KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 20, 2026

Kennesaw State University graduate Forest Callaway ’17 had known for years he was going to be in Portland’s Moda Center on Thursday night for the NCAA Tournament’s West Regional.

What he didn’t know, however, was that he would be welcoming his alma mater to his home venue and opening the doors for the members of Owl Nation who winged their way 2,300 miles to the Pacific Northwest. From alumni and donors to students and fans, many Owls were on hand Thursday as Kennesaw State took on Gonzaga in the opening round of March Madness, fresh off winning the Conference USA tournament championship.

Callaway first heard the news via a text from Zach Kerns, KSU’s associate vice president of campus operations.

“We have a lot of Gonzaga fans around here, and me being one of the few KSU people out here – when he told me that, I was like, ‘That's awesome!” said Callaway, the director of event production and conversion at the Moda Center. "I knew that I’d make sure I'm working that game so I can see everybody."

A Night Owl alumnus, Callaway has more company than he realized. According to the Office of Alumni and Constituent Engagement, of 158,000 living Kennesaw State alumni, more than 3,000 live on the West Coast – including more than 300 in Oregon, with 240 of those in the Portland area.

In addition to the players, coaches and support staff, a strong contingent of KSU supporters were on hand to watch the game with the third-seeded Bulldogs, including the cheer team, “The Hoo” pep band, and three of the KSU Bananas, a group of student super fans who cheer on the team while wearing their signature banana suits.

Owls fans were primed for an upset win over heavily favored Gonzaga, said longtime supporter Mel Clemmons, a member of the KSU Foundation Board of Trustees, whose son Chase is on the team. The Owls would eventually suffer a narrow defeat, losing to the Bulldogs 73-64.

But the growth was evident to Clemmons who, along with his family, have supported the program since former coach, the late Amir Abdur-Rahim arrived on the scene and took the Owls to their first NCAA Tournament trip in 2023.

Clemmons made the trip that year to Greensboro, N.C. for the Owls’ inaugural foray to March Madness. He said this year’s tournament appearance felt different.

“We have a lot more confidence this time – the players, the fans, Coach Antoine Pettway,” Clemmons said.

The Owls were able to connect with that 2023 team, because Chris Youngblood, a key starter that season, was able to meet with the current team. Youngblood is the first former KSU Owl to play in the NBA and is on a two-way contract with the Portland Trailblazers, and their G-League team, The Rip City Remix.

Arriving in Portland on Tuesday, KSU fans found that supporters of other teams recognized their Owls gear, unlike the first trip to the playoff tournament.

Collin Sheppard, a senior marketing major and one of the earliest members of the KSU Bananas, flew out Thursday morning for the game, along with fellow Bananas Connor Orlandi and Jonah Apple.

Sheppard also made the road trip to Greensboro in 2023 for the Owls’ first trip to The Big Dance. One of the highlights of that first round game against Xavier – also a narrow loss – was that fans of other teams in the tournament jumped on the underdog Owls bandwagon and joined in singing the KSU war chant.

Sheppard did some scouting of Gonzaga on the trip out West.

“I haven’t followed them this year, so I watched videos of them during the flight,” he said.  

When Kennesaw State joined Conference USA nearly two years ago, the shift from the Atlantic Sun was viewed in part as a competitive move to raise the profile of the University. So far, so good on that front.

In December, the football program captured the CUSA championship with a win over rival Jacksonville State, and KSU women’s track and field followed suit by claiming the CUSA indoor title in February. Last week, the men’s basketball team earned the conference title with three straight wins in the CUSA tournament.

Since joining Conference USA in July 2024, Kennesaw State has won five conference championships, including the men’s track and field indoor and outdoor titles in the 2024-25 season.

Despite their loss to Gonzaga, Owls fans remain faithful and hopeful for the future.

Sheppard and Clemmons both said KSU appears on its way to great things in the future, not unlike Gonzaga.

“They're always in the tournament pretty much every year; I can't even remember the last time that they missed the tournament,” Sheppard said.

That’s because the last time they missed it was in 1998, before Sheppard was born. And, the Bulldogs had never reached the tournament before 1995.

Clemmons believes the Owls will be back and are likely to become March Madness regulars.

“We’ve been here twice in the past four seasons, which is great for a program our size,” he said. “But we’re not done building.”

– Story by Gary Tanner

Photos by Katherine Seghers

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.