Cullowhee, N.C. – A month out from the start of the highly-anticipated 2025 season, Western Carolina's football student-athletes officially reported for preseason fall camp on Tuesday, with practice slated to begin Wednesday morning on the turf at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.
 
Much of the 2025 squad has spent time on campus over the summer, participating in strength and conditioning sessions, as well as player-led on-field workouts. Tuesday's report day includes the first official team meeting for the 2025 Catamounts, as well as campus move-in and preseason meetings with academics, compliance, sports performance, the athletic equipment staff, and other campus entities in the Ramsey Center.
 
The Catamounts open their preseason fall camp with the first of two helmet-only practices in the NCAA-mandated acclimation period on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, before putting on shoulder pads – or uppers – for the first time on Friday, Aug. 1. Most of WCU's practices throughout the preseason are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m., with four scheduled off days from practice – Aug. 3, Aug. 7, Aug. 14, and Aug. 17 – before the start of the semester.
 
WCU will work out in full pads for the first time on Tuesday, Aug. 5, with the team's first scheduled scrimmage set for Saturday, Aug. 9, and a second on the evening of Saturday, Aug. 16. Combined, the Catamounts will have four workouts in helmets, with six in uppers, and five in full pads.
 
Western Carolina's preseason football practices are 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. Also, please be aware of the construction fencing around the West side of the stadium, which will limit access points as construction on the Western Skybox and Whitmire West projects continues to ramp up this spring. Practice times are subject to change.
 
Also on Tuesday, WCU redshirt sophomore quarterback Taron Dickens appeared on the 2025 Walter Payton Award Watch List, an award presented by Stats Perform FCS and given to the nation's top offensive player in NCAA FCS football. Dickens, a preseason first-team All-SoCon selection and Offensive Player of the Year as selected by the league's head coaches, finished 15th in the 2024 Jerry Rice Award voting that honors the nation's top freshman as selected and awarded by the same publication, Opta Analyst.
 
Dickens was one of two SoCon quarterbacks to appear on the preseason watch list, joined by Samford's Quincy Crittendon. All 13 FCS conferences are represented on the 30-player list, which includes nine past finalists. This season's recipient will be announced at the Stats Perform National Awards Banquet on Jan. 3, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.
 
Western Carolina opens the season at home, under the lights on Labor Day Weekend against Gardner-Webb on Saturday, Aug. 30. It's the first season-opening home game for the Catamounts since 2021 in Kerwin Bell's first season in Cullowhee, which also represented WCU's most recent night game at Whitmire Stadium.
 
Season tickets for all six home games, along with single-game tickets and gameday parking for each of WCU's home dates are currently on sale through the Catamount Athletics Ticket Office on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, or online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.
 
2025 Catamount Football Preseason Practice Schedule:
Tues., July 29 – Football Preseason Camp Report Day
Wed., July 30 – Practice #1 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (helmets only)
Thurs., July 31 – Practice #2 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (helmets only)
Fri., Aug. 1 – Practice #3 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Sat., Aug. 2 – Practice #4 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Sun., Aug. 3 – No Practice (Off Day – Film)
Mon., Aug. 4 – Practice #5 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Tues., Aug. 5 – Practice #6 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Wed., Aug. 6 – Practice #7 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Thurs., Aug. 7 – No Practice (Off Day – Film)
Fri., Aug. 8 – Practice #8 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Sat., Aug. 9 – Practice #9 – 9:00 am – 11:00 am (scrimmage, full pads)
Sun., Aug. 10 – Team Photo Day – 2 pm; Practice #10 – 3 pm – 5 pm (helmets only)
Mon., Aug. 11 – Practice #11 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Tues., Aug. 12 – Practice #12 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Wed., Aug. 13 – Practice #13 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Thurs., Aug. 14 – No Practice (Off Day – Film)
Fri., Aug. 15 – Practice #14 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (helmets only)
Fri., Aug. 15 – WCU Freshman Student Convocation
Sat., Aug. 16 – Practice #15 – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (scrimmage, full – student day)
Sun., Aug 17 – Athletics Welcome Back Event at Catamount Soccer – 12:30 pm
Sun. Aug. 17 – Catamount Football Team Building Event – 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Mon., Aug. 18 – First Day of Classes at WCU – No Practice (Off-Day)
Tues., Aug. 19 – Begins in-season practice schedule – 4:30 pm 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:
Tues., July 29 – Catamount Football officially reports to campus for fall camp
Tues., July 29 – Catamount Soccer begins 2025 practice
Wed., July 30 – Catamount Football – first official practice (helmets only) – 8:30 a.m.
Thurs., July 31 – Catamount Volleyball begins 2025 practice
Tues., Aug. 5 – Catamount Soccer vs. Charleston Southern (Exhibition), 4 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 8 – Catamount Soccer vs. Queens University (Exhibition) – 6 p.m.
Thurs., Aug. 14 – Catamount Football Ladies Night – Whitmire Stadium – 5 p.m.
Thurs., Aug. 14 – Catamount Soccer vs. Appalachian State (Season Opener) – 6 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 17 – Catamount Soccer vs. High Point – 1 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 22 – Catamount Volleyball vs. UNC Pembroke (Exhibition) – 6 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 30 - Catamount Football vs. Gardner-Webb – 6 p.m. (Postgame Fireworks)
Sun., Aug. 31 – Catamount Soccer vs. Tennessee (First Bank Beach Night) – 6 p.m.
Tues., Sept. 9 – Catamount Volleyball vs. UNC Asheville (First Bank Beach Night) – 6 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 12 – The Bob Waters Memorial Golf Tournament – Sequoyah National in Cherokee, N.C.
Sat., Sept. 13 – Catamount Football vs. Elon – 2:30 p.m. (White Out Whitmire! Wear White!)