![]() ![]() West Virginia still finds itself in an odd position, though. ![]() West Virginia currently finds itself on solid ground to remain in the Big 12, which looks poised to remain a Power Four school once the decks are reshuffled. This looks a lot like a free agency system (with no defined salary cap) where lesser schools will simply become development and feeder schools for the Big Two. Student-athletes can also freely transfer to a school of their choice. That said, it seems likely that within this decade, the Big Ten and SEC will invite a few more teams to form the “Big Two,” and that the remaining Power Five teams will consolidate into two conferences that, together with the Big Two, would comprise the new “Power Four.” Will this merge into a standalone league that features promotion and relegation? We had fun with the idea previously, but it seems unlikely.Īgainst this backdrop, we have also entered the era where student athletes can make money for the use of their NIL generally without issue for the players and schools. Where that trend might end remains anyone’s guess. Simply, these are not positive trends for Head Coach Neal Brown. During that span, WVU placed just three into the NFL via the draft. Fans must go back to the 2001-2004 NFL drafts to find a worse performance by this measure. All four fell to the fifth round or below. Beginning with the 2020 draft, West Virginia entered just four players into the NFL through the draft. The on-field results have caused the Mountaineers to have a similar streak of limited NFL draftees. In short, this is the longest streak of futility the Mountaineers faced in nearly 50 years. To find a four-year stretch where West Virginia never had an AP ranking, fans must look back further to a 10-year stretch spanning Art Lewis, Gene Corum, and Jim Carlen. Even during that era, the Mountaineers at least found themselves ranked at some point. To find a similar stretch of losing football, fans must look back to the Frank Cignetti era, where the Mountaineers went 17-27. Over the last four seasons, the West Virginia Mountaineers field a 22-25 record (a 47% winning percentage). It is almost as if to forewarn fans that the results may not fall in line with fans’ demands of their program, yet again. He seemed to caution fans that the Mountaineers begin the 2023 season with the difficult part of their schedule. We do not think all hope is lost but are troubled by a comment during the Old Gold and Blue Game by Athletic Director Wren Baker. This is a strange way for us to begin our off-season coverage of the West Virginia Mountaineers, but we think most fans understand the state of the WVU football program. UCLA and USC are leaving the Pac-12 Conference for the Big Ten Conference in 2024.Morgantown, we have a problem.The Big 12 Conference is looking to add up to six Pac-12 Conference schools.The West Virginia football program has gained a wide receiver commitment over Duke, Utah, and others.Former West Virginia pitcher Alek Manoah will likely be a Major League Baseball All-Star this season.Carter has seen more playing time in Milwaukee than any other place in his professional career, and he will be staying with the Bucks for two more years. West Virginia men’s basketball legend Jevon Carter has signed a new NBA contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. WVU has also never lost to James Madison, Liberty, or VMI in football. The Mountaineers have a winning record against UVA in men’s basketball. WVU has winning records against Virginia Tech in both football and men’s basketball. West Virginia is the “Best Virginia” and its success against schools in neighboring Virginia proves it. Should the Mountaineers stick with the Big 12 as it looks to potentially grow westward, or can they finally get back to an east coast league while schools are shuffling around? THE BEST VIRGINIA Gordon Gee knows that there are more moves to be made and he believes that there are opportunities opening up. Does West Virginia have an opportunity to improve its situation in this round of conference realignment? The college sports world is trying to grasp what is going on in the current wave of conference realignment, while also looking to the future. ![]() Welcome, By-Godders, to The Shotgun Throwdown, WVU’s best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor, and daily distractions. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |