In Rich Rodriguez’s final season as West Virginia’s head football coach in 2007, Milan Puskar Stadium was packed to the gills every Saturday, selling out five of the six home games. Since 2021, WVU has only played in front of a sold-out crowd three times. The exciting “hard edge” style might boost attendance in Morgantown. Read More: Could “Hard Edge” Draw Larger Crows Back to Morgantown?
The State of Mountaineer Football Attendance
This is not to say that WVU does not draw a large crowd, because it certainly does. Compared to the final four seasons with Rodriguez at the helm (2004-2007), however, crowds after the COVID-19 season in 2020 have not been the same. In the 25 home games played since the start of the 2021 season, the Mountaineers have drawn a total of 1,269,596 attendees to Milan Puskar Stadium, averaging 50,784 spectators per game.
2024 attendance was largely boosted by a 62,000+ crowd for the home opener against Penn State, and that there were over 50,000 fans at six of the seven home games. The 2024 season was also the first to introduce a budget-friendly season ticket package, the “304 Pass.”
Related: Burn After Winning: WVU’s 2025 Couch Rating Schedule
The pass allowed fans to attend every home game with a different view each time, and to be exempt from paying the rather steep fees to the Mountaineer Athletic Club. This value pass surely boosted attendance as well, especially in a time where money is so tough to come by. The pass option is back for the 2025 season, which might work well in tandem with the return of “hard edge” football to the Mountain State.
Attendance Under the Rodriguez Regime
Take this analysis with a grain of salt, as the country is in a much different economic situation than it was during Rodriguez’s first stint with WVU. The Mountaineers were practically unbeatable at home in the final four seasons under Rodriguez. The program was thriving, posting several double-digit-win seasons. Plain and simple, people wanted to see the top-tier product on the field, and it showed in the attendance numbers
Between 2004 and 2007, WVU won 21 of 25 games played at Milan Puskar Stadium. The venue also sold out 11 of the 25 games in the same stretch, and didn’t welcome a single crowd under 52,000. The lowest attended game in the 2004-2007 period would be on the top 10 list of biggest crowds between 2021-2024. From the start of 2004 to the end of the 2007 season, Morgantown welcomed 1,450,201 paying fans, which equals an average of 58,009 per game. The average crowd for 2021-2024 was only 50,784.
The on-field product was superior in the mid-2000s, leading to larger crowds. In the more recent sample size, the Mountaineers held a record of 15-10 at home. Compare that to a 21-4 record in the prior offering, and you will find yet another reason why Milan Puskar Stadium was full every week.
Closing Remarks
With the return of Rich Rodriguez at the helm comes a guarantee of fiery passion on the gridiron, as well as the sidelines. It can be an exciting brand of football. Granted, the college football landscape and business model were vastly different the last time “Rich Rod” was here, but Rodriguez knows how to win. The West Virginia native is coming off a Conference USA Championship with Jacksonville State and has a chance to make things right at his old stomping grounds.
Regardless, it will be interesting to keep an eye on attendance numbers for this upcoming season and beyond. If the on-field product returns to its former glory, or even gets remotely close, expect a hike in overall attendance statistics. The 2025 season, as well as a new era of “hard edge,” kicks off at home with a game against Robert Morris University on August 30th.
