KSU Convocation Center

For what it is, the KSU Convocation Center is an okay basketball arena for a school (Kennesaw State) that just completed its move to NCAA Division I athletics last year. KSU has a mid-​major basketball program and is a member of the Atlantic Sun conference. Like other mid-​majors, KSU’s basketball arena is small with a capacity of 4,600. It’s also home to the school’s women’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams. It opened in 2005.
I was in attendance last night when a record crowd of 4,784 filled the gymnasium to watch Kennesaw State’s first ever home basketball game against a school from one of the six «power» conferences (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-​10). The arena does not have a JumboTron, ribbon board, or box score or stat displays. Instead, it just has a simple LED display for the score, fouls, and timeouts remaining for each team, and a one-​sided shot clock above either backboard. What the arena lacks in technology is more than made up for by the raucous students and fans who come to support their beloved Fighting Owls. As you can imagine, because of the smaller size of the venue, it’s easier for the fans to make the environment loud and even intimidating for the opposition.
This certainly proved the case as the Owls beat my Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in convincing fashion. The Convocation Center has a good sound system and funny owl hooting sound effects were played throughout the duration of the game. The lower level of the arena is reserved chairback seating, while the upper deck is general admission (sit anywhere) bench seating (no backs). Concession prices are a bit cheaper than bigger college campuses (e.g. only $ 2 for a hot dog instead of $ 4). It was a drafty building and some people got so chilly that they left at halftime to get jackets from their cars. Free parking was available in the school’s large parking decks.
While not as big or fancy as the arenas that belong to many of the major college programs, the KSU Convocation Center is just fine for the Fighting Owls.