In just one year, WV Sports Nation has grown from an idea into a daily destination for West Virginia sports fans – a place that blends reporting, analysis, and personality in a way that feels both familiar and fresh. Being part of this first year, and contributing as a columnist, has been both an honor and a privilege – even if there were early reservations about the “M*tch, Please” title attached to it!! Read more: A wild, wonderful first year for WV Sports Nation
A quarter century has passed since my graduation from the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism and leaving Morgantown to chase whatever came next. At the time, it was impossible to imagine the road would eventually lead back to Mo’Town. It now circles back to the university that helped shape both a career and a lifelong passion for sports. Reconnecting with WVU at this stage, and watching that connection extend to the next generation, has been a reminder of just how deeply the place stays with you.
But this anniversary is about more than one person’s journey.
M*tch Please!
The first WV Sports Nation column published one year ago was a preview of the baseball season – an introduction to a new era as Steve Sabins stepped into the head coaching role following Randy Mazey’s retirement. At the time, perspective came largely from outside voices and borrowed quotes.
Related: WVU Men’s Baseball continues to climb
Fast forward one year, and the roles have changed.
This week, Sabins joined John Fredericks’ radio show as a guest, offering insight directly – not through another outlet, but as part of WV Sports Nation’s expanding platform. In journalism terms, it was a full-circle moment.
“This place is really different,” Sabins said on The John Fredericks Show, referring to Morgantown. “When the supporters feel like you’re working – and winning matters – but it’s really directed toward the consistent grind of trying to be the best at something.”
With more than 900 articles published in its first year, WV Sports Nation has mirrored that same commitment to showing up and doing the work.
Aim high
It has been a whirlwind – from Rich Rodriguez’s return to coach the football program to one of the most controversial NCAA Tournament selection snubs in recent men’s basketball history. Along the way, the women’s basketball team delivered a postseason run that carried into the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The baseball program didn’t just “build expectations” – it raised them, setting a program record for wins, winning the outright Big 12 regular-season title, and reaching a Super Regional.
Wrestling continued to prove it belongs in the national conversation with another strong Big 12 finish – including individual conference champions.
While rifle put an exclamation point on the year by winning the 2025 NCAA national championship – the program’s first team title since 2016 – it was part of a broader year of success across WVU’s athletic programs.
And while the focus is often on the teams, the people covering them matter, too. From leadership to beat writers, WV Sports Nation takes pride in its work and in how it represents the brand.
Walking into press boxes as a new outlet is not easy – there is a lot of competition. But professionalism, preparation, and consistency have helped set it apart with values that mirror what WVU fans and alumni expect and appreciate.
One year in, WV Sports Nation hasn’t just covered the moments. It has lived them alongside its audience.
