Well, so much for that series.
West Virginia’s hyped series with Alabama will no longer happen, as the Mountaineers and the Crimson Tide mutually agreed to cancel their meetings with each other. The Mountaineers were slated to host Alabama in 2026 and visit Tuscaloosa in 2027, but both meetings are now canceled.
On the plus side, West Virginia won’t have to scramble for future opponents. The Mountaineers will instead face Coastal Carolina at home in 2026 and Southern Mississippi at home in 2027. This means that in 2027, the Mountaineers will not play a Power 4 opponent.
It appears that given the nature of the cancellation, the Big 12 will opt for leniency in 2027. The Mountaineers are now in violation of league policy that requires all members to play one non-conference game against a Power 4 opponent or Notre Dame. However, given that West Virginia had a Power 4 game lined up but had to cancel because of Alabama’s change in scheduling philosophy, the Big 12 probably will grant a one-time waiver. Also working in the Mountaineers’ favor is that they have Power 4 games scheduled through 2032, mostly against Pitt or Virginia.
Read More: Mountaineers Cancel Series With Alabama
SEC Shift Altered Scheduling
Initially, the Mountaineers appeared immune from the SEC change to nine games. That was because they had scheduled Alabama and Tennessee, neither of whom overscheduled for 2026 through 2028. The problem came about when Alabama looked at its scheduling for 2026.
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The Crimson Tide ultimately decided that they didn’t want to face 11 Power 4 teams in one season in 2026. In addition to nine SEC games, Alabama also had a home game with Florida State lined up for 2026. With the Crimson Tide going to Tallahassee on Saturday, canceling the Seminoles’ visit to Tuscaloosa would have made absolutely no sense.
That left Alabama a choice to cancel the 2026-27 series with West Virginia, or cancel the 2027-28 series with Ohio State. With the Buckeyes set to visit in 2028, Alabama decided it would be easier to replace the home date with West Virginia in 2027 and chose to cancel the series.
No Financial Penalties Likely
When a team unilaterally cancels a series in college football, it almost always has to pay a penalty to the other school. However, this appears to be a mutual decision. Throw in that West Virginia was immediately able to replace both games, and no fiduciary penalties will likely be levied against Alabama.
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That means that West Virginia will need the second home game to offset the guarantee paid to the Chanticleers and the Golden Eagles. When college football teams schedule a home-and-home, no guarantee is paid to the visiting school. West Virginia would have paid Alabama’s travel expenses to Morgantown, but Alabama would have done the same thing when the Mountaineers came to Tuscaloosa.
Now, West Virginia will likely have to write two seven-figure checks. The Mountaineers will get an extra home game, but Coastal Carolina and Southern Mississippi won’t draw as many visitors to Milan Puskar Stadium as Alabama would have.
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Still, as long as West Virginia fans show up, the Mountaineers will likely come out ahead. Coastal Carolina in particular has been a quality Group of 6 team, making for a much better game than an FCS opponent.
The Mountaineers’ 2028 game against Tennessee is probably unaffected. That game is a neutral-site matchup in Charlotte, with both teams paid to play the game. Plus, the Volunteers have no other games scheduled for 2028, leaving little reason for them to cancel the game.
