Cullowhee, N.C. – A neutral site tournament in the Bahamas, a trio of power four opponents, and 14 home games on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center, including a historic visit by an SEC foe, highlight Western Carolina women's basketball 27-game 2025-26 schedule announced today by second-year head coach Jonathan Tsipis. The season announcement comes as the Southern Conference unveiled its full slate of conference matchups for the upcoming season.
Official tipoff times, gameday promotions, and all broadcast information will be announced closer to the season, though WCU's 14 home games are slated to air on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) if not selected for national or regional broadcast.
While official competition is slated to begin in November, WCU begins the season with the second annual "Basketball on the Boundary" event scheduled for October 22 at the Peaches Squirrell Sports and Recreation Complex in Cherokee, N.C.
The Catamounts begin the season on Nov. 6, opening the calendar by hosting a first-time opponent in the Virginia University of Lynchburg Dragons. A Division I member of the NCCAA ranks, the Dragons posted a 4-13 record in competition last season, facing off against the likes of Georgetown, Auburn, Delaware State, and George Washington.
NCAA Division I play begins on Nov. 12 as the Catamounts make the trek to Buies Creek to battle Campbell. Kehinde Obasuyi helped spark a thrilling comeback victory over the CAA foe last season in the Ramsey Center and will hope to find similar success this year. The Fighting Camels had a strong finish to the season, earning two wins in the CAA tournament and securing a berth in the WNIT before bowing out to Southern Indiana in the postseason.
The Catamounts then return home for a historic match-up, hosting Sweet 16 participant, Oklahoma, on Nov. 16. The Sooners make the return trip to Cullowhee after the Catamounts traveled to Norman last season. Boasting a top-10 ranking at the time of last season's matchup, the Sooners are the top team on the schedule for the Catamounts in NET rankings, ascending to a final spot of 14 last year.
Mountain-rival UNC Asheville follows the Sooners only three days later as the Bulldogs travel west on Nov. 19. One of three Big South teams on the slate for the Catamounts, the Bulldogs come to Cullowhee as part of a doubleheader between the two schools' men's and women's basketball teams. The Catamounts took down the Bulldogs 77-64 in Asheville last season.
WCU hits the road for a pair of games, facing Wake Forest on Nov. 23 in Winston-Salem before heading south to take on the West Georgia Wolves on Nov. 25 in Carrollton, Ga. The Catamounts lead the overall series with both opponents, holding a 12-10 advantage over the ACC's Demon Deacons and claiming a thrilling 81-76 overtime victory over West Georgia last season in what was the Wolves' first NCAA Division I overtime game.
The Catamounts then take to the seas to close out November, as they compete in the 2025 Baha Mar Hoops: Nassau Championship. While more information, including WCU's opponents and game times, will be announced at a later date, the Catamounts are slated to compete in the tournament, beginning on Nov. 28 and finishing on Nov. 30 in Nassau.
Tsipis and company return to the Ramsey Center for a pair of home games on Dec. 3 and Dec. 7, hosting USC Upstate and Queens, respectively. The Catamounts claimed strong victories against both teams on the road last season (80-52 vs USC Upstate; 82-66 vs Queens) and look to post similar results before hitting the road again. They're scheduled to head to Boiling Springs, N.C., on Dec. 13 to battle the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs, the final Big South team on the 2025-26 docket.
WCU's DI nonconference schedule ends with a bang as the Catamounts head to Bloomington to face the Indiana Hoosiers on Dec. 21. The two teams will play for the first time in program history, with Indiana being the second-highest NET-ranked team from last season for WCU after climbing to 34th. The 20-win 2024-25 Hoosiers took down Utah in the first round of the NCAA tournament before falling to South Carolina in the second round.
Nonconference play and the 2025 calendar year close in the Ramsey Center as the Catamounts host Montreat on Dec. 30. A routine opponent for the Catamounts around the New Year, the two teams face each other for the fifth consecutive season as the Catamounts push for a 14-0 record in the series, which dates back to 1966.
Southern Conference play opens on Jan. 8 on Ingles Court as the Catamounts host the Mercer Bears before welcoming the Samford Bulldogs on Jan. 10 to close the first weekend of conference play. The Catamounts look to avenge a pair of single-digit home losses to the two teams last season, including a double overtime loss to the Bulldogs to end January.
The first road swing of the SoCon slate sees the Catamounts head for the Palmetto State, taking on Wofford on Jan. 15 and Furman two days later on Jan. 17. WCU returns home to host the Tennessee contingent as the ETSU Buccaneers visit on Jan. 22 and the Chattanooga Mocs on Jan. 24. The Catamounts claimed a 64-60 win in the Ramsey Center of the Bucs last season, snapping a six-game skid in the overall series.
The first run through the conference concludes on Feb. 1 as the Catamounts head to Greensboro to face the reigning conference champion, UNCG. While the Spartans claimed three wins over the Catamounts last season, WCU battled in single-digit contests with the conference champions in all three matchups, including a 57-53 decision on the road.
