The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia in September approved of the renovation of Kennesaw State’s Stillwell Stadium.
Stillwell Stadium, home of the Kennesaw State Owls baseball team, will undergo a $12.3 million renovation primarily funded through private donations, according to an announcement from KSU in a press release.
The overhaul project will include the installation of fresh turf, enhanced stadium lighting and new fencing, all aimed at creating a safer playing environment for athletes.
The new renovation also calls for an upgraded dugout, new press and media facilities and new concession stands. Additionally, it will include a seating capacity expansion, increasing to 1,500 from the current 1,200 seat capacity stated on the KSU Athletics website.
In an interview with The Sentinel, Head Baseball Coach Ryan Coe says the Stillwell Stadium renovation has been a long time coming for the program and university.
“It’s been something we’ve been working on for almost 30 years,” Coe said. “It helps having a nicer venue. We play a very good schedule. A lot of good teams come to Kennesaw to play, so it gives us more room to bring fans in.”
Coe said that the renovated stadium will lead to increased student attendance and additional funding for the baseball program.
“Kennesaw does a good job of funding our program already, but it definitely can’t hurt. We are working on trying to get a better student section and area specifically for students,” Coe said. “In the past, we have not had enough room for students. That’s something I’d like to incorporate in the new stadium.”
Stillwell Stadium was built in 1984, the same year Kennesaw State introduced its baseball program. The facility was named after Fred Stillwell, a longtime supporter of Kennesaw State who would frequently make donations to the athletic department, according to the KSU Athletics “Hall of Fame” webpage. He also contributed to the construction and development of the campus theater, the Howard Logan Stillwell Theater, named after his father.
The KSU Owls baseball team is currently competing in Division I, as they have won national championships at both the NAIA and Division II conferences before transitioning to Division I.
The team’s most recent victory was winning the Atlantic Sun Conference title in 2022, with a previous win in 2014.
A total of 73 former KSU baseball athletes have signed contracts to play professional baseball, with 11 of them achieving major league status.
Although there are no confirmed date as to when the renovation will start, it is set to align with KSU athletic’s transition into Conference USA in the 2024-25 academic school year.