Cullowhee, N.C. – After finishing 2023 among the national rankings at No. 23 in the final media poll, Western Carolina football enters 2024 ranked 20th in the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 poll announced Monday morning.
 
The last time Western Carolina carried a preseason national ranking into its season opener was in 1994 when the 17th-ranked Catamounts hosted Lenoir-Rhyne in the season opener. Earlier this summer, WCU was ranked 16th in the HERO Sports poll while Craig Haley of Stats Perform slated the Catamounts at No. 23 in his early-summer balloting.
 
Western Carolina is among three Southern Conference schools to earn a preseason Top 25 ranking from Stats Perform, which includes Chattanooga (9th) and Furman (12th). The SoCon has the fourth-most teams in the preseason Top 25. Mercer and Samford also appeared in the "others receiving votes" category which included schools listed on two or more preseason ballots giving the conference five schools appearing on the list.
 
Additionally, a pair of WCU's seasonal nonconference opponents were also ranked in the preseason including Montana (3rd) and Elon (26th), the first team just outside the Top 25 receiving votes. Season-opening opponent NC State has also appeared in the NCAA FBS national rankings including No. 22 in the Coaches Poll also unveiled on Monday.
 
Reigning champion South Dakota State opens the year atop the poll, earning 52 of a possible 56 first-place votes. North Dakota State edged out Montana to round out the podium in the preseason poll. Montana State and South Dakota complete the top five giving the media tabulation a strong Missouri Valley Football Conference and Big Sky Conference look.
 
Western Carolina continued its preseason practice on Monday with its first session in full pads, working out for right at two hours on the turf at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field. Practice continues Tuesday with the squad slated to work in uppers – or helmets and shoulder pads – before another fully padded practice on Wednesday. WCU is scheduled for its first preseason scrimmage on Saturday (Aug. 10) at 9 a.m.

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.
 
Both season and single-game tickets for the five home dates in #CatamountCountry remain on sale now through the WCU Athletics Ticket Office, located on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, or by phone at (828) 227-2401. Fans can also purchase tickets and game day parking in advance online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.
 

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Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll

1. South Dakota State (2023 Record: 15–0, 8–0 Missouri Valley), 1,396 points (52 of 56 first-place votes)
Final 2023 Ranking: 1; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Oklahoma State

2. North Dakota State (11-4, 5-3 MVFC), 1,327 (3)
Final 2023 Ranking: 3; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 at Colorado

3. Montana (13-2, 7-1 Big Sky), 1,285
Final 2023 Ranking: 2; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 vs. Missouri State

4. Montana State (8-4, 6-2 Big Sky), 1,199 (1) 
Final 2023 Ranking: 9; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 24 at New Mexico

5. South Dakota (10-3, 7-1 MVFC), 1,155
Final 2023 Ranking: 4; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 vs. Northern State

6. Villanova (10-3, 7-1 CAA), 1,151
Final 2023 Ranking: 6; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 vs. Youngstown State

7. Idaho (9-4, 6-2 Big Sky), 1,021
Final 2023 Ranking: 8; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Oregon

8. Sacramento State (8-5, 4-4 Big Sky), 874
Final 2023 Ranking: 13; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 at San Jose State

9. Chattanooga (8-5, 6-2 SoCon), 868
Final 2023 Ranking: 14; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Tennessee

10. Southern Illinois (8-5, 4-4 MVFC), 832
Final 2023 Ranking: 12; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at BYU

11. Central Arkansas (7-4, 4-2 UAC), 724
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Arkansas State

12. Furman (10-3, 7-1 SoCon), 678
Final 2023 Ranking: 7; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Ole Miss

13. Richmond (9-4, 7-1 CAA), 625
Final 2023 Ranking: 15; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Virginia

14. UIW (8-2, 6-1 Southland), 605 
Final 2023 Ranking: 22; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 vs. Northern Colorado

15. William & Mary (6-5, 4-4 CAA), 546
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 vs. VMI

16. UAlbany (11-4, 7-1 CAA), 527
Final 2023 Ranking: 5; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 vs. LIU

17. Lafayette (9-3, 5-1 Patriot), 359
Final 2023 Ranking: 21; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 at Buffalo

18. UC Davis (7-4, 5-3 Big Sky), 351
Final 2023 Ranking: 24; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at California

19. Illinois State (6-5, 4-4 MVFC), 350 
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Iowa

20. Western Carolina (7-4, 5-3 SoCon), 318
Final 2023 Ranking: 23; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 at NC State

21. Tarleton State (8-3, 4-2 UAC), 302
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 24 vs. McNeese

22. Weber State (6-5, 4-4 Big Sky), 268
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Washington

23. Nicholls (6-5, 7-0 Southland), 201
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Louisiana Tech

24. North Dakota (7-5, 5-3 MVFC), 197
Final 2023 Ranking: 16; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Iowa State

