Fifth Third Bank Stadium
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| Full name | Fifth Third Bank Stadium |
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| Former names | KSU Soccer Stadium (2010-2013) |
| Location | 3200 George Busbee Parkway, Kennesaw, Georgia 30144 |
| Owner | Kennesaw State University Foundation |
| Operator | Kennesaw State University |
| Capacity | 8,318 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 2010 |
| Opened | May 2, 2010 |
| Construction cost | $16.5 million |
| Architect | Rossetti Architects |
| Tenants | |
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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–present) |
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Fifth Third Bank Stadium (known as Kennesaw State University Stadium until 2013) is primarily used as the home for the Kennesaw State Owls men's football team. It was originally a soccer-specific stadium near Kennesaw, Georgia that opened on May 2, 2010, with the first match played on May 9. It was primarily used for soccer, and hosts lacrosse and rugby games. 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. The facility hosts the KSU women's soccer team; previously, it hosted the Beat, and hosted the 2010 WPS All-Star Game on June 30.
The stadium's capacity for soccer is 8,318. It has a stage at one end to facilitate concerts, and can hold up to 16,316 for that purpose.
When the stadium was announced, it was claimed to be the first major stadium in the world dedicated to women's soccer. Although the stadium is owned by KSU, it is not built on university land, allowing alcohol to be sold during Beat home games and concerts.
The bowl-shaped stadium –– built on 21 acres (85,000 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 & Recreation 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 completed its transition into NCAA Division I last year.
The 6.5 acres (26,000 m2) on which the stadium sits is part of 88 acres (360,000 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. Over the next few months, the remaining area around the new stadium will be developed into soccer fields, an intramural field, a track and nearly 5,000 feet (1,500 m) of nature and hiking trails.
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