Kennesaw State Launches Georgia's First Integrated Parasports

Kennesaw State University is adding para-track and field, wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball to its Division I athletic department.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Special Education

Kennesaw State Launches Georgia's First Integrated Parasports

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Kennesaw State University is launching Georgia's first integrated parasports program, fully incorporated within its athletic department. Para student-athletes will have access to the same resources and support services as other athletes.

Why it matters

The program gives para student-athletes in Georgia a Division I pathway with the same resources available to other athletes. Its phased rollout signals that more sport offerings are anticipated as it grows.

Para-track and field and wheelchair tennis begin in fall 2027, and men's and women's wheelchair basketball follow in fall 2028. Prospective para student-athletes can complete an interest form on the KSU athletic website, while additional sports remain to be announced.

The players

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw State University is a public university in Kennesaw, Georgia, and a member of the NCAA Division I athletic conference structure.

Cale McDaniel

Cale McDaniel is the announced coach for the program's para-track and field team at Kennesaw State University.

Matt Emery

Matt Emery is the announced coach for the program's wheelchair tennis team and also leads the university's men's and women's tennis programs.

The details

Cale McDaniel will coach para-track and field, and Matt Emery will coach wheelchair tennis while continuing to lead the men's and women's tennis programs. The program is being introduced in phases within the university's Division I athletics environment.

Fall 2027: para-track and field and wheelchair tennis begin.
Fall 2028: men's and women's wheelchair basketball begin.
Coming months: additional program details to be announced.

Season Trajectory

The launch extends a broader push to widen Division I athletic opportunities to athletes with disabilities, a shift now reaching Georgia's flagship public university system. Its phased rollout suggests the parasports model may expand as sport offerings grow.

Prospective para student-athletes in Georgia can complete an interest form on the Kennesaw State athletic website to learn about the new teams. Families and students weighing college options now have a Division I parasports pathway within the state.

The takeaway

Integrated Division I programs can give para athletes the same resources and support as their peers, and Georgia families now have an in-state option to consider. Watch for the upcoming announcements on sports and program details.

What happens next

Additional sport offerings and program details are to be announced in the coming months, and para-track and field and wheelchair tennis begin in fall 2027.