Fifth Third Stadium

{{Infobox venue

| stadium_name = Fifth Third Stadium

| nickname = "The Fraction"

| image = File:Fifth Third Stadium.jpg

| image_size = 275px

| fullname = Fifth Third Stadium

| location = 3200 George Busbee Parkway, Kennesaw, Georgia 30144

| coordinates =

| broke_ground =

| built = 2010

| opened = May 2, 2010

| renovated =

| expanded =

| closed =

| demolished =

| owner = Kennesaw State University Foundation

| operator = Kennesaw State University

| surface = PlayMaster hybrid{{cite web|url=https://news.kennesaw.edu/stories/2018/fifth_third_field_turf.php|title=Cutting-edge field rolled out at Fifth Third Bank Stadium|publisher=Kennesaw State University|date=June 6, 2018|access-date=July 15, 2022}}

| construction_cost = $16.5 million

| architect = Rossetti Architects{{Cite web|url=https://www.rossetti.com/work/project/kennesaw-state-university-soccer-stadium|title=Fifth Third Bank Stadium at Kennesaw State University|publisher=Rossetti Architects|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806034827/https://www.rossetti.com/work/project/kennesaw-state-university-soccer-stadium|archive-date=August 6, 2021}}

| structural engineer =

| services engineer =

| general_contractor =

| project_manager =

| main_contractors =

| former_names = KSU Soccer Stadium (2010–2013)
Fifth Third Bank Stadium (2013–2023)

| tenants = Kennesaw State Owls (NCAA)
Women's soccer (2010–present)
Women's lacrosse (2013–present)
Football (2015–present)
Atlanta Beat (WPS) (2010–2011)
Atlanta Blaze (MLL) (2016–2018)
Atlanta United 2 (MLSNP) (2019–present)

| seating_capacity = 10,200

| record_attendance = 11,040 (Football: Kennesaw State vs. Louisiana; September 7, 2024)

| dimensions =

| logo_image = FTStadiumLogo_2024.png

}}

Fifth Third Stadium, known as Kennesaw State University Stadium until 2013, is a stadium near Kennesaw, Georgia, that is primarily used as the home for the Kennesaw State Owls football team as well as the KSU women's soccer and women's lacrosse teams. It was built as a soccer-specific stadium and opened May 2, 2010, with the first match played on May 9. The facility is the result of a public-private partnership between Kennesaw State University and the now-defunct Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer.{{cite news|url=http://www.ajc.com/news/cobb/ksu-hopes-to-raise-462143.html |title=KSU hopes to raise profile with new soccer stadium |first=Ralph |last=Ellis |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=2010-04-15 |access-date=2010-04-25}}

The stadium's seating capacity is 10,200. It has a stage at one end to facilitate concerts and can hold up to 16,316 for that purpose.

Stadium

The bowl-shaped stadium –– built on {{convert|21|acre|m2}} of land east of the Chastain Road exit off of Interstate 75, about a mile from Kennesaw State’s main campus –– is the latest addition to the KSU Sports & Entertainment Park, which opened in fall 2009 to expand the university’s facilities for intramural and club sports. The stadium will help showcase varsity athletics at KSU, which recently completed its transition into NCAA Division I.

The {{convert|6.5|acre|m2}} on which the stadium sits is part of {{convert|88|acre|m2}} acquired for the university by the KSU Foundation in 2008 and 2009, which now are being developed into athletics facilities for the university’s growing student population. The remaining area around the new stadium has been developed into soccer fields, intramural fields, a rugby field, and a track and nearly {{convert|5000|ft|m}} of nature and hiking trails.

Football

In September 2010, KSU announced that it planned to launch a football program at the Division I FCS level in 2014, and would use the stadium as its home field.{{cite news|url=http://www.ajc.com/sports/kennesaw-state-plans-to-614102.html |title=Kennesaw State plans to field 2014 football team |first=Ken |last=Sugiura |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=September 15, 2010 |access-date=September 26, 2010}} On February 14, KSU announced that the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the University’s request to add football to its 17-sport NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics program.{{cite news|url=http://ksuowls.com/news/2013/2/14/FB_0214135708.aspx |title=TOUCHDOWN! Kennesaw State University to Start Football Program in 2015 |publisher=Kennesaw State University Athletics |date=February 14, 2013 |access-date=February 14, 2013}}

On September 12, 2015, Kennesaw State played their first home football game at Fifth Third Bank Stadium with 9,506 in attendance, defeating the Edward Waters Tigers, 58-7.{{Cite news|url=https://ksuowls.com/news/2015/9/12/FB_0912153233.aspx|title=FB: Owls Excite Home Crowd in 58-7 Victory Over Edward Waters|date=September 12, 2015|publisher=Kennesaw State University|website=ksuowls.com|author=Jake Dorow}}

