WVU Football is less than two months away from kicking off the 2026 season, and WV Sports Nation has been there to start getting you ready for it. Every now and then, I like to break down attendance numbers for different Mountaineer programs, and I’m curious about football, given how poor this past year was. Read more: How will WVU Football attendance shake out in 2026?
Unlike last year, there’s no hype and national media beefing up the return of head coach Rich Rodriguez and pipedreams of instant glory. The staff had a full offseason this time around, and 4-8 simply won’t cut it. I’d even argue anything less than 8-4 won’t suffice for the majority of the Mountaineer faithful. But how will attendance turn out this year?
Recent history
The 2025 season felt like a return to form for rowdy Saturdays in the Blue Lot and Milan Puskar Stadium. Be it preseason hype or the luxury of having an over-capacity Backyard Brawl crowd, the Mountaineers notched the program’s highest home average attendance since 2019.
Here’s a look at numbers in the years following the COVID era;
- 2021: 51,583 (6-7 overall, 4-2 home record)
- 2022: 47,658 (5-7 overall, 3-3 home record)
- 2023: 51,156 (9-4 overall, 5-1 home record)
- 2024: 52,459 (6-7 overall, 3-4 home record)
- 2025: 54,506 (4-8 overall, 3-3 home record)
- 2021-25 average: 51,473 (30-33 overall, 18-13 home record)
The averages have held steady for the current era of WVU Football, given the lack of true success in recent years.
Honestly, it’s a testament to WVU’s passionate fanbase that the stadium hasn’t been half empty on a lot of Saturdays. People love their Mountaineers.
More on recent history
Think about what was going on before and during each of these seasons, and you’ll understand why they shake out the way they do.
The first year, 2021, is a no-brainer. It was a return to some form of normalcy after minimal real people got to attend games during the height of the pandemic. Everyone wanted to be in that crowd, no matter what the team looked like.
Related: Mountaineers in the NFL: Camp battles to watch in 2026
That wasn’t the case a year later, after fans put up with a subpar product just so they could see football again.
It was 2023 where WVU put things together for the first time in a hot minute, and the crowds grew by the week. The hype carried over to 2024 with the return of Garrett Greene and a redemption arc for head coach Neal Brown. It didn’t make for the best season, and it led to Brown’s departure.
Enter Rodriguez. There was no doubt that between the long-awaited reunion and the Backyard Brawl returning to Morgantown, there was going to be a noticeable spike. That’s what happened, and the product didn’t hold up its end of the bargain.
Leading us to now
It’s almost hard to predict what kind of crowd will turn up on the average game day this fall. There’s no Pitt, Penn State, or Virginia Tech to really give that single-game boost. Coal Rush against Arizona will draw a solid crowd, because fans love the promotion. It’s proven true both times the team has donned the all-black look, despite falling short in both.
Related: Tale of the Tape 2.0 – Arizona
I can see the home opener being slammed, even though it’s a run-of-the-mill non-conference game against Coastal Carolina. Pat White’s jersey retirement and the accompanying all-white theme will round out an already joyous occasion — the return of football.
Perhaps the games I’m most intrigued about are those against the likes of UT Martin, Oklahoma State, and Cincinnati. UT Martin will probably be the least-attended given the caliber of opponent, but that’s not always the case. Those tickets usually run cheaper, giving fans more affordable options to show up and show out.
Oklahoma State always brings a solid contingent of fans to town despite the far drive. And we all know Cincinnati will travel well, and it’s basically a hop, skip, and a jump away compared to other Big 12 schools.
By the end of the season, I could see a dip in attendance from 2025. That’s presuming WVU goes 8-4 or worse. If they overperform, expect it to shoot up naturally.
I do want to touch back on ticket prices, because that can always dictate how games are faring in terms of sales early on.
Perspective via ticket demand
These numbers come from searching SeatGeek on July 18-19. I selected SeatGeek given their partnership with WVU Athletics as a verified site.
- Coastal Carolina: $101+
- UT Martin: $61+
- Oklahoma State: $107+
- Arizona: $109+
- Cincinnati: $109+
- Kansas: $85+
- Houston: $73+
First of all, these starting ticket prices are outrageous. That’s a whole different soapbox that would probably get me in hot water. That said, it seems like fans are willing to shell out some early money to see WVU play.
Hopefully it’s not Senior Day when we revisit this, seeing $5 tickets on the website like last year’s finale against Texas Tech. Frankly, I know people who couldn’t even give free tickets away to that curb-stomping.
Related: WVU Baseball players make amazing defensive play in summer league
For now though, it seems like attendance could see a slight jump from last year’s totals.
What’s next
If you can’t tell, all of us here at WV Sports Nation are itching for football season. Whether you’re in attendance or not this year, come back to the website or any of our social media platforms for game day coverage and analysis all season long.
Don’t worry, September 5 will be here before we know it.
Related: Respect isn’t given, WVU must earn it (M*tch, Please!)
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