The future is bright in Morgantown, and while the current football record and constant change at the head coaching position in men’s basketball may indicate otherwise, the commitment from the WVU Board of Governors, along with the university President, Michael T. Benson, proves that better times are ahead.
Back in mid-September, the athletic department announced that the university was committed to putting WVU athletics in the top tier of funding in the Big 12 Conference. Thursday morning, it was officially announced that an additional 140 athletic scholarships will be available for the 2026-27 season. Per the release, this will take WVU from 260 athletic scholarships to 400. Sixteen of those additional scholarships will go to the football program, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.
“When our athletic teams win, WVU wins and West Virginians swell with pride. We have an obligation to help strengthen the University while advancing its mission and integrity,” WVU athletic director Wren Baker said. “I want to thank President Benson and our tremendous Board of Governors. Under their leadership, we have been given a path that will help us compete in the Big 12 and strengthen our position on the national level.
“The addition of 140 scholarships is a crucial step to making WVU Athletics stronger,” Baker added. “We are thankful for the confidence shown by President Benson and the BOG.”
Also in the release, it was revealed that the university expects to reach the full revenue share in the 2026-27 season, meaning they’ll be able to compete financially across all sports in recruiting the high school ranks, the transfer portal, and retaining their best players currently on the roster.
While everyone’s attention is on the football and men’s basketball teams, this is also huge news for the Olympic sports, which have had a great deal of success recently. Men’s and women’s soccer are both nationally ranked, rifle collected another national championship title, volleyball is having one of its best seasons in program history, and the baseball team is fresh off a Big 12 title and a second straight appearance in the NCAA Super Regionals.
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