By Mason Wittner (Staff Writer)
Tents lined the outskirts of the campus green as music blared and people fraternized with one another in anticipation of the main event. Kennesaw State University took another large step in its athletics program on Thursday, Aug. 28 as Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams unveiled the inaugural football uniforms and logo the team will be sporting in 2015 as they take the field for the first time.
The ceremony’s audacious presentation represented the emotion and excitement of a student body and community eager to kick off football in Kennesaw.
Three mannequins were displayed each sporting a primary gold helmet with the linked K-S logo on either side. Three different combinations accompanied the helmets as gold jersey on white pants, white jersey on gold pants and black jersey on black pants displays stood respectively.
The outcome for the event was a brilliant display of passion and support from the local community.
“It’s been unreal,” said head football coach Brian Bohannon on the support his football team has received. “When you talk about almost ninety percent of your season tickets are sold out, that’s amazing. This community is great and that’s what make it special.”
As for the uniforms themselves, they appeared to be received with unanimous approval. They have already been used successfully as eye candy in recruitment.
“The uniforms are great and they’ve played a big part in our recruitment,” coach Bohannon commented. “You could just see the players eyes light up when they saw them.”
With the various combinations released, there is not yet a definite set uniform that the Owls will sport regularly. “I think we can change up what we wear at times to engage the fans and the community and get them excited,” said Bohannon.
Early plans of color-out games do, however, appear to be in the works for the near future.
“We don’t have that [color-out game] planned out yet, but we’ll definitely do that because we want to get the fans and community involved,” Bohannon said. “One thing we want to do is brand ourselves with black and gold and Kennesaw State. It’s who we are and what we’re about, and we want everyone to know that we stand for the K-S on the side of the helmet.”
In addition to the uniform unveiling, an instillation of Black and Gold Fridays is on the verge and bringing excitement to campus.
“Black and Gold Friday is simply designed to drive the colors forward and make sure everyone wears black and gold,” stated KSU President Dr. Daniel Papp.
“I believe every institution is about spirit and pride, it’s about wearing your colors,” replied Williams when asked about Black and Gold Friday. “Obviously all throughout the South and around America, Friday is about wearing your school’s colors. We will continue to take pride and it has shifted to where we where we are wearing more of our schools colors. Black and Gold Fridays are about continuing to show our pride every week.”
The first official game won’t be until next fall, but the Owls will take part in a homecoming scrimmage Oct. 11 and their first annual spring game next semester.
