, he said.

Mostly, students are thinking about a combination pro soccer-KSU football complex. “That would be the best thing,” said Jerrad Reason of Douglasville, a KSU freshman.

A combination stadium that supports KSU football could be a financial boost to the program and to students’ pocketbooks.

Catie Crawley of Kennesaw, a graduate student studying public administration who played intramural soccer, said she would support a pro soccer team.

“It would work out for everybody’s benefit, especially if it’s shared with Kennesaw State,” Crawley said. “They’re bumping up our fees to start up a football team. If they were to split the cost of it, that should bring the cost down for everybody.”

Kim Peay and Robin Gray of Kennesaw hope there is support for the franchise being in Cobb County.

Gray, whose two sons played soccer, said she definitely would attend pro games. “My main concern would be if there are enough people to support it,” she said.

The land will be developed one way or the other, Peay said. “I’d rather see it go for something that will benefit the community,” she said.

Kennesaw Mayor Mark Matthews sees the stadium as a stepping stone for Cobb County’s talented soccer players who could go from community teams to high school and college soccer teams right into the pros without ever leaving the county.

Soccer has been growing for years in Kennesaw, he added. That’s part of the reason Cobb and Gwinnett are being considered for the pro soccer stadium’s location — increased interest in the sport and a growing Hispanic population.

“We welcome the opportunity to explore any soccer complex,” said Cobb County Commissioner Tim Lee. The speculative site is within District 3, which he represents.

David Gorman of Woodstock, a KSU senior marketing major, played soccer in his youth. “That’d be cool. I’d go. I’ve never seen a pro game,” Gorman said.