KSU looking forward to ASUN in 2022
Jul. 28—Kennesaw State coach Brian Bohannon said he is looking forward to having the Owls' football program transition to the ASUN Conference next season.
Right now, though, he and the team does not have the time to think about it.
Playing its last season as a member of the Big South Conference, Bohannon said the focus is on getting ready to start the season Sept. 2 when Reinhardt comes to Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
"We're in the transition period," Bohannon said during the ASUN's virtual media day Wednesday. "We're excited. What we've always wanted for KSU athletics is to have all sports under one umbrella. It allows us to build the brand and a better fan base. It will let us create some regional matchups that will be really good for us."
One of those regional matchups will be an annual game with Jacksonville State. The Owls and Gamecocks have faced off twice before, with Kennesaw State coming out on top in both games.
The first was in the 2017 Football Championship Subdivision playoffs when the Owls went to Jacksonville, Alabama, and won 17-7. The second came the following year when they met in the only football game to date to be played at Truist Park. Kennesaw State won 60-52 in five overtimes in what was considered one of the best games in the FCS that season.
"It will be something that will be a positive for both programs," Bohannon said.
While it be another year before KSU and North Alabama join Jacksonville State, Central Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky to form the first standalone version of ASUN football, commissioner Ted Gumbart said he has little doubt the conference will have an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, even if it is forced to play with just the initial five members.
"We are in the pool for the automatic qualifiers (this year)," Gumbart said of this year's setup of three ASUN teams. "No AQs have been awarded yet — that happens Monday — but if you are eligible, you will retain the automatic bid for two years if you drop to five teams. So, we don't need the sixth team until the 2024 season, but I'm confident we won't use those two years."
Gumbart did not want to get into detail about other potential additions to the ASUN, especially with the volatility in the current NCAA landscape.
McKenzie hired at Berry
Former Kennesaw State running back Jake McKenzie was recently hired as the new tight ends and halfbacks coach at Division III Berry College near Rome.
McKenzie had served as an offensive graduate assistant on the Owls' staff for the past two seasons.
Before becoming a coach, McKenzie was part of the original Kennesaw State signing class. He came to campus as a quarterback, then made the transition in 2016 to running back, where he played the remainder of his career.
McKenzie finished with 2,005 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, threw for 464 yards and two touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 266 yards and three more scores.
