Rich Rodriguez Makes Pitch for College GameDay at 2025 Backyard Brawl

There’s no denying the atmosphere for the 2025 Backyard Brawl will be electric, especially with the extra intrigue of Rich Rodriguez facing off against a Pitt team for the first time since that infamous December night in 2007. The rivalry between West Virginia and Pitt will also go on a brief gridiron break after the 2025 game before reigniting again in 2029. Put all of that together and Rodriguez believes the game is worthy of College GameDay.

Rodriguez made his pitch directly to Rece Davis, the iconic show’s host, while appearing on the ESPN College GameDay Podcast.

“It’ll be maybe the most electric atmosphere in college football that weekend. I’m hoping that we’ll have GameDay there. That would be nice. I mean, they’ll put on a show. You’ll see the blue lot cranking like you’ve never seen it before. This place will be sold out. There might even be some that go to the extreme of buying a Pitt season ticket, so they can come to the West Virginia game against Pitt. I don’t know who else is playing that weekend, but there will not be one that’s more intense.”

Honestly, Davis and everyone else involved with GameDay, most notably former Mountaineer turned media mogul Pat McAfee, don’t need Rodriguez to tell them about the intensity of the Backyard Brawl. They are well aware, as is most everyone in the country.

“Oh my goodness. Can you even imagine? That would be such a scene. I mean, we already saw what the scene was when he took his show to Morgantown,” said Davis, seemingly onboard with the idea.

Davis is, of course, referring to the last time GameDay traveled to Morgantown for a 2014 game between West Virginia and TCU. The Horned Frogs won a close battle 31-30. College GameDay was also in town in 2011 when then No. 16 WVU hosted a then No. 2 ranked LSU team for a top 25 matchup. WVU lost to the Tigers 47-21.

Rodriguez didn’t get to experience those games though. Those Mountaineer teams were coached by Dana Holgorsen.

GameDay did cover the rebirth of the Backyard Brawl in 2022, but that game was in Pittsburgh. It was also not the main GameDay game of that week. They were able to add the Brawl to their schedule due to the game being played on a Thursday night and their Saturday matchup taking place in nearby Columbus, Ohio.

WVSN photo by Kelsie LeRose

Getting college football’s premiere show back in town for a game would certainly be a big deal and be a great way to cap of this current four-year series between the two historic rivals.

Pitt holds a 2-1 edge in this recent series, having won in 2022 and then last season. West Virginia was victorious in Morgantown in 2023.

Possible matchups that could be picked instead of the Brawl are Wisconsin at Alabama, Florida at LSU, Georgia at Tennessee and Texas A&M at Notre Dame.

For a related story, Rich Rodriguez gave his honest opinion of Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi.