The wait is almost over. WVU Athletics will have its first event of the 2026-27 season in just one more week when WVU Men’s Soccer plays an exhibition match against backyard rival Pitt. Read more: August 2026 WVU Athletics Preview: Soccer, Golf, and Volleyball begin
Additionally, the Women’s Soccer team has a regular-season match against Dayton in less than two weeks. Golf and Volleyball are not too far off either, with its respective debuts coming later in the month.
WVU Football is not quite one month away from its home opener yet, but if you are an NFL fan, there should be several former Mountaineers taking the field in preseason pro football soon.
Overall, it is time for the Mountaineer faithful to be excited again as gameday is officially just around the corner.
Women’s Soccer
While the Men’s Soccer team will play exhibition matches soon, the WVU Women’s Soccer team will be the first WVU team to begin regular season play this month.
The Mountaineers’ schedule for August includes:
- Dayton vs. WVU – August 13 @ 7 p.m.
- Penn State vs. WVU – August 20 @ 7 p.m.
- Duquesne vs. WVU – August 23 @ 1 p.m.
- WVU @ Princeton – August 27 @ 7 p.m.
- WVU @ Army – August 30 @ 1 p.m.
WVU has faced all five of these teams before in program history. It faced all of them but Princeton this past season.
WVU had a clean sheet against Dayton, Duquesne, and Army this past season, but fell to Penn State, 3-1.
The last time WVU and Princeton faced off was in 2017. The Mountaineers won 1-0.
This season will be the 30th anniversary of the Women’s Soccer team becoming a varsity program at WVU. To celebrate, the team unveiled fresh new kits for the milestone year.
Related: One month out: WVU Women’s Soccer
WVU Women’s Soccer returns following one of its most successful seasons in the past 10 years. It finished with an overall record of 14-3-4 and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Men’s Soccer
WVU Men’s Soccer will play three exhibition games and its first three regular season contests of the 2026 season this month.
The schedule for this month includes:
- (Exh.) Pitt vs. WVU – August 7 @ 7 p.m.
- (Exh.) West Virginia Tech vs. WVU – August 11 @ 7 p.m.
- (Exh.) WVU @ Georgetown – August 14 @ 7:30 p.m.
- WVU @ Charlotte – August 20 @ 7 p.m.
- St. Bonaventure vs. WVU – August 24 @ 6 p.m.
- WVU @ UNCG – August 28 @ 7 p.m.
WVU Men’s Soccer has faced all its August opponents in previous seasons besides West Virginia Tech.
The only opponent from the list it faced in 2025 was Georgetown, also in an exhibition game.
Of its regular season opponents, WVU picked up victories against Charlotte and St Bonaventure in their most recent meetings and drew against UNCG.
The matchup against Pitt is the first Backyard Brawl in on the men’s side since the 2022 season, which Pitt won, 3-0. WVU leads the all-time series 35-13-5, but this does not include any prior exhibition matchups.
Related: One month out: WVU Men’s Soccer
While not officially recognized, this season could also be seen as a milestone year for WVU Men’s Soccer as it is its 65th season as a varsity program at WVU.
The program finished the 2025 season with a 13-5-3 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The Mountaineers are aiming to make its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and reclaim the Sun Belt Championship, which it last won in 2024.
Volleyball
Also making its return this month is WVU Volleyball with three regular season matchups.
The team’s schedule this month includes:
- WVU @ JMU – August 22 @ 3 p.m.
- Country Roads Classic (Hope Coliseum) – August 28-30
- UTRGV vs. WVU – August 28 @ 6 p.m.
- UMBC vs. WVU – August 30 @ 12 p.m.
This season, WVU will serve as host to two tournaments at Hope Coliseum, the Country Roads Classic being the first this month.
The second host tournament, the West Virginia Invitational, will take place next month.
WVU has previously faced UMBC and JMU, but will meet with UTRGV for the first time.
WVU defeated UMBC, 3-0, in the two teams’ most recent match in 2021, and fell to JMU 3-2 in 2001.
Related: One month out: WVU Volleyball
This past season was the team’s most successful season in the Jen Greeny era, as it had its first .500 season since 2021.
Golf
WVU Golf will begin competition in its first tournament of the season this month.
The inaugural New York Harbor Cup will begin on August 31 in Bayonne, New Jersey, with Rutgers serving as host. The tournament will finish on September 1.
Related: One month out: WVU Golf
The golf team had three first place finishes this past season and competed in the NCAA Marina Regional, where it finished in eighth place.
Football
While the WVU Football season does not begin this month, the 2026 Fall Camp will officially begin on August 5.
Related: The biggest questions facing WVU entering training camp
Head coach Rich Rodriguez will speak on the first day of camp and make several other press appearances throughout camp.
The hot topic of this year’s camp is the quarterback battle between Scotty Fox Jr. and Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr.
Related: More than an arm: what Rich Rodriguez is looking for in WVU’s next starting quarterback
Additionally, the NFL preseason officially begins on August 6 with the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals competing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. Former Mountaineer defensive lineman Dante Stills is rostered with the Cardinals.
Three WVU Football players from this past season are on NFL rosters and could potentially make their NFL preseason debuts in the coming weeks; defensive back Michael Coats Jr (Cleveland Browns), linebacker Reid Carrico (Cleveland Browns) and linebacker Chase Wilson (New York Jets).
Related: Mountaineers headed to the NFL: One signing, five camp invites
In total, 15 former Mountaineers are currently on NFL rosters including players from our 30 Days, 30 Legends series such as No. 29 David Sills V, No. 28 Zach Frazier, and No. 7 Geno Smith.
Related: 30 days, 30 legends: Top 30 WVU Football players of all time
Related: Tale of the Tape 2.0 – TCU
Related: Position Review #6: A closer look at WVU’s front seven
Other pro players
The MLB is still active in its 2026 season. JJ Wetherholt is the lone former WVU Baseball player on an MLB roster with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Related: Four months in: JJ Wetherholt amongst Cardinals legends with latest milestone
Wetherholt has had a standout rookie season and is widely considered the frontrunner for the 2026 NL Rookie of the Year honor.
Plenty of other former Mountaineers are also currently competing in the MiLB, which also runs throughout the entire month of August. Some current Mountaineers will also be finishing up collegiate summer league play in the coming weeks.
Related: Around the Farm #5: More updates across MiLB and summer leagues
In the WNBA, former WVU Women’s Basketball guard Jordan Harrison is on the active roster for the Portland Fire, who will compete throughout the month of August.
Related: Quinerly, Harrison battle for WNBA spots as Mountaineers ink contracts overseas
The last currently active pro league is the MLS. WVU Athletics lists that three players are currently active in the MLS, including 2025 Sun Belt Player of the Year Marcus Caldeira with Minnesota United FC. Two players are on MLS Next Pro rosters.
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