West Virginia’s summer surge has reached the kind of stage where it’s drawing praise from the top of the Big 12.
The Mountaineers have already stacked up a run of momentum across the department. The women’s basketball team won the Big 12 Conference tournament and hosted in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992.
The baseball team kept the wave rolling by reaching the College World Series for the first time ever and finishing as one of the final four teams in Omaha. Men’s and women’s soccer also look positioned to keep moving forward, while Rich Rodriguez and Ross Hodge are trying to get football and men’s basketball pointed back in the right direction.
Both coaches have started strong on the recruiting trail, landing important pieces to build around. That has fueled the sense that year two could bring even more nights of singing, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”
West Virginia’s profile has also gotten a boost this summer from that song going viral on ESPN and being adopted by the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team. Add Pat McAfee’s presence as one of the school’s biggest media personalities, and it’s clear the Mountaineers have plenty of eyes on them.
That backdrop set up a notable moment on day two of Big 12 media days, when commissioner Brett Yormark was asked about West Virginia’s success and the value of the league’s brand. His answer was a strong one for Mountaineer fans.
“Listen, I will say this: there are a couple of our schools that continue to evolve, and that truly make a difference. West Virginia makes a difference in this conference.
No question about it. When they’re competitive, their fan engagement is off the charts.
I’ve seen it. I’m excited about what Wren Baker, the AD, is building there.
They have a great trajectory going up right now. They’re making a lot of investments, and you hear about them quite often.
But again, in addition to West Virginia, all of our schools are making great investments, and that’s why I’m so excited about where this conference is going. I see the future, and I know it’s extremely bright.
But you mentioned earlier, it really does come down to performance, and we’re judged on performance, and I’m excited about the progress we’re making there.”
West Virginia may not be the cleanest geographic fit for the Big 12, but the school does match the conference’s general vibe. The passion is there, the setting is often smaller-town or rural, and the chip-on-the-shoulder energy fits right in.
Realignment has slowed for now, but Yormark’s comments are the kind of thing WVU can point to with pride. If the Mountaineers keep building on this stretch, that kind of brand recognition could matter whether they stay in the Big 12 or eventually find themselves back on the move when the realignment wheel starts turning again.
In Other News...
Kalani Sitake Shows Why WVU Country Roads Means So Much
Three years ago, Kalani Sitake found himself in the middle of one of the more memorable West Virginia traditions without fully understanding the fine print. The BYU coach had talked up hearing fans sing Take Me Home, Country Roads at a game, only to later realize that at WVU, the song is reserved for after a win. It was the kind of harmless misstep that sticks because it says so much about how deeply that anthem is tied to Mountaineer football and the atmosphere around it.
Sitake revisited the moment during Big 12 Media Day and handled it with the sort of perspective that tends to play well in league circles. He acknowledged the mistake and made clear he respects what the song means in Morgantown, which is part of why the exchange has lingered beyond the original game. BYU and WVU are not on each others schedule this season, but the next trip to Morgantown is already on the horizon. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Fans Wont Believe What Big 12 Branding Means For Mountaineer Uniforms
The Big 12s new partnership with Monster Energy is about to show up in a very visible way across the league, with the brands patches set to land on football and mens and womens basketball uniforms while logos also appear on fields and courts. The agreement is reportedly worth $20 million and is expected to send about $1 million annually to each conference member, another sign of how aggressively the league is leaning into sponsorship revenue.
For West Virginia, the branding move also opens the door to more local creativity. Athletic director Wren Baker has already mentioned the possibility of pursuing an additional jersey patch sponsorship, and the Mountaineers are actively looking for more revenue streams as college athletics keeps pushing deeper into the commercial space. What that could look like for WVU uniforms is still taking shape, but the conversation is clearly moving beyond conference-wide branding and into school-specific add-ons. [Read more 🡒]