Rich Rodriguez has shut the door on one piece of West Virginia nostalgia, but he did confirm a change to the Mountaineers’ pregame look that should play much better on game day.
The inflatable helmet from the early 2000s is not making a return, Rodriguez said during his radio show on Monday. Still, WVU will no longer be starting from the weight room. The Mountaineers are going back to coming out of the tunnel.
“Disappointing to tell you, uh, no. It’s not (coming back).
We have a pretty neat entrance, but we are coming out of the tunnel now, which I really like. We’re coming out of the tunnel like the Gladiators.
Last year we were coming out of the weight room, and that’s kind of average. I like coming out of the tunnel.
There’s going to be a tunnel cam, so when we go down the tunnel, you can see on the big screen as we walk out. We're still going to have the smoke and running out of there like normal, but just going to do it out of a little bit of a hidden deal with the tunnel."
That’s the headline change: tunnel entrance, tunnel cam, same smoke, same burst onto the field - just not the giant helmet.
The inflatable helmet was a signature part of that earlier Rich Rod era, and plenty of fans have wanted it back. But Rodriguez’s answer made it clear that era is being referenced in other ways instead. WVU has already brought back Rich Rod, Pat White, Noel Devine, glossy helmets, shoulder chips and the train on the big screen.
For now, though, the helmet stays in the past. And if the choice is between a weight room walkout and a real tunnel entrance, the tunnel sounds like the move that will actually give the pregame runout some juice.
In Other News...
Pat Whites WVU Honor Only Happened After A Longstanding Barrier Fell
Pat White is finally getting the kind of recognition that has long felt overdue in Morgantown, with his No. 5 jersey set to be ceremonially retired Saturday before West Virginias season opener. The official retirement will come after the current season ends, once Jaden Bray finishes his eligibility, but the announcement alone marks a significant shift for a program that had long held firm on a rule that kept jerseys from being retired.
The key change came when the West Virginia Athletic Council revised that policy, opening the door for Whites place in school history to be honored in the most visible way possible. In a recent interview, White said he reflected on his career and expressed gratitude for the moment, a fitting response for one of the defining figures of the Mountaineers modern era, even as the final step in the process still waits out the season. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez Just Made West Virginias QB Situation Even More Intriguing
Rich Rodriguez used the first Coaches Show of the new season to lay out where West Virginia stands after a busy roster reset, and the biggest takeaway was how much the staff is leaning on experience to steady things up front. He touched on the additions the Mountaineers brought in through high school recruiting and the transfer portal, then quickly turned to the offensive line, where continuity figures to matter a great deal as the team tries to settle into a faster rhythm.
The quarterback picture, though, is the part that will keep drawing attention. Rodriguez named Scotty Fox and Michael Hawkins as possible starters, which only adds another layer to a room that still has to define itself while the rest of the offense takes shape around it. He also gave updates on Cam Cook, Amari Latimer, DJ Epps and Jaden Bray, all while making it clear the up-tempo approach remains the plan, so the pressure to identify the right pieces and get them moving together is already building. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Awaits Eligibility Ruling With Early Season Stakes Rising
The eligibility fight involving Brenen Lorient and Javan Buchanan has widened into a cross-sport issue for West Virginia, with football player Jason Chambers and baseball pitcher Ben McDougal later added to the lawsuit against the NCAA. What began as an effort to secure an additional collegiate year for the two basketball players now carries broader implications for the Mountaineers, whose rosters in multiple sports are waiting on the same legal clock.
A hearing is set for Sept. 24, and the timing matters most for Chambers, whose status could affect the opening stretch of the football season. For West Virginia, the case is another reminder of how eligibility disputes can ripple beyond one locker room, especially when an early-season schedule leaves little margin for delay. [Read more 🡒]