Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina and Catamount football today released the kickoff times for the six home dates at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field on the 2026 schedule, which includes a pair of night games, two in the mid-afternoon, and a pair of early afternoon start times in November.
 
WCU opens the 2026 season and debuts a host of facility improvements, including the new Western Skybox, at home on Saturday, Aug. 29. The "Whitmire at Nite" opening matchup against Eastern Kentucky in the first of two night games is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The second night game is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, as the Catamounts usher in October and welcome the Southern Conference's newest member, Tennessee Tech, to Cullowhee for the first league meeting between the two with a 6 p.m. kickoff.
 
The two mid-afternoon kickoffs are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, for the Family Weekend matchup against Presbyterian, and the Oct. 24 Homecoming game against Chattanooga at Whitmire Stadium / Waters Field.
 
The final two Catamount home games will have 1 p.m. kickoffs: WCU hosts Wofford on Heroes Day on Saturday, Nov. 7, and The Citadel on Hall of Fame and Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 21.
 
All game times are subject to change. Additional home game promotions and a full broadcast schedule will be announced later. All nine SoCon schools are slated to broadcast home games on ESPN+ if the game is not selected for national or regional broadcast. 
 
Improvements at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field for 2026 include the completion of the Western Skybox, which houses both a new press box, football coaches' office, and the Chancellor's Club on the top level. Other facility enhancement projects expected to be completed ahead of next fall include new stadium lighting, new field turf, and a new state-of-the-art videoboard. The "Pride of the Mountains" Marching Band will move to the East side of the stadium alongside the WCU student body to help enhance the best gameday atmosphere in the SoCon, making Cullowhee a tougher place to play.
 
Season tickets for the 2026 home schedule are on sale now through the Catamount Athletics ticket office, by phone at (828) 227-2401, and online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets. Ticket options include General Admission and Reserved Bleacher seating on the East Side of the stadium, as well as a select number of covered reserve tickets underneath the old press box. West Side stadium seating includes bleachers, bench-backs, and chair-back box seats. WCU is also offering a Family Zone four-pack of tickets in section FF on the East Side of the stadium.
 
WCU faculty and staff are also eligible for special season ticket pricing in the general admission, east and west reserved bleacher, and chairback reserved ticket sections by showing their CatCard ID at the time of purchase.
 
Additional seating options available for Catamount Club members include Paws Porch, Catamount Corner, End Zone Suites, and the Chancellor's Club. Each area has a minimum contribution requirement to the Catamount Club, and availability is limited. Previous ticket holders in these areas will get first right to renew until May 29. Beginning on May 30^, Catamount Club staff will begin reaching out to those who have added their name to an interest list for the 2026 season. Contact Brittany Kicklighter in the Catamount Club for more information.
 
Game times for WCU's six road games will be updated as they become available from the host schools.
 
Catamount football continues its annual spring drills next week, currently paused for Easter Break, before concluding with four sessions, April 7-11, culminating with the annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 11, at Noon on the turf in Cullowhee. The team will draft two teams for the final intrasquad scrimmage of the spring
 
"We need to have a couple of big-time practices on Tuesday and Thursday. The practice Friday to get our teams ready. And we say that here in the spring, we work for 14 days. But that 15th day, that Spring Game, I want them to have fun," said head coach Kerwin Bell, referencing what remains of his squad's 15 spring practice sessions.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountsFB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts).
 
Western Carolina 2026 Football Schedule
Sat., Aug. 29 – EASTERN KENTUCKY (Whitmire at Nite) – CULLOWHEE – 7 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 5 – at Campbell – Buies Creek, N.C. – 3:30 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 12 – at Cincinnati – Cincinnati, Ohio – TBA
Sat., Sept. 19 – PRESBYTERIAN (Family Weekend) – CULLOWHEE – 2:30 p.m.
Sat.,. Sept. 26 – at ETSU * (Blue Ridge Border Battle) – Johnson City, Tenn. – TBA
Sat., Oct. 3 – TENNESSEE TECH * (Football Alumni Day) – CULLOWHEE – 6 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 10 – at Mercer * – Macon, Ga. – TBA
Sat., Oct. 17 – Bye Week
Sat., Oct. 24 – CHATTANOOGA * (Homecoming) – CULLOWHEE – 2:30 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 31 – at Furman * – Greenville, S.C. – TBA
Sat., Nov. 7 – WOFFORD * (Heroes Day) – CULLOWHEE – 1 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 14 – at Samford * – Birmingham, Ala. – TBA
Sat., Nov. 21 – THE CITADEL * (Hall of Fame / Senior Day) – CULLOWHEE – 1 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 28 – NCAA FCS Playoffs
 
BOLD – Home Games
* - Southern Conference game
Game times are subject to change

Catamount Football – Spring Practice Schedule:
Practice 12: Tuesday, April 7 – 4 pm (full pads)
Practice 13: Thursday, April 9 – 4 pm (uppers)
Practice 14: Friday, April 10 – 4 pm (helmet only)
Practice 15: Saturday, April 11 – Noon – SPRING GAME (full pads/scrimmage)