Kennesaw State received conditional approval from Georgia’s Board of Regents on Wednesday to move its athletic programs to Conference USA, launching its football program to the NCAA’s highest and more lucrative level of competition.
The one condition the university must meet is a demonstration of support from student and faculty governing bodies and other community members. Then, University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue can sign off on the move.
Other details of Kennesaw State’s potential shift from the ASUN to Conference USA have not been disclosed, and there was little discussion of the move during this week’s Board of Regents meetings held at Dalton State College. ESPN reported that the school is expected to join its new conference in 2024.
Shifting conferences would affect all Kennesaw State athletic programs, but a move to Conference USA carries significant weight for football. The team would bump from the FCS to the FBS, joining Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State and Georgia Southern as FBS schools from the state.
Conference USA has recruited several new members as other schools have left or made plans to leave amid recent upheaval in conference alignments across the country. If Kennesaw State joins in 2024, it would be the 10th member. By then, Conference USA schools could stretch from New Mexico to Virginia.
Kennesaw State launched its football program in 2015 and quickly found success. The team reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs in 2017 and 2018.
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