Western Carolina University’s E.J. Whitmire Stadium is celebrating its 50th birthday during the 2024 football season, but Catamount fans are discovering that the venerable facility has seen limited updates since its 1974 debut.

That’s why many longtime supporters have made significant contributions to an effort to raise a minimum of $30 million to renovate WCU’s aging athletics facilities. The gifts came during the leadership phase of the “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign, which has an overall goal of raising $75 million in support of WCU’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs.

Former WCU tennis player Tad Grattan ’87 made a $1 million commitment to help future Catamount student-athletes have access to the type of top-notch athletics facilities lacking during his playing days.

“Part of being a student-athlete at Western was the reality that we had to learn how to do more with less. We just didn’t have the facilities or the resources that other schools had,” said Grattan. “I remember going to Davidson and Furman and thinking, ‘Holy cow, look at this place.’ Our school is the prettiest of all of them in the Southern Conference in terms of the mountains and the views and the beauty of it all. Now it’s time for us to have better athletics facilities and be competitive in the Southern Conference.”

While extensive enhancements have occurred around WCU’s academic programs and facilities over the years, that has not been the case for athletics, said longtime WCU supporter Mike Crawford ’87, who made a $500,000 contribution toward sports facilities improvements when he learned the Catamount athletics budget is the lowest in the Southern Conference except for military schools VMI andThe Citadel.

“This puts us at a competitive disadvantage in facilities, scholarships, equipment and coaching compensation. Yet, we led the Southern Conference in attendance for football games last year — plus had a winning season, I might add — and our women’s soccer program won the conference championship,” Crawford said. “Consider the art of the possible for WCU when we complete the fundraising and start breaking ground on new facilities.”

While the needs are many, Lee Campbell, a safety on the football team, said an upgraded weight room is a priority.

“We find ourselves rushing to get out of the way of other teams and crunched for time, as well as crunched for space within the weight room,” said Campbell. “By getting a bigger weight room, this should solve this problem drastically. Not only would this improve the experience for current athletes here at WCU, but it would also be a driving factor for recruits to commit.”

Current plans call for a phased scenario featuring the ability to upgrade Whitmire Stadium while keeping options open for additional enhancements, Chancellor Kelli R. Brown said.

“The first phase includes an addition to the west side for a press box and flexible interior and exterior spaces, including possible premium hospitality space. It also includes an addition to the end zone area beside Jordan-Phillips Field House for strength and conditioning (currently provided in Jordan-Phillips), a new stadium entrance and a Hall of Champions space,” Brown said. “This plan will leave us with the ability to continue seeking funding for future phases that would not require us to compromise any of our aspirational plans.”