September 2, 2026

In This Issue 

Kennesaw State Owls Campus Sports

Along with News from the

Conference USA (C-USA)

Kennesaw State Owls Open Season Thursday At Home

vs West Georgia

 Kennesaw State Owls (0-0, 0-0 CUSA)

vs West Georgia Wolves (0-1) UAC

Date: Thursday, September 3

Site: @ Fifth Third Stadium,

Kennesaw, GA



Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN+:Click Here

Play-by-Play: Nolan Alexander

Analyst: Caleb O’Neal
Analyst: Matthew Downing

Sideline Reporter: Lexi Bowden

Radio: KSU Owls Radio Network

Play-by-Play: Bryce Gaubert

Analyst: Brandon Sutton

Sideline Reporter: Carolyne Harris

Mobile Apps: KSU Owls App,

• Online: KSUOwls.com

• Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 970

KSU Game Notes: Click Here

WGU Game Notes: Click Here

C-USA Weekly Release: Click Here
Kennesaw State Preview - Click Here

WGU Preview - Click Here

Kennesaw State Sports: Click Here

Football Atlanta: Click Here

By Don Stone - KennesawStateSports.com

>>The Kennesaw State Owls kick off their highly anticipated 2026 college football season on Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 p.m., hosting the West Georgia Wolves in a landmark, first-ever meeting between the two Peach State programs.

>>For the reigning Conference USA champions, the game represents more than just a home opener. It is a chance to keep the magic alive after a historic 10-win season last year that saw the team execute the largest year-over-year turnaround in conference history.

>>Entering Year 2 under head coach Jerry Mack, KSU is protecting a fierce seven-game home winning streak.

>>“Protecting our home turf is the standard here,” Mack said at his weekly press conference. “We love the environment our fans create at Fifth Third Stadium, and starting the season with an in-state matchup adds an extra layer of energy. Our guys have been hitting each other all summer. They are ready to play someone else.”

>>The matchup features an interesting subplot: Kennesaw State’s brand-new backfield includes running back Latrelle Murrell, a high-profile transfer who crossed state lines directly from West Georgia. He joins Syracuse transfer quarterback Rickie Collins to lead an explosive, reloaded Owls offense. Interestingly, last year’s star QB, Amari Odom, transferred the other way to Syracuse in the offseason.

Click Here For The Full Story

Watch KSU Head Coach Jerry Mack's Press Conference Previewing West Georgia

>>"Always good when you get an opportunity to play someone from within the state. Really quality program. I know they started off a little rocky last week. They're 0-1 coming into this game.Traditionally, (UWG) has been extremely tough at the FCS level the last couple of years.

>>"We're excited to open up the season. We've had an amazing camp and offseason. We're looking forward to our guys being able to go out there and hit somebody else.

Who has been the biggest surprise for you on both sides of the ball?

>>"The offensive line as a group has been one unit that I wouldn't say necessarily a surprise. But, I've seen so much growth in that unit. We returned two guys that played for us last year. We've added three newcomers. They send a lot of time away from the building. We're just really impressed with the strides they've made the last three weeks.

>>"On the defensive side of the ball, one group I've been impressed with is our edges, our rushers. That whole room is entirely new. From the beginning of camp, that was going go be a question mark. Who was going to give us our sacks and be able to rush the quarterback.

Click Here To Watch Full Press Conference

KSU Soccer Heads To Alabama at Troy After Scoreless Draw

>>Continuing their stretch away from home, the Kennesaw State women's soccer team will look to jumpstart its offense against Troy University on Friday, September 4.

>>The match starts at 7:00 p.m. ET.
>>The Owls head into Friday night's matchup following a rigorous travel weekend that resulted in a hard-fought, scoreless 0-0 draw against Tennessee Tech in Cookeville this Sunday afternoon. KSU is 2-3-1 so far.

>>While Kennesaw State's defensive unit stood strong on the road to secure the clean sheet, the Black and Gold are eager to turn their possession into goals after struggling to find the back of the net in Tennessee.

>>Troy will present another tough environment for the Owls' second consecutive road test. The Trojans are expected to lean heavily on their home-field advantage to disrupt Kennesaw State's build-up play.

>>The Trojans also played last on Sunday. In their match, they lost in a back-and-forth affair 4-3 at Jacksonville. Troy is 1-4 on the season.
>>With conference play on the horizon, this weekend's clash provides a critical opportunity for the Owls to fine-tune their offense and capture a crucial victory on the road.

Men's & Women's Hoops Season Tickets Now on Sale!

