Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers bring a scrappy, blue-collar identity to Conference USA football out of Bowling Green. Playing home games at Houchens Industries–L.T. Smith Stadium, WKU has built a reputation as a program that punches above its weight, developing NFL-caliber quarterbacks and racking up wins against bigger-name competition. The red and white have become one of the Group of Five's most consistent winners over the past two decades.

Western Kentucky first fielded a football team in the early 1900s and steadily built its program through the FCS ranks, capping that era with the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA national championship. The Hilltoppers transitioned to FBS in 2009 and joined Conference USA, quickly becoming a perennial contender behind a string of prolific passing offenses. WKU has produced standout NFL talent, including quarterback Bailey Zappe, and remains known for its high-scoring, pass-heavy attack.