Should the WVU/Marshall Football Series Return?

West Virginian's have voiced their opinions.

Sep 1, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith (12) / James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

The in-state clash between West Virginia and Marshall has only occurred twelve times on the gridiron with the Mountaineers winning all twelve of those matchups and by an average of 29.8 points per game. The last time "The Coal Bowl" was played was back in 2012 when WVU lit up the scoreboard with a 69-34 win.

West Virginia has opted to play schools like Duquesne, East Carolina, Liberty, Georgia Southern, Youngstown State, James Madison, and several FCS schools rather than playing the Herd. Folks from the Huntington area believe this is because West Virginia is "scared" to play the game and perhaps lose a game to the smaller West Virginia D-I school.

That's never been the case. It's primarily about money. Why play in Huntington, fill up their stadium, and not generate any revenue from it when you can play the game in Morgantown? Some have suggested that Marshall would be fine playing a two-for-one with two games taking place in Morgantown, but honestly, I believe it would have to be a three-for-one for it to even be considered.

The second part of this is conference realignment. With West Virginia playing in the Big 12, they don't get the luxury of playing their actual rivals - Pitt and Virginia Tech - on a regular basis. They want to continue playing the Backyard Brawl and the Battle for the Black Diamond Trophy as much as possible. The other one or two non-conference games need to be against lighter competition because everyone else in the country is doing it, so why not?

Unless a game is canceled, the earliest West Virginia and Marshall could meet again would be in 2028. The Herd have one non-conference spot open while the Mountaineers have two. WVU's only scheduled game for that season is the neutral site game against Tennessee in Charlotte.

Earlier this week, we asked the fans if they would like to see the WVU/Marshall series return. Of the 833 votes, 64.5% voted for it to remain dormant.

This week’s fan poll: Do you want to see the #WVU/Marshall football series return?

— Mountaineers Now (@MountaineersNow) May 13, 2024

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