KSU students and sports fans are being offered an exciting opportunity to be involved this fall with the new “The Black and Gold”, a student-run group that supports all KSU Athletics.
The new group, planning to make it first appearance on Oct. 6 in preparation for Oct. 11, Flight Night, is an organization that has been created to provide students an opportunity to be involved at KSU, specifically with athletics, in a number of ways. With an official current count of 250 student members, The Black and Gold is a community that is open to new members who want to be a spirited presence both on campus and at the KSU athletic events.
“Our vision is to build a lasting fan group that will cement itself in KSU tradition. Black and Gold members will be the leaders of a movement to build Kennesaw spirit within the school and community,” said street team recruiter and promoter of The Black and Gold, Colin Ross.
Memberships for The Black and Gold are an affordable $14 a year or $45 for four years, and the benefits are well worth the price.
“Besides an amazing custom Adidas shirt (Adidas is the new provider of KSU NCAA athletics uniforms and gear) and chances to go on free away trips, participants will also have a The Black and Gold designated cheer section in the basketball gym, have the chance to participate in various The Black and Gold sponsored activities and have the freedom to build your own school traditions,” said Ross. An added bonus to all of these is the opportunity to build Priority Points within The Owls Fund.
The Owls Fund receives donations from alumni and others around the community. The Fund contributes to KSU Athletics by providing financial support for the various aspects of the Department of Athletics, including, but not limited to facility maintenance and overall general budgeting needs. The Owls Fund recognizes members of The Black and Gold as donors. This yields great benefits for participants. Simply put, for members of The Black and Gold, the more points you are able to earn the higher point ranking you will receive. When it comes to choosing both seating and parking for basketball and future football games, members with the highest number of points will have a chance for a priority pick. Students are encouraged to join early in their college career in order to start earning points that can be used after graduation.
Aside from joining the group, which yields 14 points alone, members earn points for each year of consecutive membership. Also, bonus points are awarded for each class year, with freshmen receiving five points, increasing incrementally by fives with seniors gaining 20 points. Additional opportunities to earn points arise during the year. These opportunities include service events, friend referral for The Black and Gold, serving on the groups’ executive board and more.
For those of you who missed The Black and Gold membership drive during the first week of classes, there are multiple ways to learn more and get involved. The support group created a group on Facebook for information and promotion, including a link to the membership inquiry form, as well as photos from group events. Those interested can also follow the group on Twitter @KSUBlackandGold for news feed and group updates. For further questions- contact Michael Riess- The Owls Fund and Black and Gold representative (contact information listed on the membership inquiry form) or visit ksuowls.com. Membership signups are also available at the ticket office located within the convocation center.
