For as long as I can remember, WVU has been a football school. Yeah, sure, the basketball team has a decent season here and there, and of course the soccer team’s keep making the NCAA tournament, but when it comes down to it, the fans pay the big bucks to see the football team. After the move to the Big 12 this past season, is that about to change?
If you were to poll WVU fans about which sports season was most exciting for them during WVU’s inaugural season in the Big 12, I’d be willing to bet money on the fact that the football team’s throne would be highly contested by the baseball team. Yes, you read that right. The baseball team.
When the football season ended, many fans were left to wonder, “Has our football program disintegrated?” After the high expectations of Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and the rest of the Mountaineer offense, the Big 12 proved to be much stiffer competition than the Big East. Head coach Dana Holgorsen, who was already familiar with Big 12 offenses, had his work cut out for him and it showed on the defensive side. While the Mountaineers first ever Big 12 football game put up records, and WVU pulled out a 70-63 win, that second number there would continue to bite them all season. The number of points scored by the opposing team would be WVU’s downfall. If the offense didn’t score every time down the field, it seemed that they were almost destined to lose.
After the season, many fans took to Twitter and other social media sites to voice their displeasure.
The basketball season proved to be much of the same, with even more fan, and coach, displeasure. After the season, nearly the entire starting lineup transferred.
But then the baseball season happened.
With new head coach Randy Mazey, WVU fans had something to get excited about. The start of the season started like most for fans, with small crowds in Morgantown and even some fans making the trip to Charleston to watch the team play some of their Big 12 games. As the team started to win, and move up in the Big 12 standings, fans started to take notice. By the end of the season, the stands were filled and fans even lined up down the baselines to watch the Mountaineers take on Pitt. Mazey was even able to get the team a new stadium in the future.
One tweet, to me, seemed to sum up the fans opinions.
Sign of new times, woke up disappointed #WVUBaseball was over. Glad to be apart of a team who covered them the entire season. @bluegoldnews
— Jon Martin (@JonathanKMartin) May 26, 2013
People were actually disappointed that the baseball season was over.
By the end of the football season? Fans were leaving early.
So I’ll leave you with this, is this a new era for WVU sports? Even though the WVU baseball team did big things this season, WVU is, and will always be, a football school for most fans, but this could be a sign of things to come.
