School is out, and there are no games in July for WVU Athletics. Now is the perfect time to settle the debate every Mountaineer fan has had before a game in the parking lot outside of Milan Puskar Stadium. Who are the best players to ever wear the Old Gold and Blue? Starting on July 1, WV Sports Nation is counting down the top 30 players in program history, one per day, for July. Read more: 30 days, 30 legends: ranking WVU Football’s all-time greats.
The format
Each day features a short hype-style video that gives the player’s name, position, years played, footage during their years in Morgantown, and, most importantly, their ranking. No. 30 will debut on July 1, and each day, another player will be revealed until we reach No. 1 on July 30. Then we will wrap it up with an article on July 31 that includes the full list, some information about the players, and, of course, a comment section where you can weigh in.
You can also weigh in each day in the comments on our socials. Here is a list of our socials and where you can find us:
- Facebook: WV Sports Nation
- Instagram: @wvsportsnation
- TikTok: @wvsportsnation
- X: @_wvsportsnation
- YouTube: @WVSportsNation
- Threads: @wvsportsnation
The rankings
This list was not created off one writer’s gut feeling. It draws on multiple external perspectives, blended with the voice of the fanbase, aiming for a list that reflects the program’s full history rather than a single person’s bias. All the writers at WV Sports Nation gave their input, but it was also weighted by the opinions of outside sources and the fanbase to arrive at an average ranking. That became the final list.
Read more: West Virginia Day: built, not given
We decided that this list ranks performance only at WVU. Plenty of players had great careers at WVU and did not perform as well at the next level. Other players had the opposite happen. Surely some bias made its way into the rankings based on NFL careers, but the list only felt right if it was solely WVU performance.
Why does this list matter?
West Virginia University Football has been around for 135 years, dating back to its first season in 1891. Fans have seen countless eras. The early decades (maybe not so many around that saw those), the Don Nehlen era, the early 2000s Big East era with Pat White and Steve Slaton, the Big 12 era, to name a few. The history and accomplishments go on forever, and the list reflects all of this, not just one generation.
How to follow along
Tap in with our socials. Follow and engage with the posts to give us your opinions. We want feedback from the people who make WVU Football possible: the fans. Download the WV Sports Nation app, and follow along by reading our coverage of WVU Athletics throughout July and into the future. Also, please tell us who you think is ranked No. 1. Stay tuned in and turn on notifications so you don’t miss a single ranking. The history of WVU Football was built one great player at a time. This is their month.
