West Virginia and Tennessee have pushed their Charlotte meeting a week earlier.
The athletic departments announced Wednesday that their 2028 neutral-site game in Charlotte, North Carolina, part of the Duke’s Mayo Classic, has been moved from Sept. 2, 2028, to Aug. 26, 2028.
The matchup has been on the schedule since the spring of 2021, but it now fits into a college football calendar that is starting earlier beginning next season.
Charlotte has been a good stage for the Mountaineers. West Virginia is 4-2 all-time there and has won its last four games in the Queen City, including a 38-27 victory over then-No.
25 Virginia a couple of weeks ago. In that game, WVU piled up 257 rushing yards, hit on several explosive plays through the air, and watched Zac Alley’s defense settle in after allowing 14 points in the first quarter.
The Mountaineers gave up just 13 more the rest of the way, with six of those coming late after the outcome was already settled.
West Virginia and Tennessee first met in 2018, and the Mountaineers controlled that one from start to finish. WVU rolled 40-14 behind a massive performance from Will Grier, who completed 25 of 34 passes for 429 yards and five touchdowns. West Virginia finished with a 547-301 edge in total offense.
The Queen City also figures to feel like home territory for West Virginia fans. Charlotte has long drawn a heavy WVU presence because of the school’s large alumni base there, the number of West Virginians who have moved to the area, and the easy drive down the interstate.
WVU athletic director Wren Baker said Charlotte remains a place the program wants to keep on the radar when future schedules are built: "It’s always a place we do really well, so that’s a place we have really tried to plant our flag. You want to do what’s right by the state and community, but certain neutral-site games give you an opportunity to draw revenue, to hit a broader audience, to play an opponent that maybe doesn’t have it in their schedule to do two games."
West Virginia’s 2028 non-conference slate currently also includes games against Youngstown State on September 9 and Akron on September 16. If the full schedule shifts, those dates could move as well.
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The impact does not stop on the hardwood, either. Football cornerback Jason Chambers and baseball pitcher Ben McDougal also gained eligibility for one more season, giving the Mountaineers added stability in two other key sports as they map out the year ahead. It is the kind of ruling that quietly changes a lot about a programs planning, even before a ball is tipped, snapped or thrown. [Read more 🡒]