West Virginia is almost here.
With three exhibitions in the books, the Mountaineers are about to open year two of the Ross Hodge era in Morgantown, and the early signs point to a team that might be ready to take a step. How large that step turns out to be is still the question, but ESPN’s BPI has at least offered a baseline for where the computers think WVU stands heading into 2026-27.
The projection lands West Virginia at 52nd nationally, a spot that suggests the Mountaineers would be in the mix on the edge of the NCAA bubble. If the season unfolds that way, the key detail would be who those losses come against, because that could decide whether WVU ends up on the right side of the cut line.
The BPI’s Big 12 rankings paint a league crowded near the top but with a sharp drop as you move down the board. Kansas checks in at 5th, followed by Arizona at 10th and Houston at 15th.
UCF lands at 21st, BYU at 24th, Oklahoma State at 31st, Colorado at 36th, Texas Tech at 37th, Kansas State at 39th and Baylor at 44th. Cincinnati is 50th, just ahead of West Virginia.
Then come Iowa State at 61st, Arizona State at 62nd, TCU at 65th and Utah at 69th.
That WVU ranking is a little surprising given the schedule ahead. The Mountaineers will play neutral-site games against Pitt, North Carolina and Wake Forest, and they’ll also get whoever comes next after Auburn in the Players Era tournament. Add in a home date with Virginia Tech, and it’s a pretty sturdy nonconference slate.
As for the league race, the model gives four teams what it calls a legitimate shot at the title: Iowa State at 50.7%, Texas Tech at 28.4%, Arizona at 22.8% and Houston at 15.8%.
One number that stands out is West Virginia’s title odds, which are listed at below 0.5%. Cincinnati sits at 4%, but WVU doesn’t crack that mark. The article notes respect for Jerrod Calhoun and expects him to have a strong first season, while also pointing out that year one is always difficult to navigate.
In Other News...
WVU Season Ticket Holders Just Got A New Perk Fans Will Notice
Lower-level season ticket holders for WVU mens basketball and baseball now have a new way to make unused seats count. The Mountaineer Ticket Office and Mountaineer Athletic Club have rolled out a ticket return program that lets fans hand back tickets they cant use, turning them into MAC priority points while giving other Mountaineer supporters a chance to buy them.
The returned tickets will be resold to other WVU fans, with the proceeds going back to support WVU Athletics. The program comes with a clear catch, though: once a ticket is returned, it is final, with no refunds or exchanges, so holders will want to follow the instructions closely before giving up a seat. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Gets A Real Opening In Crucial Trip To Texas Tech
West Virginias extra week came at a useful time, giving the Mountaineers a chance to reset before a trip to Texas Tech that now looks even more important in the Big 12 race. The bye should help with both preparation and recovery, and it also gives Rich Rodriguez a little more room to tinker before facing a Red Raiders team that has not looked sharp on offense.
Texas Techs recent offensive issues have opened the door for the Mountaineers to make the most of this spot, especially with the Red Raiders leaning more heavily on backup quarterback Tommy Castellanos for reps. Rodriguez has a track record of handling road games against ranked opponents coming off byes, and West Virginia will be hoping that experience, along with the extra week, turns this trip into a real opening instead of just another tough road test. [Read more 🡒]
Ross Hodge Sounds Alarm On A WVU Problem Fans Need To Hear
Ross Hodge used his radio show to touch on one of the uglier realities around college basketball, and one West Virginia fans should hear plainly: the criticism that follows losses does not stay on the court anymore. The Mountaineers head coach said he was ready for the heat that comes with the job, but last years players were hit with a level of personal backlash online that he did not expect, and it clearly left an impression.
Hodge pointed to the way social media can reward negativity, and even tied part of the problem to the influence of gambling, which has made every result feel more combustible. His message was not about avoiding criticism altogether, but about keeping it fair and not turning it personal. For a program trying to build confidence and stability, that distinction matters, especially when the people wearing the jersey are the ones absorbing the noise. [Read more 🡒]