Thread by @WVUtoACC

Now that #Oklahoma and #Texas have officially withdrawn from the #Big12-2-2-2, several academic institutions in the league have started the process of backchanneling (while of course remaining committed to the Big12-2-2-2) for a new home.

Not wanting my own beloved college cast aside to a G5 league that is more aligned with our aspirations and history, I’ve taken it upon myself to produce a similar piece, so that another elite league may choose to add us and carry us on their financial shoulders.

I of course, am speaking of University of #West #Virginia. There are several things that set #WVU apart from your average D1 entity. These unique qualities define us, and should give us immediate consideration for our admission into either the #ACC, #BIG16, #PACnumber, or #SEC.

There is not a more passionate fanbase in the entire country. During what many considered to be a defacto try-out for the SEC during the last iteration of conference realignment, our fans proved their passion by beating the crap out of a pregnant LSU fan after the Tigers waxed us

While the average fanbase occasionally has a one-hit wonder, this was just the latest scene that exemplifies our special culture. In fact, we’ve been passionate forever.

Prior to the ACC choosing to expand with also-ran colleges such as Virginia Tech and Miami in the early 2000s, Michael Vick noted being peppered with piss bottles, and being mooned and given the middle finger by elderly women.
roanoke.com/sports/college…

That’s cute Michael, and while you led Virginia Tech to a season that far exceeds anything that’s been witnessed in Morgantown, don’t feel too special. That fan behavior is child’s play in these hills, son.

When Miami quarterback Danyell Ferguson was rushed to the hospital after an injury in Morgantown, our passionate fans rocked and almost tipped his ambulance over so he couldn’t get the treatment he urgently needed. A passion that runs deep and unrivaled.
apnews.com/article/2af641…

Why are our fans so endeared and passionate about this football team?
Simple, state pride.
West Virginia often gets dragged through the mud in the #rigged and #unfair media.
Recently, #WV has been honored by being ranked as an Inverse Number 1 in several categories

Inverse #1 Ranking in #Income
wowktv.com/news/west-virg…

Inverse #1 Ranking in #Education
wtov9.com/news/local/stu…

Inverse #1 Ranking in #Racism
worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings…

Inverse #1 Ranking in #Obesity
wvmetronews.com/2019/09/12/rep…

Continued dominance:

Mental Health
wchstv.com/news/local/wes…

Diversity
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U…

Pharmaceutical Research
theguardian.com/us-news/2021/m…

As you can see, that’s a ton of state notoriety, and we believe our football team compliments all of these achievements. This is accomplished by recruiting contributors to our team that are almost exclusively from other states.

Although our state averages about one four star recruit every other year, we believe in benefitting from the exposure of other conferences, and letting their more troubled youth showcase their talents at WVU, for the reputation of our state.

247sports.com/Season/2021-Fo…

Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, and Stedman Bailey are just a few examples of kids with limited options that really turned their story around within the safe confines of our campus. That’s state pride, and that’s what we love.
cbssports.com/nfl/news/forme…

Another point of pride in our program is the rich tradition. We are fortunate enough to be the team with the most amount of victories without having ever won a national title. So that basically means that we’re due.

Additionally, we rank #1 of any Power 5 program for claiming wins against FCS competition, with 458 of our 763 wins coming against teams you’ve never even heard of. Not only are we #1 in this category, no one else even comes close.
winsipedia.com/west-virginia

This tradition is mirrored in most of our other sports, which have also combined for never winning it all, and relying on out of state recruits to build mediocre rosters. That’s why it’s all about state pride.

In fact, our state is such a sought after commodity, that it is currently the only state experiencing an exodus of young and educated individuals. Chalk up another win that can’t be matched by any of your other institutions.
latimes.com/world-nation/s…

Further, if you take the inverse of the US News best university rankings, we are also #1 of all Power 5 schools.
usnews.com/best-colleges/…

While other institutions are putting out propaganda about market size and metropolitan areas, our gridlocked little hill-town, without any modern airport within 90 minutes, is home to the biggest city in the whole state on gamedays. And it sure is a beauty.

One of my favorite things about our state is the beauty. Among the 50 states, we have the 24th highest mountains, and have the most mountain-top removal mining operations, and are therefore referred to as the “Mountain State”. Just look at those grand peaks over town.

In fact, #JohnDenver once purchased a song from some folky songwriters that were traveling in western #Maryland and western #Virginia. These great people were enamored by the terrain and generated the song “ #CountryRoads ”.

Because the Shenandoah River runs through our neighboring state, Virginia, and the Blue Ridge Mountains run from North Carolina into western Virginia, we felt it was close enough in geographical proximity to meld into our own identity.

This history of making ourselves distinct is in our origin, when we split from Virginia. Although we split after the emancipation proclamation was signed, continued to have the majority of our counties fight for the confederacy, we promise it was definitely because of slavery.

We then adopted the same state bird as Virginia, and then added a “West” to the beginning, even though Virginia extends further west than our own state. Due to this move, we have become Best (just exchange the W for a B) Virginia, it’s cute so it’s true.

Sure, evident in the previous inverse metrics mentioned, but also in the statewide GDP of $68 billion, which is $500 billion lower than the state of Virginia, and worth only $40 billion less than the city of Virginia Beach. Name one other brand that gives you that kind of bang!

Mr. Commissioner, now that you’re licking your chops at how this total package can improve your conference, let me put some meth-laced icing on this cake.

WVU brings with it an endowment of $611 million dollars. Sure, Virginia with UVA and VT combine for $11 billion, and North Carolina has UNC, NC State, and Duke that combine for $13 billion, but this underlines your need to diversify assets with smaller penny stocks.
That. Passion

The SEC is the best example of my advice, adding Texas and Oklahoma that have endowments of $35 billion and $3 billion. That’s diversity, and just like West Virginia and our players and alumni, that’s a winning mindset.

We look forward to your invitation, and if you don’t, we’ll harass your fans during out of conference match ups. Oh yeah, we beat Clemson that one time.

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