Catamount Football Reports, Opens Camp This Week
By Daniel Hooker
Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations
Western Carolina football opens its preparations for the 2022 fall season this week as its student-athletes officially report for fall camp on Wednesday with practice opening Thursday morning on the turf at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.
Although the bulk of the squad has spent most of the summer in Cullowhee, the football team officially reports to campus for the first fall team-related activities on Wednesday (Aug. 3). The report day schedule included meeting with academics, compliance, sports performance, and the athletic equipment staff in the Ramsey Center.
WCU opens its preseason fall camp that spans the month of August with its first of two helmet-only practices in the NCAA-mandated acclimation period on Thursday, Aug. 4. The Catamounts are slated to practice daily from 8:30 am until 11:00 am, with each Thursday after the opening practice session set as an off day. Each afternoon includes team, unit, and position meetings, as well as work in the weight room with WCU’s Sports Performance staff.
WCU football’s preseason camp schedule features 13 practice sessions before school starts on Monday, Aug. 22, when the team moves into its in-season schedule. The docket (listed in full below) also includes a pair of preseason scrimmages, both coming on a Saturday – a morning scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 13 beginning at 9 am and a Noon scrimmage scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 20.
Each of WCU’s preseason football practices is open to the public. It is respectfully requested, though, that spectators observe from the stadium seating area and avoid being either on the field or the sidelines for safety. Practice times are subject to change.
Entering his second season at the helm in Cullowhee, Kerwin Bell talked with members of the media at last week’s 2022 Southern Conference Football Media Day about continuing to build the Catamount football program. Bell feels that WCU’s strong finish in 2021 – posting a 4-1 finish over the final five games of his inaugural season – has spurred his squad into 2022.
“We’ve had the whole off-season since January to really build our culture, to really build the fundamentals of what we expect from these guys and what they can expect from us as coaches and the way we’re going to coach them,” said Bell. “I really like where we are entering year two. We’ve got to continue to grow and develop, but I think we’ve got a roster that can eventually win a championship here, I really do believe that.”
Of his team entering fall camp, Bell added, “I think that little bit of success last year has really motivated our guys to go to work and to go play well. So, I think that it’s going to be a fantastic year this year.”
Season tickets and game day parking for Western Carolina’s 2022 home schedule are on sale now through the Catamount Athletics ticket office, located on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, or online at www.CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.
Single-game tickets for each of WCU’s five home games go on sale on Wednesday, Aug. 3 through each of the same outlets.
2022 Catamount Football Preseason Practice Schedule:
Wed., Aug. 3 – Football Preseason Camp Report Day
Thurs., Aug. 4 – Practice #1 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (helmets only)
Fri., Aug. 5 – Practice #2 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (helmets only)
Sat., Aug. 6 – Practice #3 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Sun., Aug. 7 – No Practice (Off Day)
Mon., Aug. 8 – Practice #4 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Tues., Aug. 9 – Practice #5 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Wed., Aug. 10 – Practice #6 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Thurs., Aug. 11 – No Practice (Off Day)
Fri., Aug. 12 – Practice #7 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (helmets)
Sat., Aug. 13 – Scrimmage #1 (Practice #7) – 9:00 am – 11:30 am (full pads)
Sun., Aug. 14 – No Practice (Team Photo Day)
Mon., Aug. 15 – Practice #9 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Tues., Aug. 16 – Practice #10 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Wed., Aug. 17 – Practice #11 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Thurs., Aug. 18 – No Practice (Off Day)
Fri., Aug. 19 – Practice #12 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (helmets)
Sat., Aug. 20 – Scrimmage #2 (Practice #13) – Noon – 2:00 pm (full pads)
Sun., Aug. 21 – No Practice (Off Day)
Mon., Aug. 22 – First Day of Fall Classes at WCU
Keep track of everything related to Catamount football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (FB.com/CatamountSports, FB.com/WesternCarolinaFootball), Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountsFB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountsfb).
Important Dates in Catamount Athletics & Catamount Football:
Wednesday, Aug. 3 – Catamount Football student-athletes report for fall camp
Wednesday, Aug. 3 – 2022 WCU Football single-game tickets and game day parking go on sale
Thursday, Aug. 4 – First scheduled practice of the 2022 preseason (helmet only)
Thursday, Aug. 11 – Catamount Women’s Soccer Exhibition – vs. App State (CAC, 7 p.m.)
Saturday, Aug. 13 – Catamount Women’s Soccer Exhibition – vs. Lees McRae (CAC, 4 p.m.)
Friday, Aug. 19 – WCU Freshman Convocation (Ramsey Center)
Saturday, Aug. 20 – Catamount Volleyball Exhibition – vs. Anderson (Ramsey Center, 6 p.m.)
Monday, Aug. 23 – First day of classes for the fall semester – Cullowhee
Thursday, Aug. 25 – Catamount Women’s Soccer – Home Opener vs. Clemson (CAC, 7 p.m.)
Saturday, Sept. 3 – 2022 Catamount Football season opener at Charleston Southern (Noon)
Friday, Sept. 16 – The Bob Waters Memorial – Maggie Valley Club – Maggie Valley, N.C.
Saturday, Sept. 17 – 2022 Catamount Football home-opener, vs. Presbyterian (3:30 pm)