WVU AD Wren Baker Writes a Letter to Mountaineer Nation

West Virginia athletics director updates Mountaineer fans on the state of the athletic program.

Schuyler Callihan | Oct 25, 2024

West Virginia University director of athletics Wren Baker / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

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West Virginia Mountaineers

Friday morning, West Virginia Director of Athletics Wren Baker wrote a letter to Mountaineer Nation to provide an update on several things with the athletic program.

Dear Mountaineer Nation,

The fall sports seasons are now past the midway point, and our winter teams are getting ready to officially open their seasons, so I thought it would be a good time to share some updates with you and once again to thank you for your continued support of our student-athletes. Even though the outcome of our Coal Rush football game did not go our way, it was a night to remember. It was so special to honor the brave men and women of the coal mining industry who work underground every day to provide us with energy and to provide their families with sustenance. When we asked all miners in attendance to stand to be recognized, it sent chills down my spine.

Fall Sports Updates…

Men’s Soccer has been ranked No. 1 in the nation on two different occasions this year and has consistently been ranked in the Top 10. Currently, we lead the Sun Belt Conference as the postseason nears with Sergio Ors Navarro, Simon Carlson and Marcus Caldeira earning conference accolades.
Women’s Soccer is on the verge of earning a first-round bye in the upcoming Big 12 Championship and is on track to return to the NCAA Tournament field this year. Individual accolades have been rolling in with Annika Leslie, Ajana Respass and Gianna Koss each earning conference weekly honors.
Cross Country, behind strong performances from Ceili McCabe and Joy Naukot, ranks No. 2 in the Mid-Atlantic Region and No. 4 in the country, its highest ranking since 2008.
First-year volleyball coach Jen Greeny’s rebuilding of our program is just beginning as her team notched its first conference win last week against UCF and scored its first Big 12 road win at Colorado this week.
Golf was competitive in Big 12 Conference match play in Houston and won its home tournament at the Nemacolin Resort.

Welcome to the Hardwood…

The men’s and women’s basketball seasons are upon us, with both teams recently participating in Big 12 Media Days in Kansas City. Mark Kellogg’s women’s team is ranked No. 16 nationally in the preseason and is predicted to finish fifth in the Big 12. New head coach Darian DeVries has totally rebuilt the men’s roster and culture, and from what I have witnessed to date, the Mountaineers will play a fast, aggressive and entertaining style of basketball. I cannot wait to see the Coliseum packed with fans cheering on our hoops teams.

Meanwhile, In the Classroom…

We are coming off a phenomenal academic year by our student-athletes in 2023-24, one in which our students recorded a department-wide GPA of 3.29 with 357 student-athletes making the Big 12 Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll. With a stunning 94% graduation rate, ranking second in the Big 12, WVU Athletics is living up to its promises. Currently, we have 498 student-athletes enrolled from 24 different countries; 52 pursuing graduate degrees and 19 working on double majors. There are 86 different majors represented by our student-athletes throughout the 12 colleges within the University. The top five majors of our student-athletes are sport management, business, integrated studies, exercise physiology and finance.

Transformational Change is Coming…

At West Virginia, we run an efficient operation and do more with less than probably any other Power 4 school. We do not have an expense problem, we have a revenue problem, and identifying ways to increase revenue is going to become even more of a priority in the next year.

Many of you are already aware of the House vs. NCAA class action lawsuit with the proposed settlement allowing for upward of $22 million in revenue sharing to be provided to student-athletes. Finding and adding $22 million to our annual budget is not an easy exercise. My senior leadership team and I have spent months scenario-planning for what we need to do, what we can do and focusing on what we can control. Make no mistake, I support sharing revenue with our student-athletes, but we must do it in a fiscally responsible manner that lessens any impact on what we offer all of our student-athletes.

Among other aspects of the House vs. NCAA proposed settlement are back damage payments to former student-athletes and caps on roster sizes of teams with unlimited scholarships up to that number. We are deep into our planning with a goal of maintaining our current 18 varsity sports. What we have not yet finalized is the ongoing level of support we will be able to offer each program.

I know that the Mountaineers mean too much to the state of West Virginia, the University, the region and the local community for us not to be highly competitive and nationally relevant. We have work to do. Our current budget is among the bottom third of all Power 4 institutions and near the bottom of the Big 12. Collectively, we must find a way to do more in order to remain competitive and compete for championships.

We are incredibly grateful for the financial support our fans provide us through the Mountaineer Athletic Club, the Country Roads Trust, purchasing season tickets and our wonderful corporate partners. We value your generosity and we will continue to be good stewards of your investments in WVU Athletics.

One Final Thought…

West Virginia prides itself on the conviction that hard work, grit and determination lead to results. Despite the efforts our football coaches and student-athletes have put forth this season, the results of a tough early schedule are not what we all expected. No one is more disappointed than our coaches and student-athletes, and I have full confidence they are doing everything possible to turn this season around. Your fan support at Milan Puskar Stadium this season has been tremendous, and with five games left, including two at home, I encourage you to continue to support our football team. Our student-athletes need us! I am grateful for each and every one of you and honored to be a Mountaineer and your director of athletics.

Hail West Virginia!