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.

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Basketball

The Hilltoppers basketball program is nationally recognized, and reached the Final Four in 1971. Current coach Ken McDonald arrived in 2008, after the Hilltoppers went to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Sweet 16. On March 10, 2009 the Hilltoppers repeated as Sun Belt Conference Champions by defeating South Alabama 64-56 to clinch their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance.

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.

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 Division 1-AA Football Championship in 2002. In 2008 the Hilltoppers were part of Division 1-A Independents with the Army Black Knights, Navy Midshipmen and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. But in 2009 the Hilltoppers will join the Sun Belt Conference.

The Red Towel

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

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