Western Carolina Catamounts

The Western Carolina Catamounts bring mountain-town grit to the Southern Conference from Cullowhee, North Carolina. Playing in purple and gold, the Catamounts have carved out a long history as a scrappy FCS program that has occasionally broken through to the national stage. Western Carolina's blue-collar approach and passionate regional following give it a distinct identity within the SoCon.

Western Carolina fielded its first football team in 1931 under C.C. Poindexter, known as the 'Father of Western Carolina Athletics.' The program moved up to NCAA Division I and the Southern Conference in 1976-77. Its signature moment came in 1983, when the Catamounts reached the Division I-AA National Championship Game, falling to top-seeded Southern Illinois 43-7. Western Carolina has not won a national or conference title outright but remains a long-tenured member of the SoCon.