The grass is a little greener this time of year. Maybe not by its color, but because spirits are high. As the yard marks are painted on artificial turfs and classic grass canvases and scrimmages finally wrap up, everything feels right again. Football is back.
By the time you’re reading this, the 2026 college football season will officially be underway. Week 0 is in full swing, as we here at WV Sports Nation eagerly anticipate the return of the old gold and blue a week from now. Read more: Welcome back, football: a WV Sports Nation outlook.
I may only be a year removed from my time in college, but my parents raised me right. Turning on NFL Network to see and hear the storytelling magic from the late great John Facenda in The Autumn Wind and other classics really steered me in the direction of journalism.
It’s more than just repeating a box score, even when it’s the easy thing to report. Behind every down, basket, goal, or home run, there’s a person and team trying to accomplish a goal.
The people watching that play? They have a story, too.
Someone called off work to travel to a game. Someone else missed the birth of their nephew for it. Others just got off the couch and decided to watch.
And while the times and rules may change, football is still football. To that, I raise a cheer.
A return to game days
Few things excuse grabbing a cold one at 9 a.m., not showing up to a wedding, or forgetting your plans quite like a football game day. It’s the ritual we all take part in, whether our team is 12-0 or 0-12.
Rain or shine (in most cases), there will be a story told on a gridiron when the game is listed on the calendar. And some stories are bigger than others.
Sure, they all go in the win column all the same. But take this past year of football in Morgantown and look back at it 25 years down the road. Do you remember beating Robert Morris by 42, or Rich Rod’s redemption against Pitt?
Like we say in our new pregame show on JFMN, The Mountaineer Tailgate, the stories stretch beyond the gridiron.
Related: Introducing The Mountaineer Tailgate pregame show, coming soon to JFMN
Remember, it’s about more than those shiny numbers on a stat sheet. It’s about getting out of that press box or sideline mindset, and getting into the parking lot.
Now we wait
For the Mountaineer fans of the bunch (I’d presume a hefty portion?).
High noon at Milan Puskar Stadium is drawing closer by the day. Better yet, by the hour, minute, and second. It’s almost WVU’s turn.
If you read this right when the column is published, it will be a week out from somewhere in the first half against Coastal Carolina. By that time, the party has kicked off and life is complete again for another three to four months.
New: WVU Men’s Soccer grinds out 1-1 draw at No. 21 UNCG
Until WVU gets into the mix, enjoy Week 0 for what it is — the game we love.
Welcome back, football.
