Which Regional Rival Wants to Schedule WVU?

On the heels of a debate about how WVU should configure its out of conference schedule, a program some call a regional rival may have offered West Virginia an olive branch. A day after Neal Brown brought up how the Mountaineers are planning to fix their upcoming schedules, Maryland head coach Mike Locksley mentioned West Virginia while talking about his own schedule.

Even though the question wasn’t about scheduling WVU in particular, Locksley took the opportunity to say he’s in favor of playing the Mountaineers.

“I like the regional rivalries. I like Virginia, a West Virginia, V. Tech, an old ACC foe. Those are good for Maryland. They’re good for our program,” said Locksley on Tuesday.

But there’s just one problem, Maryland, like what Brown desires, has been against playing multiple Power Four schools in non conference play.

WVU would have an opening for a P4 in OOC if they do get out of Alabama series. However, Maryland would then have multiple those years. I also almost guarantee WVU would demand a Maryland series open in West Virginia after not getting return home game last time. https://t.co/mVeIDunErQ

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) September 10, 2024

And Maryland already has Virginia Tech scheduled in the years WVU may have an opening for a new Power Four opponent if successful in its efforts to get out of the Alabama series.

Maryland would either need to switch some things around or they won’t become a viable option for WVU for several more years beyond when the current Alabama games are scheduled.

In the midst of a conversation about the season so far and the upcoming Backyard Brawl, Brown unleashed his true feelings about the schedule, both past and future.

Brown has been open about his thoughts on WVU’s out of conference schedule in the past, and dropped another interesting comment on Monday. When asked about the brief break the Backyard Brawl will experience following the 2025 game, Brown made it clear he wants to play Pitt as often as possible while also complaining about the schedule overall.

Neal Brown Hints at WVU Looking to Fix Schedule, Get Out of Alabama Series

“We need to get our schedule fixed. We’re in the process of doing that. It’s a game that needs to be played. We got Alabama, that ain’t fixed,” said Brown while also making a point about the out of conference schedule he’s had to deal with since arriving in Morgantown in 2019.

This is far from the first time Brown has discussed West Virginia’s out of conference schedule, but it is the first time he has publicly mentioned the Mountaineers’ future home and home series with Alabama. WVU will kickoff the 2025 season at home against FCS Robert Morris, however, but will then travel to Tuscaloosa to open the 2026 season before the Crimson Tide comes to Morgantown in 2027.

Prior to starting a two-year series with Penn State, which concluded with WVU’s 34-12 loss this season, Brown’s frustrations with the schedule boiled over.

“My issue with our schedule isn’t when we play teams. My issue with our schedule is we’ve opened on the road three straight years. That’s not smart scheduling,” said Brown in September of 2023. And for context, WVU opened every season from 2021-2023 on the road against a Power Four (then Power Five) opponent. While the Mountaineers did kickoff the 2024 season at home, Brown’s team will still face two Power Four programs in out of conference play, something uncharacteristic of major conference schools.

But, like Maryland, Pitt doesn’t seem like an option to replace Alabama with either. The Panthers currently are locked into a schedule that includes Wisconsin and UCF in 2026 and Wisconsin and UConn in 2027. Pitt does have the benefit of being able to schedule four non ACC games while the Big 12 only allows their teams to add three games to the schedule beyond conference play.

As of now, the only way the Backyard Brawl could happen in those years is if Pitt agrees to play a third Power Four school outside the ACC and scraps an FCS or Group of 5 opponent.

Starting in 2025, WVU will employ the more common schedule strategy of playing one Power Four, one Group of 5 and one FCS before conference play gets underway. WVU director of athletics Wren Baker has echoed Brown’s view as well.

While those in-the-know (including WV Sports Now) have heard rumors about Baker wanting to get out of the Alabama series, those games are officially on the schedule as of now.

A notable difference in the years West Virginia plays Alabama is that those games are WVU’s lone non Big 12 Power Four opponent those seasons.