Kennesaw State Opened Hornet Hub Facility in Marietta
The new 12,000-square-foot facility replaces outdated structures to support student racing and engineering teams.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Motorsports
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Kennesaw State University has officially opened the Hornet Hub on its Marietta campus. The facility provides modern workspaces for student competition teams, including KSU Motorsports and Night Owl Racing.
Why it matters
The new center replaces aging structures from the 1970s and 1980s that no longer met the infrastructure requirements of modern student design and testing teams.
The Hornet Hub spans 12,000 square feet and features a 1,280-square-foot machine shop alongside a 725-square-foot digital fabrication lab. The building also includes 1,300 square feet of dedicated community space for collaboration.
The players
Kennesaw State University
A public research university in Georgia that serves as the parent institution for the Hornet Hub.
KSU Motorsports
A student-led competition team that designs and builds vehicles for national collegiate racing events.
Night Owl Racing
A specialized student racing organization that now utilizes the dedicated team bays within the Hornet Hub.
The details
Located near the Engineering Technology Center, the hub centralizes team workspaces, competition bays, and fabrication areas to foster cross-disciplinary design. The facility is expected to enhance student performance in national competitions by providing updated technological resources.
Timeline
September 18, 2026: University leaders held the official ribbon cutting and facility tours.
Season Trajectory
The opening of the Hornet Hub signals a shift toward professionalized campus infrastructure for student automotive and engineering teams. This upgrade aims to improve competitive standing by consolidating resources previously scattered across aging, non-specialized structures.
The centralization of machine shops and fabrication labs increases the daily capacity for student teams to iterate on vehicle designs. This infrastructure support directly impacts the potential for these teams to scale their development timelines ahead of national competition seasons.
The takeaway
The Hornet Hub marks a significant commitment to student-led engineering, providing the necessary space for complex technical projects. This transition from decades-old structures ensures that future participants have the tools required to compete at a national level.
Further reading
For more on campus development, visit Motorsports.
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Do you believe university investments in specialized facilities effectively prepare students for their future careers?
