Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
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| Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | |
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| University | Western Kentucky University |
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| Conference | Sun Belt Conference |
| NCAA | FBS (Formerly Division I-A) |
| Athletics director | Dr. Camden Wood Selig |
| Location | Bowling Green, KY |
| Varsity teams | 18 |
| Football stadium | Houchens Industries - L. T. Smith Stadium |
| Basketball arena | E. A. Diddle Arena |
| Mascot | Big Red |
| Nickname | Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers |
| Fight song | Stand Up and Cheer |
| Colors | Red and White
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| Homepage | WKUsports.com |
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers. This consists of eighteen teams (nine mens, nine womens teams) that compete in the Sun Belt Conference of the NCAA's Division I.
Women compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
Men compete in basketball, baseball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field.
[edit] Basketball
The Hilltoppers basketball program is nationally recognized, and reached the Final Four in 1971. Current coach Darrin Horn arrived in 2003, winning the regular season Sun Belt Conference title in 2006, and taking the Hilltoppers to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship tournament in 2008.
During the 1990s, Lady Toppers basketball had a higher national profile than the men's program. In recent years, the Lady Toppers and Hilltoppers have had roughly equal success; under head coach Mary Taylor Cowles, the Lady Toppers won the Sun Belt Conference's regular season title four times in the last six years, advancing to the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship tournament in 2003 and 2008.
[edit] Football
WKU football was a member of the Gateway Conference through the 2006 football season, then began its 2-year transition into becoming a full FBS (formerly I-A) member. They will play a full FBS schedule in 2009. As a member of Division I-AA, now Division I FCS, the Hilltoppers won a national title in 2002.
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