WCU opens the second stretch of conference play on the road, heading to Birmingham, Ala. to face Samford on Feb. 5 before swinging back up to Macon, Ga. on Feb. 7, to take on Mercer. The Catamounts claimed a 76-69 win over Samford in Birmingham last season to close out the regular season, WCU's first win in Birmingham since 2009.
The Catamounts return home for their final pair of home games as they host Furman and Wofford on Feb. 12 and 14. WCU secured a 70-57 senior day win over the Paladins at home last season, but fell in a tight 70-68 matchup to Wofford on a last-second shot. Then, the final road stretch of the season sees the Catamounts head to Tennessee to take on Chattanooga on Feb. 19 before heading to Johnson City to face ETSU on Feb. 21.
The 2025-26 regular season comes to an end for the Catamounts in Cullowhee as they host instate sister school, UNCG, on Feb. 28. The two teams battled in the Ramsey Center last season, but the Spartans eventually claimed a tight 66-58 decision.
The 2026 Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships are again scheduled for the Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville. The tournament runs from March 6-9 as the eight women's teams compete for the conference crown and vie for the coveted automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Season tickets for Catamount basketball at Ingles Court in the Ramsey Center will go on sale later this fall. For more information, contact the Catamount Ticket Office at (828) 227-2401. Fans will also be able to purchase or renew their season tickets online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.
Western Carolina Women's Basketball – 2025-26 Schedule:
Nov. 6 - Virginia University Lynchburg | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 4-13 | 24-25 NET: N/A | Series History: 0-0
Nov 12 – Campbell | Buies Creek, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 22-13 | 24-25 NET: 158 | Series History: 13-12
Nov. 16 – Oklahoma | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 27-8 | 24-25 NET: 14 | Series History: 0-1
Nov. 19 – UNC Asheville | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 4-27 | 24-25 NET: 355 | Series History: 41-20
Nov. 23 – Wake Forest | Winston-Salem. N.C.
2024-25 Record: 9-20 | 24-25 NET: 104 | Series History: 12-10
Nov. 25 – West Georgia | Carrollton, Ga.
2024-25 Record: 13-17 | 24-25 NET: 286 | Series History: 1-0
Nov. 28 – Nov. 30 – Baha Mar Hoops: Nassau Championship
Teams to be announced
Dec. 3 – USC Upstate | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 9-21 | 24-25 NET: 348 | Series History: 10-8
Dec. 7 – Queens | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 10-19 | 24-25 NET: 315 | Series History: 3-0
Dec. 13 – Gardner-Webb | Boiling Springs, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 11-18 | 24-25 NET: 322 | Series History: 10-5
Dec. 21 – Indiana | Bloomington, Ind.
2024-25 Record: 20-13 | 24-25 NET: 34 | Series History: 0-0
Dec. 30 – Montreat | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 17-12 | 24-25 NET: N/A | Series History: 13-0
Jan. 8 – Mercer | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 8-22 | 24-25 NET: 323 | Series Home Record: 1-13
Jan. 10 – Samford | Cullohwee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 12-19 | 24-25 NET: 271 | Series Home Record: 2-17
Jan. 15 – Wofford | Spartanburg, S.C.
2024-25 Record: 17-12 | 24-25 NET: 174 | Series Road Record: 14-14
Jan. 17 – Furman | Greenville, S.C.
2024-25 Record: 16-16 | 24-25 NET: 240 | Series Road Record: 10-31
Jan. 22 – ETSU | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 17-13 | 24-25 NET: 183 | Series Home Record: 18-23
Jan. 24 – Chattanooga | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 17-15 | 24-25 NET: 173 | Series Home Record: 6-38
Feb. 1 – UNCG | Greensboro, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 25-7 | 24-25 NET: 143 | Series Road Record: 26-23
Feb. 5 – Samford | Birmingham, Ala.
2024-25 Record: 12-19 | 24-25 NET: 271 | Series Road Record: 2-14
Feb. 7 – Mercer | Macon, Ga.
2024-25 Record: 8-22 | 24-25 NET: 323 | Series Road Record: 0-13
Feb. 12 – Furman | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 16-16 | 24-25 NET: Series Home Record: 10-31
Feb. 14 – Wofford | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 17-12 | 24-25 NET: 174 | Series Home Record: 19-13
Feb. 19 – Chattanooga | Chattanooga, Tenn.
2024-25 Record: 17-15 | 24-25 NET: 173 | Series Road Record: 7-40
Feb. 21 – ETSU | Johnson City, Tenn.
2024-25 Record: 17-13 | 24-25 NET: 183 | Series Road Record: 5-35
Feb. 28 – UNCG | Cullowhee, N.C.
2024-25 Record: 25-7 | 24-25 NET: 143 | Series Home Record: 26-23
Mar. 6-9 – SoCon Tournament | Asheville, N.C.
