West Virginia has settled on its look for the annual Gold Rush game, and it’s a familiar one.
The Mountaineers posted a video moments ago showing they’ll go with glossy blue helmets, gold jerseys and blue pants when they face Oklahoma State in the Big 12 opener. The reveal confirms what many expected and leaves the matte gold lids out of the mix.
𝙂𝙊𝙇𝘿 𝙍𝙐𝙎𝙃Game 4: 🔵🟡🔵@GoMartStores pic.twitter.com/G9ey805D5f
The decision also suggests West Virginia may be done with the matte gold helmet altogether. The team didn’t wear those lids at any point last season, and they’re not part of the Gold Rush setup this year either.
That’s probably fine with plenty of fans who never warmed to the full gold look anyway. The gold helmet has its supporters, but the matte finish never quite landed the way the glossy blue lids do.
West Virginia already moved its white helmet to a glossy finish this offseason, so a glossy gold version could still happen down the line. But if Rich Rod has a preference here, he doesn’t seem like a coach who’ll spend much time chasing alternate looks.
The traditional style may keep winning out, with the glossy blue helmet and the Coal Rush lid likely carrying most of the load.
The Gold Rush game has produced a long list of results over the years:
2012: Oklahoma 50, West Virginia 49
2013: West Virginia 30, Oklahoma State 21
2014: West Virginia 33, Kansas 14
2015: West Virginia 45, Maryland 6
2016: West Virginia 26, Missouri 11
2017: West Virginia 56, ECU 20
2018: West Virginia 38, Kansas 22
2019: West Virginia 44, North Carolina State 27
2020: Pandemic (no fans, no gold rush)
2021: West Virginia 27, Virginia Tech 21
2022: Kansas 55, West Virginia 42 (OT)
2023: West Virginia 20, Texas Tech 13
2024: West Virginia 49, UAlbany 14
2025: West Virginia 45, Robert Morris 3
2026: West Virginia (?) vs.
Oklahoma State (?)
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on FS1.
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Oklahoma State Faces A Road Test That Could Change The Big 12 Mood
The Big 12 opener in Morgantown brings together two teams that have already spent September making noise. West Virginia has the kind of early rsum that gets attention after knocking off then-No. 25 Virginia, while Oklahoma State arrives with its own momentum after wins over Oregon and Murray State. It is the sort of matchup that can tell you a lot about where both programs stand once conference play starts, especially with each side showing a different early identity.
Oklahoma State enters with the league's most productive offense by yardage, while West Virginia has been the Big 12's most effective rushing team. Both coaching staffs have been quick to acknowledge the challenge in front of them, with each side pointing to the other team's strengths and the progress it has made so far. For West Virginia, it is a chance to defend home turf against one of the conference's early pace-setters and find out whether its ground game can hold up against a high-powered attack. [Read more 🡒]