LISTEN LIVE TO CSN

The Catamount Sports Network (CSN) is the audio and video broadcast service for Western Carolina University's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Three of Western Carolina's men's sports - football, basketball, and baseball - are currently broadcast on the radio and with online audio on a full-time schedule throughout the year, with a select number of Catamount women's basketball and softball games also broadcast online at CatamountSports.com.

Back in 2014, the Southern Conference Digital Network (SDN) began operations with the Catamount Sports Network providing audio / video coverage of Western Carolina home events. The online broadcasts were free-of-charge and available at a shared conference-wide website. Then in the 2016-17 season, CSN expanded to incorporate broadcasts on the ESPN family of networks, including ESPN+ (paid subscription required) and ESPN3 (cable subscription required) including football, volleyball, men's basketball, and women's basketball. WCU also expanded the coverage to women's tennis and home track & field.

Four radio station affiliates through six different frequencies across North Carolina and streaming audio online at CatamountSports.com are set to carry football broadcasts of the Catamount Sports Network (CSN) during Western Carolina's 2025 season. One - 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC of Sylva - remains on-board for Catamount men's basketball season with women's hoops, baseball, and softball primarily broadcast online CatamountSports.com.

The Catamounts have a strong presence on the air across the mountains of Western North Carolina including 1310 AM WISE Sports Radio in Asheville and Buncombe County; 105.7 FM and 540 AM WRGC "The River" in Sylva and across Jackson County; 104.9 FM and 1050 AM WFSC in Franklin, Macon County, and north Georgia; and a select schedule for WCU football on 103.9 FM WBRM Bigfoot Country in Marion, N.C.

Check below for a complete listing of the Catamount Sports Network's affiliate stations.

This year, CSN has also partnered with web provider Sidearm Sports (www.sidearmsports.com) to provide unlimited free streaming audio through the athletics web site, CatamountSports.com, giving WCU a worldwide reach.
 

Catamount Sports Network Personalities:

Longtime play-by-play voice of the Catamounts - and WCU Athletics Hall of Famer - Gary Ayers, returns to the microphone this football season and will be flanked by returning crew members in producer Jeff Bryson, and WCU alum, Daniel Hooker, WCU's Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations will provide color commentary for road and home broadcasts. 

Ayers has been behind the microphone for 39 of the past 40 years at WCU and has been a familiar voice to the region's sports fans for nearly five decades. In addition to serving as the "Voice of the Catamounts," on football and men's basketball broadcasts, the Swain County native has done play-by-play for Pisgah, Tuscola, Franklin, Cherokee and Swain High School football and basketball. Ayers, who retired from Allison Outdoor Advertising in Sylva, also spent several seasons as the public address announcer for WCU Athletics. 

Bryson serves as the program's producer, as well as the in-booth host of the pregame, halftime and post-game shows. His radio experience dates back over 30 years. During that time, he has worked at a variety of stations including WZZU-FM in Raleigh; WCHL-AM in Chapel Hill; WKSF-FM in Asheville; and served as the program director at WRGC-AM in Sylva. Bryson is no stranger to the Catamount Sports Network as he previously worked with CSN providing color analysis for football and men's basketball for the 1995 and '96 seasons. Additionally, he has provided various play-by-play football and basketball broadcasts for Smoky Mountain, Franklin, Cherokee and Pisgah high schools. Bryson, too, has served as a Public Address voice for WCU Athletics, while also working with WCU's basketball crew for in-house ESPN television productions.

Aiding with pre-production work and as on-air talent as the color commentary is Daniel Hooker, who is also a part of Catamount men's basketball and baseball broadcasts. A 2001 Western Carolina graduate, his sportscasting experience began in 1997 as a student announcer at WWCU-FM in Cullowhee and includes both play-by-play and color analyst roles in broadcasting Catamount women's basketball, Thomasville Hi-Toms baseball in the Coastal Plain League, and two seasons on broadcasts of the Charleston Swamp Foxes in the arenafootball2 league. He also spent one season on the sidelines during CSN's 2001 football coverage. Hooker also provides play-by-play during home ESPN broadcasts for football, volleyball, basketball, and baseball regulary, as well as the select track & field and women's tennis broadcasts.

Each week, the pregame tailgate show on football broadcasts starts 60 minutes prior to the scheduled kickoff time and includes comments from the Catamount head coach, JB's Trivia Challenge, highly-anticipated in-game scoreboard updates, as well as other special features including the loveable "Two-Minute Drill" for a lighter-side look at Catamount football.

2025-26 Catamount Sports Network Affiliates (Sports):
105.7 FM / 540 AM – WRGC, Sylva (football, men's basketball)
104.9 FM / 1050 AM – WFSC, Franklin (football)
1310 AM – WISE, Asheville (football)
103.9 FM / 96.1 FM – WBRM, Marion (select football broadcasts)

Online at www.CatamountSports.com

Catamount Sports Network Affiliate Bios:

Sylva, N.C.

A staple of Catamount coverage over the years, 540 AM & 105.7 FM WRGC, "The River," is the local source for news, weather and information of interest to the local community. WRGC returned to the airwaves at its new strength of 5,000 watts in April, 2012. WRGC plays a variety mix of music with both national and local news and remains a big part of the Jackson County community and a staple of Catamount coverage.

 

Franklin, N.C.

1050 AM & 104.9 FM WFSC - Franklin's First Voice is the heritage community radio station in Franklin/Macon County, N.C. The station also simulcasts on 104.9 FM. With a full-service format that focuses on local news, sports, weather and community events, WFSC has a unique relationship with its community dating back to 1957 when WFSC signed on the air as the first radio station in Macon County and the first broadcast voice in far western North Carolina. A member of the Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting Group, WFSC broadcasts 24 hours daily, seven days per week, "Franklin's First Voice" - 1050 WFSC's format consists of heavy local news and information focused on the residents of Macon County.
 

Asheville, N.C.

WISE Sports Radio 1310 AM & 102.9 FM is based out of Asheville and simulcasts on WYSE 970 AM in Canton, N.C., and on the FM dial at 97.3 FM. The three stations are members of the six-station Asheville Radio Group which also includes Mix 96.5 FM WOXL; 98.1 FM the RIVER and 105.9 The Mountain. 1310 and 970 carries Fox Sports Radio programming while producing its own local afternoon show, the WISE Guys - Western North Carolina's only local sports talk show.

 

Marion, N.C.

103.9 FM WBRM Bigfoot Country is based out of Marion, N.C., and is slated to broadcast a select number of Catamount football games in 2025, after carrying select CSN broadcast feed in 2024. A part of the Signal Hill Media Partners LLC, WBRM carries McDowell High athletics.