Athletics

The new president of West Virginia University will bring three decades of academic and administrative experience in higher education to his role leading West Virginia’s flagship, land-grant higher education institution into a new era. Following contract negotiations after the WVU Board of Governors meeting Feb. 20, Michael T. Benson, the current president of Coastal Carolina University, was officially announced Monday (Feb. 24) as the 27th University president.

Generations of alumni and friends will come together on March 26 as West Virginia University holds its eighth Day of Giving, an annual 24-hour fundraising effort organized by the WVU Foundation.

Right on cue, funding is lined up to complete the first phase of a new practice facility for the West Virginia University Mountaineer Marching Band. The WVU Board of Governors approved approximately $1.6 million for the Pride Practice Field and Facility project during a regular meeting Friday (Feb. 21).

Four West Virginia University students vying to become the 71st Mountaineer mascot will wear buckskins, a coonskin cap and carry a rifle as they compete in a cheer-off during the men’s basketball game against TCU at 9 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 25) in the WVU Coliseum.

Five distinguished West Virginia University graduates, whose accomplishments span communications, business, leadership, music and nursing, will be inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni during a Feb. 7 ceremony at the Erickson Alumni Center in Morgantown.

West Virginia University has released its Fall 2024 Dean’s and President’s lists, as well as the full list of graduates for the fall.

The anonymous donation will establish a new fund at West Virginia University that aids academic support, experiential learning and/or career readiness resources for students and faculty development at the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics along with the Garrett Ford Academic Excellence Fund for student-athletes.

Call it a slam dunk: West Virginia University is scoring new opportunities for students to pursue and complete their degrees with a $5 million gift from Steve Ballmer, chairman of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, and his wife, Connie, honoring late Mountaineer great Jerry West. The announcement coincides with Jerry West Day, a celebration of West’s memory and legacy at the WVU men’s basketball game Saturday (Jan. 18) versus Iowa State.

Armed with resilience and perseverance, more than 1,000 August and December West Virginia University graduates poised for success participated in two Commencement ceremonies Saturday (Dec. 21) at the Coliseum.

The West Virginia University Board of Governors met Friday (Dec. 20) kicking off a Commencement weekend of events on the Morgantown Campus.