Cullowhee, N.C. – Five Western Carolina men's and women's basketball home games on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center have been earmarked for linear broadcast as part of the 19-game regular-season regional league telecast schedule released by the Southern Conference office on Friday. Three men's games and two for the women have been earmarked for linear broadcast in the 2025-26 season.
 
Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., Ingles Markets, and The Southern Conference have again partnered to broadcast SoCon basketball throughout the league's six-state footprint across a network of Nexstar stations. In addition to the regular-season docket, the Friday slate of games at the 2026 Ingles SoCon Basketball Championship will also air through the Nexstar package.
 
Western Carolina's first two over-the-air broadcasts come on the same date, Sunday, Nov. 16, with a pair of nonconference meetings in Cullowhee. The Catamount men's team opens the quintet of WCU games in the package when it hosts Stetson as part of the ASUN-SoCon Challenge, before the women's squad welcomes nationally ranked Oklahoma later that afternoon.
 
Mountain rivals WCU and ETSU meet on Jan. 14 in men's basketball action, before WCU's final two games in the package come on Feb. 11, with the men's squad hosting The Citadel, followed by the women's side welcoming chromatic rival Furman the following night on Feb. 12.
 
Produced by the home conference school, each game in the broadcast package will also air concurrently on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), as a combined six women's basketball programs, along with nine men's teams, will be featured at some point during the season.
 
"This year's slate of games is our most extensive regional media package and our largest women's basketball package in conference history – landmark achievements made possible by Ingles Markets and Nexstar that underscore the growth and excitement surrounding SoCon basketball," said SoCon Commissioner Michael Cross. "These games showcase the competitive excellence and regional rivalries that make the SoCon special. Fans will witness the passion and tradition that defines SoCon basketball at its highest level."
 
"I'm especially grateful to Ingles Markets for their unwavering commitment to our student-athletes and institutions. Their continued support has been instrumental in providing enhanced visibility for our member schools and the communities they represent. In the Southern Conference, 'It's All Here' – and now more fans than ever can experience it," added Cross.
 
The SoCon's Ingles broadcast package starts with Furman hosting #15 Alabama on this Sunday, Oct. 26, in an exhibition matchup at the newly renovated Timmons Arena in Greenville, S.C., before Lipscomb battles Mercer on Sunday, Nov. 9, in the first regular-season contest for Nexstar. The first women's contest will feature the Catamounts and the nationally-ranked Sooners on Nov. 16, on Ingles Court in the Ramsey Center.
 
Nexstar affiliates with the opportunity to air games: WMYT (Charlotte); WYCW (Spartanburg/Greenville/Asheville); WWCW (Roanoke, VA); WCBD (Charleston, SC); WBTW (Myrtle Beach, SC); WGHP (Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem); WHDF (Huntsville/Florence, AL); WJHL (Johnson City, TN). Non-Nexstar Affiliates: EFLI (Chattanooga, TN); WMUB (Macon, GA).
 
The Catamount men's squad opens the 2025-26 season under second-year head coach Tim Craft with a trip to battle Big 12 foe Cincinnati on Monday, Nov. 3, at the Fifth Third Arena. Head coach Jonathan Tsipis and the women's hoops squad open the new season on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center on Thursday, Nov. 6, with a visit from UVA-Lynchburg beginning at 6 p.m.
 
Season tickets for the home portion of the 2025-26 Catamount men's and women's basketball seasons are on sale now through the first-floor Ramsey Center Ticket Office, by phone at (828) 227-2401, and online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets. Options include tickets for men's or women's and an "all-hoops" package for every home game in the Ramsey Center for both squads. Single-game tickets for both squads are also on sale.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount men's basketball & women's basketball and WCU Athletics through our social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@catamountmbb, catamountwbb, @wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@CatamountMBB, catamountwbb, @catamounts).
 
2025-26 SoCon Basketball Nexstar Television Schedule
Oct. 26 (3:00 pm) – #15 Alabama at Furman (Exh.)
Nov. 9 (2:00 pm) – Lipscomb at Mercer *
Nov. 16 (1:00 pm) – Stetson at Western Carolina *
Nov. 16 (3:30 pm) – #6 Oklahoma at Western Carolina (W)
Nov. 23 (2:00 pm) – Clemson at Furman (W)
Dec. 6 (4:30 pm) – Southeast Missouri at Chattanooga
Jan. 7 (6:00 pm) – UNC Greensboro at Wofford
Jan. 10 (4:30 pm) – Samford at Chattanooga
Jan. 14 (6:00 pm) – ETSU at Western Carolina
Jan. 17 (6:00 pm) – Wofford at Furman
Jan. 22 (6:00 pm) – Chattanooga at UNC Greensboro (W)
Jan. 24 (1:00 pm) – Mercer at Wofford
Jan. 29 (6:00 pm) – Wofford at Chattanooga
Feb. 7 (6:00 pm) – Mercer at Samford
Feb. 11 (6:00 pm) – The Citadel at Western Carolina
Feb. 12 (6:00 pm) – Furman at Western Carolina (W)
Feb. 18 (6:00 pm) – VMI at Wofford
Feb. 19 (11:00 am) – Mercer at Wofford (W)
Feb. 25 (6:00 pm) – Wildcard Game (Teams announced on February 9)
Mar. 6 (TBD) – Coverage of Friday's Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships
 
 * Denotes ASUN / SoCon scheduling alliance game