Rich Rodriguez is already looking for the next way to help West Virginia keep pace in college football’s money race, and his latest idea reaches beyond the athletic department.
During a recent radio interview, the WVU head coach floated the possibility of a tourism tax that would funnel money into the Mountaineers’ NIL efforts. Rodriguez pointed to West Virginia’s place in the state’s sports landscape, saying the school draws outsized attention because there is no other Power Four team, no NFL team, and no other pro organization in the state.
“We are the big show in town, in the state of West Virginia. There is no other Power Four team, or NFL team, or any other pro organization, so we get a lot of attention in the state, and when we have a home game, Morgantown becomes the biggest city in the state, and the tourism is the No. 1 industry, or one of the top industries in the state of West Virginia.
I’m trying to get maybe a little tourism tax that benefits our NIL and get some help. Our politicians in our state are great.
They really want to do what’s best for the state, they want to do what’s best for WVU and having a great athletic program, which our administration does a great job, our president and our AD, really helps, But also, it helps to have the folks down in Charleston and in our political world to help us out financially because this is a big ask that they’re doing now with the revenue share and all that and it’s hard.
"You want to be able to fund all your sports so they can compete. And being a smaller state without a lot of large, major companies, Fortune 500 companies, we can still get enough to compete, but it takes more people involved.
I really think our state and our political leaders are going to try to help us all they can. I’m not afraid to ask because if we want to win, we got to have money and we got to have NIL funds.
If West Virginia football is doing well, everybody is doing well. And it’s always been that way, and so hopefully we can do our part to make it happen.”
WVU athletic director Wren Baker has already pushed hard to grow the department’s budget and strengthen its NIL connections, and the school has made real progress over the last two to three years. Even so, Rodriguez’s comments made clear the Mountaineers still want more.
Whether a tourism tax ever gets traction is another matter. There’s no guarantee state lawmakers would sign off on it, and it does not sound like something that would move quickly. Still, Rodriguez’s pitch puts the idea in front of the people who would have to decide, and that alone could be the first step toward a bill someday.
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For a fan base that treats Saturdays like an event long before the first snap, the location change could matter as much as the timing. WVU is also pushing tickets for the home opener and the full season, including a 304 Mobile Pass for all seven home games, as it continues building around a home schedule that should make the atmosphere around Milan Puskar Stadium feel busy from the moment people start arriving. [Read more 🡒]
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For WVU, the bigger issue is not just where those prospects sit today, but how much volatility remains before the cycle really takes shape. Rankings changes do not end a recruitment, but they can alter momentum, perception, and the way schools prioritize their next steps. With several familiar names trending down at once, the Mountaineers have a real evaluation test ahead as they sort out which targets still fit the programs long-term plan. [Read more 🡒]
Why Rich Rodriguez Year 2 Feels Different For West Virginia
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The roster also gives the Mountaineers a few names to watch as that next step takes shape, including Jaden Bray, Cam Cook, Amari Latimer and Scotty Fox Jr. If Rodriguezs past is any guide, Year 2 is often where the pieces start to fit more cleanly, and that matters for a team trying to turn strengths into something more consistent while masking the areas that still need work. [Read more 🡒]