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E. J. Whitmire Stadium

E. J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, NC, home of Western Carolina. Capacity 13,742. Opened September 14, 1974.

Capacity
13,742
Opened
1974
Surface
Desso Challenge Pro 2 turf
Roof
Open air
Elevation
2,145 ft
Western Carolina here
58–⁠63 games on file since 2003

Since it opened: Western Carolina is 71–⁠79–⁠1 in home games from the 1975 season on. Our source names a game’s stadium only from 2001, so that count takes every earlier home game not marked neutral and may include a few played elsewhere.

Biggest games here

From the games on file here, 2003 on: title and postseason games, meetings of two ranked teams, upsets by our pregame Elo ratings and the biggest swings in CollegeFootballData.com’s excitement index.

Crowds season by season

Average and biggest crowd at E. J. Whitmire Stadium by season, 2003 to 20265k10k15k20k2003: 9,372 a game over 6 games; biggest 11,0212004: 10,357 a game over 4 games; biggest 14,7412005: 9,099 a game over 5 games; biggest 10,1372006: 10,253 a game over 4 games; biggest 13,7422007: 6,760 a game over 5 games; biggest 8,3652008: 8,320 a game over 6 games; biggest 14,2132009: 7,098 a game over 5 games; biggest 10,0172010: 8,470 a game over 5 games; biggest 14,0042011: 6,711 a game over 6 games; biggest 9,9892012: 9,420 a game over 5 games; biggest 13,2792013: 7,643 a game over 5 games; biggest 9,6272014: 9,525 a game over 6 games; biggest 13,3232015: 10,119 a game over 5 games; biggest 12,3482016: 10,465 a game over 5 games; biggest 12,2832017: 10,547 a game over 5 games; biggest 12,0182018: 10,580 a game over 5 games; biggest 12,7592021: 9,824 a game over 5 games; biggest 11,1232022: 9,876 a game over 5 games; biggest 11,7762023: 11,935 a game over 5 games; biggest 13,3572024: 10,751 a game over 4 games; biggest 13,0222025: 10,986 a game over 6 games; biggest 14,5102026: 11,479 a game over 3 games; biggest 13,48220032008201320182023

Biggest crowds on file

14,741App State at Western Carolina2004
14,510Mercer at Western Carolina2025
14,213App State at Western Carolina2008
14,004App State at Western Carolina2010
13,742App State at Western Carolina2006

Bars are each season’s average crowd, dots its biggest (the record in orange), the dashed rule today’s capacity. Attendance is on file for most games from 2001 on.

Weather on game day

Coldest kickoffs

Hottest kickoffs

Coldest game days before 2004

Hottest game days before 2004

Kickoffs: the NOAA report nearest kickoff from the closest weather station (NOAA NCEI Integrated Surface Database). Game days: the day’s high and snowfall at the NOAA station nearest the stadium, for Western Carolina’s home games before 2004 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, public domain).

The stadium’s history

Opened
September 14, 1974
Architect
Moore and Robinson Architects
Surface over the years
Desso Challenge Pro 2 turf

From the stadium’s Wikipedia article, E. J. Whitmire Stadium.

From above

50 mN ↑
The stadium’s footprint, north up: about 180 by 160 meters (580 by 520 feet), the field in green. Outline from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Recent games here

Oct 3, 2026Western Carolina 44, Tennessee Tech 20
Sep 19, 2026Western Carolina 58, Presbyterian 14
Aug 29, 2026Western Carolina 45, Eastern Kentucky 21
Nov 15, 2025East Tennessee State 52, Western Carolina 35
Nov 8, 2025Mercer 49, Western Carolina 47
Oct 11, 2025Western Carolina 52, Furman 7
Sep 20, 2025Western Carolina 50, Samford 35
Sep 13, 2025Elon 37, Western Carolina 31
Aug 30, 2025Gardner-Webb 52, Western Carolina 45
Nov 16, 2024Western Carolina 58, VMI 28
Nov 2, 2024Western Carolina 38, Chattanooga 34
Oct 12, 2024Western Carolina 30, The Citadel 16