AUGUSTA, GA – The Peach Belt Conference and commissioner David Brunk are pleased to announce that Kennesaw State University will join the Peach Belt Conference as an associate member for Esports. KSU will begin full participation in the fall of 2020.
"We are very happy to welcome Kennesaw State as an Esports associate member," said commissioner Brunk. "I'd like to thank the president, Dr. Pamela Whitten, for her vision in establishing an Esports program at Kennesaw State and understanding the value that being a part of the Peach Belt Conference will bring. The addition of Kennesaw State to the Peach Belt further underscores the unique culture of Esports competition that we are cultivating and we can't wait to welcome the Owls this season."
Kennesaw State becomes the seventh associate member of the Peach Belt and grows its Esports roster to 17 teams for the upcoming year. Other associate members are Alma College, Coker University, Florida Southern College, Hawaii-Pacific University, Henderson State University and the University of Montevallo. KSU becomes the first NCAA Division I institution to join PBC Esports as an associate and now gives the league members at the Division I, II and III levels.
"This is an exciting time for Kennesaw State to join the world of Esports and bring an emerging sport to our campus," said Director of Athletics Milton Overton. "Esports is a great opportunity for our university to attract new students as we can continue to search for innovative ways to grow the footprint of our institution."
The PBC was the first NCAA conference to hold an Esports championship starting with the 2017-18 academic year. The league was also the first to partner with Riot Games, publisher of League of Legends, the most-played online game in the world, and the first to hold an in-person live conference championship. The PBC will enter year four of League of Legends in 2020-21 and is in talks to expand to other titles.
Kennesaw State is the third-largest university in Georgia and one of the top 50 in the nation. With a campus in Marietta, Ga., and the main campus in Kennesaw, Ga., KSU has an enrollment of nearly 38,000 students. KSU has held several on-campus events in conjunction with its robust Esports student organization and has a thriving student-driven gaming culture on campus; the 2020-21 season will be their first in this new level of intercollegiate competition.
Kennesaw State's addition to PBC Esports is also a homecoming of sorts; KSU was a full member of the Peach Belt from 1994 to 2005 before moving to the Division I ranks, winning four national championships as a part of the PBC.