Auto-Bid Conference ...

STATS.com said:

... University of North Alabama will join as an associate member beginning with the 2019 season. ...
The Big South's current football programs are Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Liberty, Presbyterian and associate members Kennesaw State and Monmouth.

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IdaGriz01 said:

... You may recall the Kennesaw State story: There was an outside chance they could have won the Big South auto-bid even though they had only 5 FCS wins. (Their 8 total wins included two D-II and an NAIA opponent.)

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Haley said:

Kennesaw State has posted winning records in both of its first two seasons as an FCS startup program. The Owls will try to take a step up in 2017 by playing a stronger 11-game schedule.

The Big South program played three sub-Division I teams in each of its first two campaigns. The Owls went 6-5 in 2015 and 8-3 this past season.

They will play only one Division II team next season, North Greenville, and face Samford, Alabama State and Montana State on the road in non-conference games. Six games will be home at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, where they are 9-3 overall.

"We're excited for what should be a very challenging schedule in 2017," coach Brian Bohannon said. "We will certainly test our football team with two road games in the first three weeks, including the season opener at Samford - a playoff team this season. It's a schedule that should prepare us well for the Big South Conference. I know our team is anxious to get back to work and build on what we accomplished this season."

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