Cullowhee, N.C. – Southern Conference play opens Saturday with plenty on the line as longtime mountain rivals Western Carolina and East Tennessee State renew the "Blue Ridge Border Battle" at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium in Johnson City, Tenn.
 
Separated by just over 100 miles and deadlocked in the all-time series at 27-27-1, the Catamounts and Buccaneers meet for the 56th time with bragging rights, conference positioning, and "The Rock" traveling trophy all up for grabs. Western Carolina enters looking to snap a two-game series skid and bring the trophy back to Cullowhee for the first time since 2023.
 
Kickoff of the "Ingles Southern Conference Game of the Week" between the Catamounts and Buccaneers is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast regionally through the Nexstar family of stations. Clearances for Saturday's game include Local 62 WYCW-TV across Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, S.C., and Asheville; WCCB (18.1; 18 on DirecTv and Dish; Ch. 11 and 1212 on Spectrum) in Charlotte, N.C.; WUXP in Nashville, Tenn. (MyTV30; WTTO (The 205; Ch. 28) in Birmingham, Ala.; EFLI (TheCW Chattanooga; Ch. 53) in Chattanooga, Tenn.; WCIV (MyNetworkTV, Ch. 36) in Charleston, S.C. The game will also be simulcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).
 
Fans across Western North Carolina can listen to Saturday's game on the Catamount Sports Network , with coverage beginning with the Pepsi Tailgate Show at 2:30 p.m., as WCU Hall of Famer Gary Ayers, Jeff Bryson, and Daniel Hooker are on the call. Five network affiliates across the mountains are set to carry the CSN broadcasts this season, including longtime affiliates 105.7 FM and 540 AM WRGC in Sylva; 104.9 FM and 1050 AM in Franklin; WISE Sports Radio 1310 AM in Asheville; and 103.9 FM WBRM BIGFOOT Country in Marion and the I-40 corridor.
 
Live stats are also available online through a link at CatamountSports.com, with timely in-game updates on Twitter/X using @Catamounts and @CatamountsFB.
 
Charlotte-area Catamounts can gather at The Kilted Buffalo Plaza Midwood (1212 Central Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204) for each WCU road game this season for a special Watch Party.
 
Setting the Stage:
League play begins Saturday for two teams carrying momentum into one of the Southern Conference's most competitive rivalries.
 
Western Carolina closed its nonconference schedule in emphatic fashion, rolling past Presbyterian 58-14 behind a balanced offensive attack and a dominant second-half defensive performance. SoCon Offensive Player of the Week Josh Perry rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns, while Jai Boyd eclipsed the century mark with 103 receiving yards and a score.
 
Defensively, the Catamounts recorded 10 tackles for loss, including four sacks, in securing their second second-half shutout against FCS competition. SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week Bryan McCollum added 16 points with three field goals and seven PATs.
 
ETSU also enters conference play off a victory, defeating Virginia-Wise 35-27 at home. The Buccaneers amassed 377 yards of offense behind a balanced attack, while SoCon Defensive Player of the Week Mike Jenkins provided the game's pivotal moment with a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown that put ETSU ahead for good late in the third quarter.
 
Western Carolina, ETSU, and VMI are the final three Southern Conference teams to open league play this weekend.
 
Game 5: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026  •  3:30 p.m.
Location: Johnson City, Tenn. (William B. Greene Jr. Stadium)  
Records: Western Carolina (2-2, 0-0 SoCon) at ETSU (2-2, 0-0 SoCon)
 
LINKS:
WCU Football – Media Center
ETSU's Things to Know – Fan Guide

BROADCAST INFORMATION: 
TV Affiliates:
WYCW -- Greenville/Spartanburg
WCCB -- Charlotte
WUXP -- Nashville
WTTO -- Birmingham
EFLI -- Chattanooga
WCIV -- Charleston

Video Stream: ESPN+ (subscription required) / Watch ESPN app
Announcers: Pete Yanity, Jeremy Greene, and Dave Friedman

Radio: Catamount Sports Network 
PxP: Gary Ayers
Analyst: Daniel Hooker
Producer: Jeff Bryson

2026 CSN Radio Affiliates: 
Sylva – 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC – wrgc.com
Franklin – 104.9 FM / 1050 AM WFSC – 1050wfsc.com
Asheville – 1310 AM WISE Sports Radio – wisesportsradio.com
Marion – 103.9 FM / 1250 AM Bigfoot Country (bigfoot1039.com)
Online: CatamountSports.com 
Social Media: @catamounts; @catamountsfb
 
What 2 Watch 4 – Air Attack on Display:
Saturday's rivalry clash features two of the Southern Conference's most productive passing offenses and a matchup of quarterbacks who rank among the FCS leaders.
 
Western Carolina's Lex Thomas and ETSU's Mason Mims have helped their teams occupy the top two spots in the conference in passing offense through four games. The Catamounts lead the SoCon with 1,147 passing yards, while the Buccaneers have accumulated 1,008. Both squads enter the weekend with seven touchdown passes.
 
Nationally, Western Carolina ranks 14th in the FCS at 286.8 passing yards per game, while ETSU sits 26th with an average of 252.0. Thomas ranks sixth nationally with 1,079 passing yards and is averaging 269.8 yards per contest. Mims enters the weekend with 991 passing yards and an average of 247.8 yards per game.
 
If the numbers hold, Saturday's "Blue Ridge Border Battle" could feature one of the Southern Conference's top aerial showcases.
 
Western Carolina vs. ETSU – All-Time Series:
One of the Southern Conference's most evenly matched rivalries adds another chapter Saturday afternoon as Western Carolina and ETSU meet for the 56th time.
 
The series, which began in 1932, enters the weekend tied at 27-27-1. ETSU has won each of the last two meetings after Western Carolina captured consecutive victories in 2022 and 2023. Competitive games have become the norm between the mountain rivals, with five of the past eight matchups decided by one possession.
 
Since 2018, the schools have competed annually for "The Rock" traveling trophy, symbolic of the shared Appalachian heritage of the two programs. ETSU holds a 5-3 edge in the trophy series entering Saturday's contest.
 
By the Numbers

• 112: Miles separating campuses in Cullowhee and Johnson City
• 27-27-1: All-time series record entering Saturday
• 5: One-possession games in the last eight meetings
• 3: Players of the Week earned by both teams after last week's victory
  • Josh Perry, WCU – SoCon Offensive Player of the Week
  • Mike Jenkins, ETSU – SoCon Defensive Player of the Week
  • Bryan McCollum, WCU – SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week
• 1-2: Ranks in the SoCon in passing offense (WCU first, ETSU second)

Up Next for Western Carolina:
Following Saturday's SoCon opener, the Catamounts return to the friendly confines of E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field to welcome both their football alumni and Tennessee Tech to Cullowhee. Kickoff of the first-ever league meeting between the Catamounts and preseason favorite Golden Eagles is scheduled under the lights at 6 p.m.

For the latest news, scores, highlights, and behind-the-scenes content, follow Catamount football and WCU Athletics on Facebook (FB.com/CatamountSports; FB.com/westerncarolinafootball; FB.com/CatamountSportsNetwork) and X (@Catamounts, @CatamountsFB).