Shanna Rose I WV Sports Chat
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday and made no secret of his desire to see College GameDay return to Morgantown this fall—especially for the Backyard Brawl.
During a segment where McAfee was discussing new WVU football recruit SirPaul Cheeks, Herbstreit took the opportunity to sing the praises of head coach Rich Rodriguez and the program’s trajectory.
“All I could tell you is if Rich Rod recruited him, he’s a great player. It’s a new era in Morgantown, and I am officially on the bandwagon because Rich Rod, to me, I am all, all in.” Herbstreit said.
The two discussed the transfer portal because of the Mountaineers’ large turnover this offseason and whether it was because players didn’t think they fit Rodriguez’s system or if he didn’t think they fit it.
Herbstreit suggested that Rodriguez’s system demands a unique kind of energy and player fit—one that’s already starting to reshape the culture..
When McAfee brought up WVU’s schedule, noting that the Backyard Brawl against Pitt is a home game this season, Herbstreit didn’t hesitate to make his case for the ESPN pregame show’s return.
“Yeah, we got to go to that. We got to get back to West Virginia,” he said.
The Mountaineers hosted the ESPN pregame show twice but not since 2014 when No. 20 WVU faced No. 10 TCU.
Both times the Mountaineer fans didn’t disappoint, showing up with a raucous crowd. In 2014, fans even indulged in the WVU version of “Sweet Caroline” for the show.
While Herbstreit has often been viewed as a neutral or even skeptical voice when it comes to WVU—especially as an Ohio State alum—his tone on Wednesday was different. He repeatedly returned to the idea that the Mountaineers, under Rodriguez, deserve national attention..
With renewed momentum and one of the most intense rivalries in college football set to take place in Morgantown, Herbstreit’s call for College GameDay to return might just gain traction.
