Mercer enters the week playing its best football of the season after back-to-back road wins over Abilene Christian and VMI. The Bears will next take on the Western Carolina Catamounts at 3 p.m. Oct. 10 at Five Star Stadium in Macon. Here are three things to know before you go.

The Bears lead the series with the Catamounts

Mercer and Western Carolina football players face each other at the line of scrimmage.
Mercer and Western Carolina face off in 2022 at Five Star Stadium. Photo by Christopher Ian Smith

No. 18 Mercer leads the all-time series with Western Carolina and will ride a 10-game series win streak into this matchup. The Bears dropped the initial meeting in the series in Macon back in 2014 but have won five-straight games against the Catamounts in Macon, including a 44-34 result in 2024. But don’t count out the Catamounts. Western Carolina remains one of the Southern Conference’s most explosive offensive teams, averaging 34.5 points and 439.5 yards per game.

Penelope Road to headline Ford Football Concert Series

A cheerleader in an orange uniform and a woman in a white cap and t-shirt pose with their hands raised in front of a banner.
A Mercer cheerleader and fan give the claw before the Bears face East Texas A&M on Aug. 29, 2026, in Macon. Photo by Jessica Gratigny

Pre-game festivities start at 10 a.m. on Black Field, culminating at 1 p.m. with a performance by Atlanta-based pop-rock artist Penelope Road as part of the free Ford Football Concert Series. The music starts at noon with student band Mothafunka. Leading up to the show, fans can enjoy the Fall Line beer garden and Dr Pepper Fansville featuring inflatables for the kids. At 12:45 p.m., join us for the Bear Walk as the football team, band and cheerleaders make their way to Five Star Stadium. Gates open at 2 p.m.

It’s Family Weekend

Two women and two young girls in Mercer University apparel posing together outdoors at an event.
A Mercer family takes a break from tailgating to pose for a picture during Family Weekend in 2023. Photo by Christopher Ian Smith

Mercer students will have their families on campus for Family Weekend, which consists of three fun-filled days of events that include tailgating and the football game. Students and their families may register for Family Weekend here. Don’t have a Mercer student? Get football tickets for your own family online and use promo code 4FAMILY to get $10 off each seat when you purchase four or more.

Mercer vs. Western Carolina

When: 3 p.m. Oct. 10
Where: Five Star Stadium
Tickets: $20-$45, buy online at mercerbears.tixr.com
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Mercer Sports Network — 100.9 The Creek FM or sportsmic.com

Todd Anderson, assistant athletic director for media relations, contributed to this report.

 

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Jennifer Falk
Jennifer Falk
Jennifer Falk is director of digital communications at Mercer. She edits and writes feature stories for The Den and examines web data and analytics to drive content decisions. She also creates and supervises the creation of content for primary University web pages and e-newsletters.

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