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 Ģ������ƵStories      June 12, 2025

By Bill Studenc

A long-awaited $37 million upgrade to renovate the west side stands of Western Carolina University’s aging E.J. Whitmire Stadium is now underway with an official groundbreaking ceremony held Thursday, June 12, in the shadows of the construction zone.

The often-discussed renovation has become a reality thanks to contributions to the university’s current “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign and through the support of the mandatory fees paid by Ģ������Ƶstudents as part of their cost of attendance.

The project includes a new press box and media center, coaches’ offices, player study spaces and a hospitality area called the “Western Skybox” as an homage to the campaign making the improvements possible.

The four-story expansion will modernize the stadium’s west stands, creating nearly 10,000 square feet of space dedicated to coaching, media, and game-day operations and hospitality. The state-of-the-art football operations area will feature 12 offices, a video room, offensive and defensive conference rooms and multiple meeting spaces.

The upgraded press box will accommodate approximately 155 people and will include game day coaching booths. The new hospitality level will provide a premium experience for more than 400 guests, with enhanced concessions and views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The renovation also will provide critical space for the university’s emergency operations center.

Completed in 1974, E.J. Whitmire Stadium celebrated its 50th anniversary during the 2024 football season.

The project is the first in a planned series of upgrades to facilities used by Catamount student-athletes, Ģ������ƵChancellor Kelli R. Brown told a crowd of more than 300 gathered for the ceremony.

“This is just one piece of our broader vision to create opportunities for students, build our legacy and ensure the success of our athletics programs,” Brown said. “We are taking a phased approach in much-needed and long-overdue upgrades to our athletics facilities, starting with these upgrades and featuring the flexibility for additional enhancements –  not just here at Whitmire Stadium but across all of our athletics programs.”

Donations that have been made as part of the “Fill the Western Sky” fundraising campaign are an important part of the funding picture for the stadium renovation, as financial support from alumni and friends is helping the university in its efforts to enhance the overall student experience, said Casey Cooper, chair of the Ģ������ƵBoard of Trustees.

“Your commitment is making a real difference in the lives of our students,” Cooper said, addressing the donors. “From scholarships to academic excellence endowments and from student engagement and experiential learning to critical investments in campus infrastructure, your contributions are at the heart of WCU’s continued success.”

Those donations are supplemented by financial support from Ģ������Ƶstudents through the athletics fee they pay, he said. “This is an incredible partnership between students past, present and future; alumni and friends; community members; and fans of Catamount sports teams,” Cooper said.

In the fall of 2021, the Student Government Association approved a resolution supporting an increase in that fee, with the dollars generated to go toward improvement of Catamount athletics facilities. The increase, expected to generate $30 million in funding for athletics facilities renovations, was later endorsed by the Ģ������ƵBoard of Trustees and then by the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors.

“The individuals who will benefit most directly from these upgraded facilities are student-athletes. And as the name makes clear, they are students first – our classmates, our friends, our neighbors. They compete with passion and represent us with pride, and they deserve facilities that match their commitment,” said current SGA President Grady Jones.

“And this isn’t just for athletes. All students benefit when our campus becomes a hub of pride and tradition. From tailgates to touchdowns, sporting events help shape the college experience. They connect us today and bring us back tomorrow – as alumni, as mentors, as lifelong Catamounts,” Jones said. “I can’t wait for when I return to Cullowhee on a crisp fall day, join thousands of voices in the stands and see firsthand what we started here today.”

Randy White, a co-chair of the “Fill the Western Sky” campaign steering committee, reminded ceremony attendees that the current campaign is the third in Ģ������Ƶhistory, but the first with a major emphasis on financial support for athletics facilities.

“Our previous campaigns have focused on raising funds for endowed professorships to help increase the quality of our faculty and for endowed scholarships so we can provide access to higher education to a larger number of students,” White said.

“Those campaigns have resulted in robust academic offerings and a higher level of support for student scholarships. Now, it is past time that we turn our attention toward improvements for our athletics programs and facilities and increase scholarship support for student-athletes. Our facilities have grown long in the tooth and are in need of much attention,” he said.

Ben Pendry, vice chancellor for advancement, provided a progress report on the “Fill the Western Sky” campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million in support of WCU’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs. The campaign, launched shortly after Brown’s selection as chancellor in 2019, progressed through a leadership phase before its public launch earlier this year.

“Together, we are building a legacy that will continue to grow and flourish for generations to come. It is with your ongoing support that we are able to take the next step in the ‘Fill the Western Sky’ comprehensive fundraising campaign, an ambitious initiative that will elevate the experiences of our students and our community,” Pendry said, announcing that the initiative had reached 91.4% of its goal.

“Now, you may have noticed that I said our campaign goal is a minimum of $100 million. The key word there is ‘minimum.’ Once we blow past that goal – which we will do – we will keep going, because with your loyal support, the potential of this incredible university is unlimited,” he said.

Prior to the ceremonial breaking of ground, Cooper expressed appreciation for the 65 donors who have made leadership gifts of $100,000 or more toward renovations of WCU’s athletics facilities.

The ceremony doubled as Planting Day, an annual gathering hosted by WCU’s Division of Advancement and Ģ������ƵFoundation to thank donors who comprise the Madison Legacy Society and the Cullowhee Society and to honor their record of major financial contributions to the university.

The Madison Legacy Society, which recognizes donors who have made planned gifts to the university or the Ģ������ƵFoundation, currently has 189 members. The Cullowhee Society, which acknowledges cumulative giving of gifts totaling $100,000 or more, now has 303 members, with some donors included in both giving societies. The 444 members of the two giving societies have made gifts and pledges totaling more than $203 million.

Kyle Pifer, recently appointed director of athletics at WCU, closed the event with a message of gratitude and an appeal for ongoing support.

“We know that this renovation is just the beginning of many more to come. Together, we will continue to build the legacy of ‘Fill the Western Sky,’ supporting our students, our programs and our athletics achievements,” Pifer said.

“As we look ahead with excitement, we invite you to deepen your connection to Catamount athletics by joining the Catamount Club and securing your season tickets today. Your support helps fuel our momentum and ensures our student-athletes continue to thrive – on and off the field,” he said.

The first phase of stadium upgrades is expected to be completed by the beginning of the 2026 football season. The project will not affect the 2025 schedule, but it will create changes in game day parking and stadium access.

For more information or to make a contribution to the “Fill the Western Sky” campaign, visit , call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.