WKU Director of Athletics Todd Stewart talks to basketball coach Ray Harper during practice on Monday, Oct. 6, 2014. (Austin Anthony/Daily News)

Western Kentucky athletic director Todd Stewart threw down a challenge to Hilltopper fans Monday.

Stewart made a radio appearance on “The Wes and Coach Show” and urged fans to support the men’s basketball team this week as it hosts Charlotte and No. 25 Old Dominion on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

“This is a big week for us,” Stewart said. “We’ve got two really good teams coming in here in Charlotte and Old Dominion. When I was named the athletic director back in the spring of 2012, it seemed like everywhere I went, the first and second and sometimes third thing I heard from our fans was, ‘We need to get into a new conference. We’ve got to have more exciting teams come to Diddle Arena for conference play.’ Now we are in a different conference.”

WKU (8-5) made its Conference USA debut Sunday with an 81-62 home victory over Marshall. The Hilltoppers have won seven of their last nine.

Charlotte is 52nd in the RPI rankings, while Old Dominion is 17th. The Monarchs (12-1) moved into the Associated Press Top 25 on Monday for the first time in program history.

Saturday’s game against ODU will be WKU’s first contest against a ranked conference opponent since taking on a ranked New Orleans squad three times in 1993.

Stewart noted Monday that when WKU hosted New Orleans in 1993, more than 11,000 fans – 11,424, to be exact – showed up to a Diddle Arena that has since been renovated, with seating reduced to a capacity of 7,326.

“We couldn’t get 11,000 people in Diddle Arena today if we tried to, but unfortunately, unless we play Louisville, we can’t more than 7,000 in there,” Stewart said. “This week is really what it’s all about. It gets dark at 5 o’clock. It’s 30 degrees outside. There’s really not a lot going on. We’ve got Charlotte on Thursday and a 25th-ranked Old Dominion team on Saturday, and our fans made a difference in the Louisville game.

“We need that again, and I think our guys deserve it.”

Radio host Wes Strader observed that all of WKU’s current seven-game homestand takes place with students away on winter break.

Stewart wasn’t having that excuse.

“A large percentage of our students live in Warren County, so class isn’t in session, but they’re probably still at home,” he said. “They could come over for the games. It’s not a long commute, and again, I don’t know what else is going on. … I’m not sure what else you’re doing right now.”

WKU is averaging 4,164 fans over eight home games this year, including an over-capacity crowd of 7,598 for then-No. 4 Louisville. Outside of that total, there have been just two crowds of more than 4,000 fans. Sunday’s Conference USA debut against Marshall drew 3,597 fans.

The Louisville crowd was electric, Stewart said, and WKU needs a similar atmosphere this week for two pivotal C-USA matchups.

“Our guys feed off of that,” Stewart said. “Fans bring energy. Students bring energy. … It’s a two-way street. We’ve got to put a good product on the court, but we’re doing that.”

— Zach Greenwell