As Rich Rodriguez pushes to bring ESPN’s College GameDay to Morgantown for this fall’s Backyard Brawl, it’s the perfect moment to spotlight one of college football’s most electric environments. From the longtime Gold and Blue Lots to the legendary student Pit, WVU’s party school reputation owes plenty to the spectacle of Mountaineer football weekends. It’s a tradition built on pride, passion, and yes – the occasional burning couch. READ MORE: Tailgates, Tradition, and a Call for GameDay.
Last year, thanks to WVU alum and ESPN personality Pat McAfee, the nation got a glimpse of Morgantown’s electric football culture. Classes were canceled the Friday before the season opener to watch the live airing of The Pat McAfee show, turning the campus into a pregame party. With hopes high at the peak of ‘the Climb,’ the city was ready to shock the world with an upset over Penn State. Needless to say, the 34-12 drubbing by the Nittany Lions left no reason for smoldering sofas in Morgantown.
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More than Meets the Eye
The gameday experience isn’t very different. On football Saturdays, Morgantown transforms – it goes from around 56,000 residents (students included) to well over 100,000 as tailgaters, media, vendors, and fans flood the city, making it the largest in West Virginia for that day. This is why Rodriguez wants ESPN to seriously consider coming here for the Backyard Brawl.
“It’s a great rivalry. I say way too many four-letter words, but Pitt’s the worst one. It’ll be maybe the most electric atmosphere on that weekend. I’m hoping we’ll have GameDay down there; that would be nice. They’ll put on a show, you’ll see the blue lot cranking like you’ve never seen it before.”
Speaking of the Blue Lot – this is the heartbeat of WVU’s tailgating scene. Reserved for season ticket holders and major donors, the Blue Lot sits in the camera’s line of sight and showcases high-end RVs, outdoor kitchens, team tents, and fans chanting ‘Let’s Go Mountaineers!’ It’s also where former players, big-name alumni, and boosters mingle with the crowd.
Past Traditions
For many alumni, the tailgating tradition began in the legendary student lot known as ‘The Pit.’ Now a thing of the past, The Pit was a dirt – and often mud-soaked – free-for-all where thousands of students packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Light on rules and heavy on energy, it was infamous for its wild, daylong parties that kicked off at sunrise and roared straight into kickoff. During Rodriguez’s first stint, WVU converted the area into a gravel lot, and local authorities began enforcing stricter rules – banning kegs, open flames, and excessive noise. This caused it to fade as students found other areas, with less rules, to continue the rowdy traditions.
Tailgating at WVU isn’t just a pregame ritual – it’s a celebration of West Virginia itself. With no major professional sports teams to rally around, Mountaineer football has become a cultural cornerstone. If ESPN wants to capture the soul of college football, there may be no better place than Morgantown this September.
Tailgates, Tradition, and a Call for GameDay