Soccer

The facility was home to the Atlanta Beat in 2010 and 2011, and hosted the 2010 WPS All-Star Game on June 30. Pro soccer returned when Atlanta United 2 of the USL Championship moved to the stadium for the 2019 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/977326|title=ATL UTD 2 Announces Move to Fifth Third Bank Stadium|publisher=USL Championship|date=December 14, 2018|access-date=December 14, 2018}} The stadium hosted a 2019 CONCACAF Champions League match where Atlanta United FC defeated C.S. Herediano 4–0 on February 28, 2019,{{cite news|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/atlanta-united-4-herediano-0-2019-concacaf-champions-league-recap|title=Atlanta United 4, Herediano 0 {{!}} 2019 Concacaf Champions League Recap|date=February 28, 2019|access-date=July 15, 2022|publisher=Major League Soccer|website=mlssoccer.com|author=Dylan Bulter}} and a U.S. Open Cup match between Atlanta United and Chattanooga FC on April 20, 2022, which Atlanta won 6–0.{{cite web|url=https://thecup.us/2022/04/23/2022-us-open-cup-round-3-atlanta-united-begin-delayed-title-defense-with-blowout-of-chattanooga-fc/|title=ATLvsCFC 04-20-2022|publisher=Atlanta United FC|date=April 20, 2022|access-date=July 15, 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-united/dwyer-leads-atlanta-united-into-next-round-of-us-open-cup/A6TIRUU6NBG2LKE2JNX3HOEGTY/|title=Dwyer leads Atlanta United into next round of U.S. Open Cup|date=April 20, 2022|access-date=July 15, 2022|publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|website=ajc.com|author=Doug Roberson}} Atlanta United have won all eight of the matches the team has played at the stadium.

Rugby

The stadium hosted a round of the 2013–14 IRB Women's Sevens World Series on February 15–16, 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.usa.rugby/2013/08/atlanta-s-fifth-third-bank-stadium-to-host-women-s-sevens-world-series/|title=Atlanta's Fifth Third Bank Stadium to host Women's Sevens World Series|date=August 22, 2013|access-date=July 15, 2022|publisher=USA Rugby|website=usa.rugby|author=Chad Wise}}

The second half of a home-and-home series of rugby matches between the United States and Uruguay as part of the qualification for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, was played here on March 29, 2014. The United States won the match 32–13 to win the qualification spot on a two-match aggregate of 59–40.{{Cite web|title=Official RWC 2015 Site|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330023343/http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/matches/match%3D14450/index.html|url-status=dead|url=http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/matches/match%3D14450/index.html|archive-date=March 30, 2014|publisher=Rugby World Cup|date=March 29, 2014}}{{cite web|publisher=This Is American Rugby|title=Eagles RWCQ Home Leg Set For Atlanta|date=October 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029050345/http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2013/10/eagles-rwcq-home-leg-set-for-atlanta.html|archive-date=October 29, 2013|url=http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2013/10/eagles-rwcq-home-leg-set-for-atlanta.html|url-status=dead}}

The stadium hosted the United States when they played Georgia on June 17, 2017. The Eagles lost to Georgia 17–21.{{cite web|url=https://www.usarugby.org/match/29442-usa-eagles-v-georgia/|title=Georgia wins in Georgia, Eagles held off late|website=usarugby.org|date=June 17, 2017|access-date=August 30, 2017}}

=USA Eagles Internationals=

USA scores displayed first.

class="wikitable"

! Date

! Opponents

! Final score

! Competition

! Attendance

29 March 2014

|{{ru|URU}}

| 32 – 13

|2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying

|6,197{{cite web |title=2015 RUGBY WORLD CUP QUALIFIER - Atlanta, 29 March 2014, 15:00 local, 19:00 GMT |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/203925.html |website=espnscrum |access-date=1 May 2021}}

17 June 2017

|{{Ru|GEO}}

| 17 – 21

|2017 June rugby union tests

Renovation and renaming

Through a multimillion-dollar, multi-year sponsorship agreement with the Fifth Third Bank's Georgia regional office, KSU Stadium was renamed Fifth Third Bank Stadium with the addition of Division I football in February 2013. Campus facility plans in 2016 suggested expanding the stadium's capacity, but as of June 2018, Kennesaw State University had not funded the plan.{{cite news|url=http://theksusentinel.com/2018/06/04/master-plan-beginning-to-take-shape-funding-uncertain/|title=Master plan beginning to take shape, funding uncertain|publisher=The Sentinel|website=theksusentinel.com|date=June 4, 2018|access-date=July 15, 2022|author=Rio White}}

Top 10 attendance records

class="wikitable" !style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Kennesaw State Owls\|color=white}}" \|Rank !style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Kennesaw State Owls\|color=white}}" \|Attendance !style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Kennesaw State Owls\|color=white}}" \|Date !style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Kennesaw State Owls\|color=white}}" \|Game Result
align="center" \| 1	11,040	September 7, 2024	Kennesaw State 10, Louisiana 34
align="center" \| 2	10,847	September 28, 2024	Kennesaw State 13, UT Martin 24
align="center" \| 3	10,436	October 7, 2023	Kennesaw State 20, Tennessee State 27
align="center" \| 4	10,108	August 31, 2023	Kennesaw State 38, Tusculum 7
align="center" \| 5	10,029	October 4, 2024	Kennesaw State 24, Jacksonville State 63
align="center" \| 6	9,556	October 26, 2021	{{small\|15}} Kennesaw State 14, North Caroline A&T 0
align="center" \| 7	9,506	September 12, 2015	Kennesaw State 58, Edward Waters 7
align="center" \| 8	8,803	October 15, 2016	Kennesaw State 21, Liberty 36
align="center" \| 9	8,799	September 15, 2018	{{small\|7}} Kennesaw State 62, Alabama State 13
align="center" \| 10	8,670	November 7, 2015	Kennesaw State 14, {{small\|15}} Charleston Southern 28

References

List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums

Notes and references

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20091218073750/http://www.ksuowls.com/sports/2009/12/11/WSOC_1211094142.aspx New Soccer Stadium]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100417095546/http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/atlanta/stadium/info.aspx Stadium information] from Atlanta Beat
[http://ksuowls.com/news/2013/2/14/FB_0214135708.aspx Football team announcement]

{{succession box

| title = Host of the Women's College Cup

| years = 2011

| before = WakeMed Soccer Park

| after = Torero Stadium

}}

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Category:College football venues in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:College lacrosse venues in the United States