Something that is under-appreciated by many Kennesaw State students is just how close we are to Atlanta. Not only is Atlanta a hub for entertainment, we have quite a few sports teams, and future sports teams, that are going to make the city that much more enjoyable. From the newly formed Atlanta United to the continued success of the Atlanta Falcons and Hawks, these sports teams should draw the attention of the Kennesaw area, and specifically the student body at KSU. The next two years are going to be huge for all sports fans in Atlanta, with the city’s new additions and future success. Here are five things Kennesaw sports fan should be excited for in the next two years:
1. Atlanta United FC – The Atlanta United FC is the city’s new professional soccer team; set to play their first game in 2017. Owner Arthur Blank plans on building a team that is capable of competing for the MLS Cup from the start. They aren’t able to begin signing players until this summer, but Blanks is known to spend money to get big named players. It’s going to be exciting to see who they draw into the new franchise. Not only that, but the United already hold the MLS record for season-ticket holders with over 26,000 fans paying their deposits to secure tickets.Their new training facility was just recently finalized to be built in Marietta. To further encourage the community, the team plans on hosting opening training sessions and tournaments. They really want to make sure that the community is involved, so the team will also be offering different youth development programs and tournaments.
2. Atlanta Blaze – This April, we will officially have a Major League Lacrosse team, the Atlanta Blaze, lead by Head Coach John Tucker. The Blaze received the first three picks in the recent draft, and ironically enough, all three played together for the Boston Cannons. The team’s home field is Fifth-Third Bank Stadium, and it will host the team’s first game on April 23. Tickets are available for $30 on the team’s website.
3. Mercedes-Benz Stadium & SunTrust Park - The Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC are about to have one of the most expensive and high-tech stadiums in all of sports. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set to open for the Falcons home opener in 2017, holding a top capacity of 75,000 fans. The stadium will have a retractable roof, which will display the world’s largest video board. This 360-degree video board will bring an experience fans have never had before. With it being one of the most high-end stadiums, it was recently selected to host the College Football Playoff National Championship and one of the finalists to host the Super Bowl in 2019 or 2020. The Braves also plan on moving to a new $1.1 Billion stadium, that’s also opening in 2017. SunTrust Park is now going to be located in Cobb County, off the Windy Hill exit. That’s only 15 miles away from the KSU campus! The new stadium includes a mixed-use development and plaza that’s going to include a hotel, retail shops and restaurants.
4. Braves / Falcons / Hawks – Atlanta fans haven’t had much success recently when it’s come to championships, but we do have three solid franchises. The Braves are in a rebuilding stage, but they have a bunch of new prospects and young players in their organization. The Falcons started off the year perfect at 5-0 before finishing the season 8-8, just barely missing the playoffs. There’s a lot to look forward to with first-year head coach Dan Quinn. They need to make some changes in the defense and offensive line if they want to be Playoff contenders. Julio Jones was the team’s MVP this year, recording the second most reception yards ever in a season. It’ll be interesting to see who the Falcons draft this season, as well as whom they sign this off-season. In my opinion, the Hawks give us the best chance at winning a championship. Ever since Coach Budenholzer took over as head coach three seasons ago, the Hawks have been a playoff contender each here with him at the helm. Currently, they are fourth in the Eastern Conference and have the potential to make a deep run in this year’s playoffs. After being swept in the Conference Finals last season, the team wants to prove they are a championship caliber team.
5. Owls Football – One thing that I will cherish especially far beyond my college years was being able to witness the Kennesaw States inaugural football season. An impressive end to the season saw the Owls 6-5, starting off the season 3-0. Comparatively, the East Tennessee State Buccaneers ended the season 2-9, after losing their home opener to the Owls 56-16. KSU opens up the 2016 football season at home against ETSU on September 3. Both being first-year programs, their development throughout the next few seasons will be continually scrutinized and compared.
