Western Carolina’s 2024 home-opening football game against Campbell has been optioned for linear television as part of the “Ingles Southern Conference Game of the Week” package with Nexstar Media Group and presented by Ingles Markets, it was announced today by the conference office.
Western Carolina’s home-opening “White Out Whitmire” meeting with Campbell on Sat., Sept. 7, has moved to a 1 p.m. kickoff to accommodate the television broadcast. The game will also be available through online streaming on either ESPN+ (paid subscription required) or ESPN3 (cable/satellite subscription required).
The Catamounts and Campbel Camels meet for just the third time in series history, though the first two meetings on record came back in 1937 and 1939. The school discontinued football for 58 years before rekindling the program in 2008. Playing their first season as a member of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), the Camels finished 5-6 in 2023.
WCU looks to again "White Out Whitmire," as it opens the 50-year celebration of Whitmire Stadium. The Catamounts will again wear their white Nike uniforms at home with all fans encouraged to wear their white Catamount gear to the game. The first 5,000 fans through the gates will also receive a free commemorative “White Out Whitmire” T-shirt.
Nearly 200 Catamount football alum will return to the Valley as the best game day atmosphere in the SoCon again comes alive for the first of five exciting home dates in Cullowhee. The Sept. 7 game day includes the first performances of the “Pride of the Mountains” Marching Band, and the traditional “Freshmen Run” as WCU’s newest additions lead the football team onto the turf for the first time in 2024.
Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., Ingles Markets, and The SoCon continue the ongoing broadcast partnership with plans for six scheduled broadcasts of matchups involving conference schools beginning on Aug. 29 and concluding on Nov. 23. Branded as "SoCon Saturday," the games will be broadcast throughout the league's six-state footprint through a network of Nexstar stations. Those Nexstar affiliates with the opportunity to air the Ingle SoCon Game of the Week are: ECBD (Charleston), WMYT (Charlotte), WWCW (Lynchburg/Roanoke), and WYCW (Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville). Although not a Nexstar station, WMUB (Macon), Mercer University Broadcasting, will also air select contests.
“The Southern Conference’s ongoing relationship with Nexstar provides important opportunities for regional television coverage across the southeast for the SoCon’s football teams and their institutions,” SoCon Commissioner Michael Cross said. “We look forward to our fans, alumni, current and future students having an opportunity to see the exceptional, championship-caliber football happening on SoCon Saturdays. ‘It’s All Here’ in the SoCon and we thank Nexstar and Ingles Markets for their support.”
Seven of the league’s nine football-playing schools will appear at least once during the six scheduled seasonal games that will also air concurrently through ESPN+ (paid subscription required) or ESPN3 (cable/satellite subscription required). Four of the showcase games are nonconference matchups hosted by SoCon schools, with the two November games featuring conference showdowns between Furman and ETSU (Nov. 16) and ETSU at VMI (Nov. 23).
Catamount head football coach Kerwin Bell will join WCU's three other fall sports head coaches – Karen Glover (VB), Chad Miller (WSOC), and Jesse Norman (XC) - for the 2024 Catamount Fall Sports Preview Facebook LIVE event, on-location from Catamount Jaxe (114 Market St.) in Cullowhee. Fans can see the show on the official Catamount Athletics Facebook page (fb.com/catamountsports) beginning at 6 p.m.
Season tickets for Western Carolina's five-game 2024 home schedule are on sale now through the WCU Athletics Ticket Office by phone at (828) 227-2401 and in person through the box office on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, or online at CatamountSports.com. Ticket options include general admission, reserved bleacher bench, and chairback seats, with a Family Zone four-pack in Section FF. A $10 transaction fee will be charged for all season ticket orders including credit card, cash, and check. Single-game tickets and game day parking for all five of WCU's home games at Whitmire Stadium / Waters Field are also on sale to the public through the WCU Athletics Ticket Office. Game day parking passes are $15 in advance and $20 if purchased on-site on game day.
Nexstar football broadcast schedule (all times Eastern)Aug. 29 – Presbyterian at Mercer, 7 p.m.Sept. 7 – Campbell at Western Carolina, 1 p.m.Sept. 14 – North Greenville at The Citadel, NoonSept. 28 – Portland State at Chattanooga, 7 p.m.Nov. 16 – Furman at ETSU, NoonNov. 23 – ETSU at VMI, Noon
Western Carolina completed its 13th preseason practice on Tuesday morning, working out for two hours in shells – or uppers, meaning helmets and shoulder pads – with plans to go in full pads on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s off day. The Catamounts will hold their second preseason scrimmage this Saturday, Aug. 17, beginning at 2:30 pm.
WCU opens the 2024 season in a pre-Labor Day meeting in the state capital against NC State scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 29, with a 7 p.m. kickoff. The game will be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network with the Pepsi Pregame Show airing at 6 p.m.
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