Conference USA adds Kennesaw State as new member

Conference USA officially announced on Friday that it will be adding Kennesaw State as a new member. KSU is the latest school to make the jump from FCS to FBS and will officially join the league in 2024. ESPN’s Pete Thamel initially broke the news of the jump.

Located in the Atlanta exurb of Kennesaw, GA, Kennesaw State started its football program in 2015 as part of the Big South Conference in FCS. Under the guidance of inaugural head coach Brian Bohannon, the Owls experienced success almost immediately, winning three Big South titles and making the FCS playoffs four times. They made the jump to the ASUN this season but will now follow contemporaries like conference mate Jacksonville State up to FBS.

As for Conference USA itself, this move will bring its future membership to 10 and keep the conference alive for the foreseeable future. The league took a major blow in last year’s wave of conference realignment, losing Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss to the Sun Belt and Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA to the AAC.

Alongside Kennesaw State, C-USA will be adding the likes of Liberty, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State, and the aforementioned Jacksonville State to its ranks. There’s also the possibility of them reaching down into FCS for more FBS hopefuls like Eastern Kentucky.