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...
West Virginia Just Landed A Back Who Could Change Everything
Cam Cook is back in the Big 12 and heading to West Virginia after a dominant 2025 season at Jacksonville State, where the senior running back used an extra year of eligibility to keep his career going. His arrival gives the Mountaineers a proven runner with a track record of carrying an offense, and it comes at a time when West Virginia is looking to get its ground game back on track after a difficult season.
Cooks production at Jacksonville State was the kind that turns heads across the league, and West Virginia is betting that skill set can translate quickly in Morgantown. The fit makes sense on paper, especially for a program that wants more punch on the ground, but the real question now is how the Mountaineers plan to use him and just how much he can reshape their rushing attack once he gets into the system. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Just Landed A Big Piece For WVU's O-Line Future
Rich Rodriguezs latest addition to the West Virginia offensive line pipeline comes in the form of Tristan Hardin-Roberts, a Blount High School lineman from Mobile, Alabama who gives the Mountaineers another developmental piece up front. Hardin-Roberts arrives with the kind of frame and versatility coaches like to work with, and he was able to sort through a handful of suitors before settling on Morgantown.
West Virginia beat out Oklahoma State, South Florida and Tulane for his commitment, a notable win as Rodriguez continues building out the future of the line. He is expected to begin at tackle, though the staff could always revisit his best fit once he gets on campus and adds more weight, leaving a little room for the final answer on where he settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Why Geimere Latimer Already Feels Like A Perfect WVU Fit
Geimere Latimers path to West Virginia has already made him look like the kind of player this staff tends to value. A highly successful high school quarterback in Georgia, he had to navigate skepticism from Division I programs about both his position and his size, then reinvent himself as a cornerback at Jacksonville State. He played in every game there and helped the Gamecocks win a Conference USA championship, a strong sign that the move away from quarterback did not slow him down.
Now Latimer is back with coaches he knows, which matters in a program that has leaned on familiarity and versatility in the secondary. After stops at Jacksonville State and Wisconsin, he arrived in Morgantown with a chance to settle into a role that fits his skill set, and the expectation is that he will work at nickel back. For West Virginia, that kind of adaptable defender can be especially useful, and Latimers journey suggests he may be ready to make the most of it. [Read more 🡒]