By: Clark Johnson | WV Sports Chat
Morgantown, WV – The WVU Football program is working behind the scenes on scheduling. Though it has been a few months since we heard any news regarding future opponents, we know that the program now has a template for non-conference play. Moving forward, the Mountaineers will play one Power Four opponent, one Group of Five opponent, and one FCS opponent.
It is to be assumed that the Power Four slot will be taken by arch rival Pitt. However, as to who WVU will schedule in the Group of Five, it is anyone’s guess. Today, I am going to list 3 GROUP OF FIVE SCHOOLS THAT WVU SHOULD AND SHOULD’T add to future football schedules.
As expected, there will be one very specific regional team included in this list.
- SHOULD – UMASS: Massachusetts is easily the worst program at the FBS level. Given their track record, this would be an easy victory for the Mountaineers. Seeing the Minutemen will not excite any Mountaineer fan outside of a potentially stress-free matchup. Moving forward, it will be all about collecting wins in the non-conference slate.
- SHOULDN’T – Ohio: As we learned in 2025, the Ohio Bobcats are a tough out. While the Mountaineers still have two home games against Ohio remaining on their deal (2027 and 2029), the WVU Football program should NEVER take a chance in playing them again. I don’t expect Wren Baker to make the same mistake that Shane Lyons did.
- SHOULD – Kent State: I know, I know. “This matchup makes no sense.” But you must realize this – West Virginia will likely use the Group of Five slot to build momentum going into Big 12 play. Despite being much improved in 2025, Kent State has been historically terrible. Welcoming the Golden Flashes to Morgantown would almost guarantee one more win for the season. Since Kent State is always searching for a “pay game,” it is also probable that they would agree to multiple games at Milan Puskar Stadium. A win-win for the WVU Football program.
- SHOULDN’T – James Madison: West Virginia has played the Dukes in the past, beating them 20-13 in Morgantown in 2019. A future date with James Madison would be too much of a risk for the Mountaineers, though. The Dukes have quickly rose to relevance at the FBS level, even beating Power Four teams since their transition. The Mountaineers do not want to be a part of that list.
- SHOULD – Middle Tennessee State: Another momentum building opponent WVU could consider is Middle Tennessee State. The Blue Raiders are consistently one of the least competitive programs in the nation. A September clash with MTSU would be a good opportunity to get younger players buried on the depth chart some experience.
- SHOULDN’T – Marshall: No, West Virginia is not scared of Marshall. They have no reason to be. The Thundering Herd has never beaten the Mountaineers – sitting at 0-12 all-time in the series. While they likely wouldn’t beat WVU today, we don’t even want to fathom giving them the opportunity to flip the script. Also, it is entertaining watching Herd fans complain about the forgotten series on social media. If WVU scheduling every other Group of Five team is a slap-in-their-face, I’m all for it.
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
