WVU Football HC Neal Brown Open to New Ideas for Annual Spring Game

MORGANTOWN, W.Va – With only one week left in the Spring session for WVU football, the attention is now on the annual Gold-Blue game.

Not much besides the day and time has been unveiled about West Virginia’s Spring game, which has triggered some speculation about the format. This is especially due to other programs around the country deciding to change how theirs looks this year.

West Virginia head coach Neal Brown didn’t have a direct answer on the format for the Mountaineers, but did offer some comments while speaking with the media, including Mike Asti of WVSN, after practice on Saturday.

Brown said that he doesn’t know which format style his team will use for the Spring game this year, but that he’s open to idea. He even explained that he’s tasked his coaches to come up with any adjustments to the format or aspects of the event by Monday.

WVU’s arch rival 70 miles up north was even brought up during this discussion. Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi scraped the draft format the Panthers usually empty and went with a straight offense vs. defense format for his Spring game.

Brown was asked if he had any thoughts on what other coaches like Narduzzi are doing and if an opponent, most notably one he will face early in the 2023 season, exposing their offense against their defense will provide him any extra insight.

He didn’t really give a full answer, Brown did respond with a short “there’s something to that” while giving a little smirk.

When asked about if he will be able to get more out of Pitt’s Spring game as an opposing coach with them doing straight offense vs. defense this year, WVU HC Neal Brown just gave me a “there’s something to that, Mike” with a smirk.

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) April 15, 2023

Regardless to the format, Brown did say he is supported of holding a Spring game of some sort every year, even though he knows many of his colleagues would prefer if they didn’t happen at all. Brown mentioned understanding the benefit for fans and the uniqueness of them as why he feels WVU should keep doing the event.

No matter how it looks, WVU’s Gold-Blue game will take place next Saturday at Milan Puskar Stadium. The game is scheduled to start at 1 pm ET and tickets can still be purchased for only $10.