>>Kennesaw State fans can get in on the action early for two highly anticipated teams as season tickets for both the men's and women's basketball teams are now on sale. >>The KSU men bring back an experienced team looking to defend its Conference USA title, while there is excitement surrounding the debut season of Tianni Kelly as the Owls' new head coach. 

Click Here For The Full Story

CUSA Weekly Release - Click Here

CONFERENCE USA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

(All times Eastern)

Thursday, September 3

Merrimack @ Delaware

7:00 p.m. Newark, DE (ESPN+)

West Georgia @ Kennesaw State 7:00 p.m. (Kennesaw, GA ) (ESPN+)

Saturday, September 5

Liberty @ James Madison

12:00 p.m. Harrisonburg, VA (ESPNU)

Missouri State @ Texas A&M

7:00 p.m. College Station, TX (ESPN)

Eastern Kentucky @ Jax State

7:00 p.m. Jacksonville, AL (ESPN+)

Sam Houston @ Troy

7:00 p.m. Troy, AL (ESPN+)

Murray State @ MTSU

7:00 p.m. Murfreesboro, TN (ESPN+)

Mercyhurst @ New Mexico State

9:00 p.m. Las Cruces, NM (ESPN+)

WKU @ Nevada - 10:30 p.m. Reno, NV

(CBS Sports Network)

Owls Volleyball Plays Thursday Night

at Georgia State

>>Kennesaw State volleyball is 3-0 to begin the season for the first time since 2018.

>>The Owls try to keep that going as they head to Atlanta tomorrow night to take on the Georgia State Panthers.

>>The highly anticipated matchup kicks off the GSU Invitational at 6:00 p.m. inside the GSU Sports Arena, marking the first time these two programs have met since 2017.

>>The Owls arrive in Atlanta riding a wave of early-season momentum. Kennesaw State is fresh off a perfect, dominant opening weekend at the Seahawk Classic in Wilmington, North Carolina, capped by a 3-0 sweep of Le Moyne to capture the tournament title.

>>Under the guidance of their coaching staff, the Owls will look to use their high-octane offense to spoil Georgia State's home opener.

>>Meanwhile, the Panthers have had the opposite results and will try to defend their home floor and bounce back from a tough 0-3 start on the road, which concluded with a hard-fought, four-set loss to South Alabama.

>>Despite the early setbacks, Georgia State boasts a balanced attack capable of making noise. In their last outing, Keionna Burt anchored the frontline with 12 kills, while dynamic scorer Amani Johnson paced the team with 16.5 points and four service aces. >>Setter Annelore Engels, who dished out a team-high 26 assists in their last match, will be tasked with orchestrating the offense against a formidable Owls block.

>>In the Owls's last match, KSU dominated offensively, hitting .429 for the match and limiting Le Moyne to a -.031 hitting percentage. Freshman Anna Ofenheusle led a balanced attack with nine kills, with Olivia Burrage adding eight kills on nine attacks without an error for an .889 hitting percentage. Haley Patterson and Ashlyn Anderson chipped in seven kills each.

>>The GSU Invitational is a co-hosted tournament between the two universities.

>>Following Thursday’s opening match in Atlanta, the action will split locations, with Georgia State travelling to Kennesaw on Friday before returning home to wrap up the weekend.

>>Local volleyball fans can expect an intense atmosphere as these nearby neighbors fight for early-season bragging rights in the Peach State.

Griffin's Game Set for Owls' Volleyball Home Opener Sept. 4 vs West Georgia

>>Kennesaw State will hold its annual Griffin's Game this Friday, Sept. 4, when the Owls take on West Georgia in their home opener in VyStar Arena.  

>>Griffin's Game, now in its 11th year, was created in honor of head coach Keith Schunzel and his wife Briana's son, Griffin, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2015. Griffin is now in remission and doing well, and his journey inspired the Schunzel family and the KSU volleyball program to create an annual tradition of supporting families facing childhood cancer. 
>>Each season, the KSU volleyball team selects a family to honor and support, helping ease the financial burden that often accompanies a cancer diagnosis. Over the past ten years, Griffin's Game has raised more than $130,000 for families in their fight against childhood cancer.

>>This year, Griffin's Game will honor Aliz Torres, a 13-year old girl from Woodstock, Ga.

>>Every ticket, T-shirt and acts of support helps support Aliz and her family as they continue this journey. We hope to see you at Griffin's Game as we come together to show Aliz that she has an entire community behind her. Also, a special thank you to the sponsors of Griffin's Game: One of a Kind, Atlanta Vibe, Rally Volleyball, A5 Volleyball, Brookstone Zaxby's, DCC, Mega Services and CURE Childhood Cancer.

Click Here For The Full Story