25. Youngstown State (8-5, 5-3 MVFC), 177
Final 2023 Ranking: 19; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 at Villanova

Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Elon (6-5, 6-2 CAA) 174; UT Martin (8-3, 5-1 Big South-OVC) 169; Eastern Illinois (8-3, 4-2 Big South-OVC) 139; Mercer (9-4, 6-2 SoCon) 98; Florida A&M (12-1, 8-0 SWAC) 65; North Carolina Central (9-3, 4-1 MEAC) 52; Austin Peay (9-3, 6-0 UAC) 51; Alabama State (7-4, 5-3 SWAC) 17; Holy Cross (7-4, 5-1 Patriot) 17; Eastern Washington (4-7, 3-5 Big Sky) 14; Drake (8-4, 8-0 Pioneer) 8; Duquesne (7-4, 6-1 NEC) 8; Harvard (8-2, 5-2 Ivy) 6; Samford (6-5, 4-4 SoCon) 6; Northern Iowa (6-5, 5-3 MVFC) 4

Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Voters – Stats Perform: Craig Haley, Gary Reasons. Big Sky Conference: Doug Kelly, Tyson Rodgers, Larry Weir. Big South-OVC Football Association: Mike Bradd, Kyle Schwartz, Mark Simpson. CAA Football: Roger Brown, Matt Harmon, Rob Washburn. Ivy League: JJ Klein, Craig Larson. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Kendrick Lewis, Alysse Scripter. Missouri Valley Football Conference: Dom Izzo, Mike Kern, Randy Reinhardt. Northeast Conference: Sarah Boissonneault, Brian Cleary. Patriot League: Eric Malanoski, Ryan Sakamoto. Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush, Larry Hansgen. Southern Conference: Scott Keeler, Andrew Miller, Ralan Wardlaw. Southland Conference: Matthew Bonnette, James Dixon, James Hill. Southwestern Athletic Conference: Ronnie Johnson, Joshua Padilla. United Athletic Conference: Brian Morgan, Benjamin Ray, Jake Withee. National Representatives: Sean Anderson, Stan Becton, Zack Carlton, Gene Clemons, Riley Corcoran, Joe DeLeone, Steven J. Gaither, Sam Herder, Emory Hunt, Kyle Kensing, Brandon Lawrence, Zach McKinnell, Brian McLaughlin, Jon Passman, Omar Rashon Borja, Ryan Roberts, Kent Schmidt, Phil Sokol, Reggie Thomas, Ralph Ventre, Jamie Williams.
 

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2024 Catamount Football Preseason Practice Schedule:
Tues., Aug. 6 – Practice #7 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Wed., Aug. 7 – Practice #8 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Thurs., Aug. 8 – No Practice (Off Day)
Thurs., Aug. 8 – Catamount Football "Ladies Night" – 5:30 pm
Fri., Aug. 9 – Practice #9 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Sat., Aug. 10 – Scrimmage #1 (Practice #10) – 9:00 am – 11:15 am (full pads)
Sun., Aug. 11 – Team Photo Day, 2 pm; Practice #11 – 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm (helmets)
Mon., Aug. 12 – Practice #12 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Tues., Aug. 13 – Practice #13 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Wed., Aug. 14 – Practice #14 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Thurs., Aug. 15 – No Practice (Off Day)
Fri., Aug. 16 – Practice #15 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (helmets)
Sat., Aug. 17 – Scrimmage #2 (Practice #16) – Updated 1:00 pm (full pads)
Sun., Aug. 18 – No Practice – Team Building
Mon., Aug. 19 – 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:
Thurs., Aug. 8 – Catamount Football "Ladies Night" – 5:30 pm
Wed., Aug. 14 – Catamount Fall Sports Preview, Facebook LIVE from Catamount Jaxe – (6 pm)
Fri., Aug. 16 – WCU New Student Convocation (Ramsey Center, 5 pm)
Sun., Aug. 18 – Catamount Women's Soccer Home-Opener – vs. UNC Asheville (7 pm)
Mon., Aug. 19 – First day of classes for the fall semester – Cullowhee
Fri., Aug. 23 – Catamount Volleyball Exhibition – vs. Gardner-Webb (Ramsey, 6 pm)
Thurs., Aug. 29 – 2024 Catamount Football season-opener at NC State (Raleigh, 7 pm)
Fri., Sept. 6 – The Bob Waters Memorial – Sequoyah National Golf Club (Cherokee, N.C.)
Sat., Sept. 7 – 2024 Catamount Football home-opener, vs. Campbell (1 pm, updated)