Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43
Fifth Third Bank Stadium 3200 George Busbee Pkwy Kennesaw, GA 30144
Year Opened: 2015
Capacity: 10,200
Protect the Nest
After the program took flight in 2015, the Kennesaw State Owls spent seven seasons as members of first the Big South Conference (2015-2021), one season in the Atlantic Sun Conference (2022), and their final in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as an independent program. This year marks the Owls inaugural season as part of the Football Bowl Series (FBS), as they recently became members of Conference USA.
The Owls made quite the name for themselves in FCS, starting with seven straight winning seasons while capturing three Big South Conference titles, as well as four invites to the FCS playoffs.
The home of the Kennesaw State Owls, Fifth Third Stadium is a multi-purpose facility that also houses Kennesaw State’s soccer and lacrosse programs, along with the Atlanta United 2, Atlanta United’s developmental team.
Food & Beverage 3
Concessions are rather standard around the stadium – they are made up of hot dogs, nachos with cheese and salsa, soft baked pretzels, and popcorn; candy and chips are also available. The stands in the main seating area do have a few more options, including pizza slices and burgers. Coca-Cola products are the beverage of choice at Fifth Third Stadium.
There is also a rather extensive beer and cocktail menu offered here – besides the typical domestic beers, you can find the Kennesaw State-New Realm collaboration “Owl In” American Lager, in addition to the Hazy Like a Fox hazy IPA, also from New Realm. You can also find Avondale Estate, Georgia’s Emergency Drinking Beer, as well as canned cocktails from Long Drink and Good Days, plus White Claw seltzers.
Atmosphere 3
The exterior of Fifth Third Stadium uses black and yellow aluminum panels and steeply angled rooflines to give it an industrially modern feel. The home side stands to have an interesting setup, with a press box that resembles shipping containers. The press box configuration works well with the feel of the stadium, but it does obstruct the view of the field from the concourse.
The seating is primarily a combination of individual fold-down and molded seats. The home side seats are backed by suites, which sit below the level of the concourse, while the molded seats are found along nearly the entirety of the visitor’s side of the field, except the area reserved for the Kennesaw State band, the Marching Owls.
The southern end of the seating bowl has aluminum-backed benches and a corner section of high-top tables. Temporary bleachers are also brought in along the northern end, on what also doubles as a concert stage.
Stoppages in play are typically filled with ad reads, along with scoreboard games and interactive pieces, which have become commonplace throughout sports stadium experiences.
The owl theme permeates the game experience, as 1st Downs are celebrated by the stadium announcer calling, “That’s an Owl first down!” followed by a burst of the school’s fight song from the band, and capped by the fans letting out a “hooooooo” in unison. It is a fun way to pull the owl theme into the game presentation.
The stadium, on the whole, works just fine as a college football stadium but more exudes the feel of a high-quality soccer ground than that of an FBS-level stadium.
Neighborhood 4
Fifth Third Stadium is wedged between Interstates 75 and 575 to the east and west and sandwiched between Barrett Parkway and Chastain Road to the north and south. These are a collection of the area’s most traveled thoroughfares in the northwestern Atlanta suburb of Kennesaw, which is just under a mile from the heart of the Kennesaw State campus.
With so many food options in the area, there is sure to be something for all tastes. One of the more popular is the regional chain Taco Mac, which serves a refined pub-style menu with over 100 beers available on tap and in cans or bottles.
The area is surrounded by multiple shopping centers, restaurants, and hotels. With such a high concentration of shopping, food options, and lodging, visitors from out of town have just about everything they might need for a football weekend in Kennesaw, all within a mile radius of the stadium.
Kennesaw was the site of several battles during the Civil War, and much of that history is recognized throughout the area. The Southern Railroad Museum tells the story of the Big Shanty Train Chase, while Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield has a Civil War Museum of its own, along with miles of trails up and around Kennesaw Mountain – both of these would be possible options to fill time before evening kickoffs.
Fans 3
Owl fans do a decent job filling out the stadium every week. The size of the stadium does help in creating an atmosphere that does not feel cavernous, which might swallow up any potential excitement in a sea of empty seats. The student section as well, while modest in size, is still rather spirited and into the game.
What hurts the atmosphere fans can create here is that Conference USA is rather dispersed, with teams stretching across the southeastern states and into Texas and New Mexico – these distances can significantly impact the numbers of fans traveling. While this definitely is not on Kennesaw State, it can adversely impact the overall role fans in the stands can play in the overall experience.
Access 3
One of the challenges associated with KSU games is that a handful are played midweek or on Friday nights. Given Atlanta traffic, this can create difficulties simply getting to Kennesaw for a 7 pm kickoff. A secret to make getting to the stadium as easy as possible is taking the I-75 Peach Pass Lane, if possible – the Big Shanty exit leaves the easiest access to the parking areas at Fifth Third Stadium.
Most of the parking lots are just a short walk from the western main entrance to the stadium. To help with the foot traffic, an hour before kickoff, Busbee Parkway, just outside the facility, is shut down to allow waves of fans to easily cross the street. Before the street is shut down, though, crossing directly in front of the venue can be a bit dicey. Approaching via Big Shanty Road and crossing at the crosswalk at the intersection with Busbee is much easier, and this also leads directly to the southwestern gate for easy access.
Most fans will enter on the concourse that runs above the seating bowl, from the south end zone around to the northwest corner of the stadium. The remainder of the concourse drops down to field level and does become a bit awkward in spots where it involves passing through the visiting team as they make last-minute preparations for the game.
In general, the concourse at Fifth Third Stadium is spacious, leaving fans with plenty of room to move around. However, the far side, which houses a portion of the visiting fans, as well as the Kennesaw State student section, just does not seem as easy to navigate as the concourse across the way.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets start at $15 for end zone bleacher seats at the northern end of the field – these seats are pushed back a bit more from the field than their southern end zone counterparts, which start at $20. Seats along each sideline start at $34 and $50 at midfield, but on the plus side, there are no additional fees added to tickets, which is always since.
Parking at one of the satellite lots away from the stadium runs $15; when compared to parking for football games, this does seem to be a reasonable rate. Parking in the tailgating Black Lot does get a bit pricy at $48, but inside the stadium, prices seem to be consistent with what would be seen at other similar venues.
Kennesaw State allows fans to have the experience they are looking for at affordable rates.
Extras 4
In the backdrop of the tailgating area is a reminder of the school’s mountainous namesake. The outline of the ridgeline of Kennesaw Mountain, a rather modestly sized mountain at that, sits prominently in the distance.
A small strip of grass that separates the sidewalk from the stadium is home to Owl Town. Here, fans can grab a bite to eat or a drink or hang out and listen to live music before heading into the stadium.
Oscar the Grouch is a live owl that fans can have their picture taken with on the concourse. Oscar typically leaves before halftime, though, so visit him early.
Mascot Scrappy is a constant at just about all Kennesaw State athletic events, making his way around the stadium greeting fans, taking photos, and is a part of just about every aspect of the game.
Final Thoughts
The Owls have the smallest stadium in all of FBS, and it actually works in their favor. Being able to fill the stands with smaller crowds goes a long way in amplifying the overall atmosphere at Fifth Third Stadium. Several other teams throughout Conference USA might average more fans per game, but the game atmosphere at those venues can easily get lost in their larger stadiums with more emptiness.
As Kennesaw State football starts a new chapter in its relatively young history, it will need to continue to build its fan base to keep up as one of college football’s newest FBS-level programs. With in-state opponents Georgia State, Georgia Southern, and border rival Jacksonville State also relatively recent additions to FBS, it certainly is a situation that can create a fun and festive college football experience.
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