For the first time in three decades, Western Carolina will begin the football season inside the Top 25 rankings.
The Catamounts have been listed at No. 20 in the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll, released on Aug. 5.
It’s the first time WCU has been included in a major preseason Top 25 since the 1994 team held a No. 17 ranking in The Sports Network’s preseason poll, according to Daniel Hooker, the school’s associate athletic director for media relations.
The FCS was known then as NCAA Division I-AA.
The ’94 Western Carolina team, which finished 6-5 overall, rose as high as No. 14 before losing at NC State in late September, 38-13. The Catamounts, who also played at Georgia Tech early in the year, stayed in the top 25 throughout the regular season. They dropped out of the final poll after losses to No. 12 Appalachian State and East Tennessee State in the last two weeks. The other loss that season came to top-ranked Marshall.
The Sports Network Poll was considered the official FCS rankings at that time. Voters included coaches, athletic directors, sports information directors and media members. Today, the Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches rankings are considered the “official” national FCS polls.
The FCS Coaches have not yet released their 2024 preseason ranking. WCU is listed at No. 16 in the HERO Sports preseason FCS rankings.
Western Carolina’s season opener on Thursday, Aug. 29 at NC State will be a ranked vs. ranked match-up. The Wolfpack held a No. 22 ranking in the preseason FBS Coaches Top 25, which was released earlier this week.
WCU’s 2024 schedule is grueling and will include multiple games against ranked foes.
The Catamounts will visit No. 3 Montana — the 2023 FCS runner-up — on Sept. 21 in a much-anticipated non-conference showdown. WCU also will host No. 9 Chattanooga on Nov. 9 and will visit No. 26 Elon on Sept. 14, No. 12 Furman on Oct. 19 and No. 29 Mercer on Oct. 26.
2024 Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25
