| Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | |
| University | Western Kentucky University |
|---|---|
| Conference(s) | Sun Belt Conference |
| NCAA | FBS (Formerly Division I-A) |
| Athletics director | Ross Bjork |
| Location | Bowling Green, KY |
| Varsity teams | 17 |
| 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
|
| 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 men's, nine women's 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, American football, golf, swimming, tennis, and track and field.
On March 12, 2010, Ross Bjork, who was the senior associate athletic director for Development and External Relations at UCLA was named athletic director, replacing Dr. Wood Selig, who left WKU for Old Dominion University.[1]
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The Hilltoppers basketball program is nationally recognized, and reached the Final Four in 1971. Current coach Ken McDonald (basketball coach) arrived in 2008. The program is 8th-winningest program in NCAA history. The program has over 1,600 victories, forty 20-win seasons, 34 Postseason Tournament Appearances and 28 All-Americans.
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.
WKU football was a member of the Gateway Conference through the 2006 football season and then began its 2-year transition into becoming a full FBS (formerly I-A) member. As a member of Division I-AA, now Division I FCS, the Hilltoppers won a Division 1-AA Football Championship in 2002. In 2008, the Hilltoppers were among the Division 1-A Independents, along with the Army Black Knights, Navy Midshipmen and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In 2009, the Hilltoppers completed the transition and joined the Sun Belt Conference.
WKU baseball competes at Nick Denes Field. The team won the Sun Belt Conference championship in 2009, their first title. With the help of Matt Rice behind the plate as an All American Catcher Kenny Martin is the most Valuable player on the team
WKU holds a long-standing rivalry with Cross-state Eastern Kentucky University. Up until 2008, the two schools' football teams competed annually in the "Battle of the Bluegrass", with WKU leading the all time series 47-34-3.
The rivalry with Middle Tennessee State University has become one of the most heated and most most competitive in the Sun Belt, with each team fielding championship contending teams each year. The rivalry has grown in recent years due to the football teams' move into the FBS.
The red towel is famous at WKU. The origins of the towel come from Coach Diddle getting upset that the Athletic Towels were being stolen. So he decided that he wanted all of his towels to be red. After the red towels were made, Diddle threw them to the rafters, beat them on the floor, chewed on them, waved, twisted, and even cried into them.
George Barker from the Nashville Tennessean described these various actions and interpreted their meanings as such:
| Action | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tossed in the air | Pure climatic joy |
| Whirled overhead | Satisfaction and high expectation |
| Slapped violently on the floor | Extreme disappointment with players or referee |
| Twisted or braided | Outcome doubtful |
| Chewed | Outcome very doubtful |
| Used to shield the eyes | Horror or Shakesperian-like dismay |
| Rubbed on groin | Pure disgust |
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