WVU Football Labels Season Opener ‘White Out’ in Honor of Pat White

Turning up the dial on the celebratory day for WVU football fans, the 2026 season opener will now be a “White Out” game in honor of the program retiring Pat White’s No. 5.

Labeling the game as a “White Out” comes a day after revealing the date of the retirement ceremony and weeks after the initial announcement.

Pat White’s No. 5 will forever be enshrined with fellow Mountaineer legends on Sept. 5, 2026 vs. Coastal Carolina. Kickoff is set for 12:00 pm ET.

WVU Athletics officially announced the retirement of No. 5 on June 5.

Many consider White the greatest Mountaineer football player of all time, and his induction into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame and football’s Mountaineer Legends Society has long been solidified by first-ballot voting in 2018.

White was the nation’s most versatile threat at quarterback, becoming the first college quarterback to start and win four consecutive bowl games from 2005-08. The Daphne, Alabama, native set 19 WVU, Big East and national records during his illustrious career, including finishing as the all-time rushing quarterback in NCAA history with 4,480 yards.

West Virginia was 35-8 (.814) with White as the starting quarterback. He led the Mountaineers to wins in the 2006 Sugar, 2007 Gator, 2008 Fiesta and 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowls. White set Big East records in touchdowns responsible for (103), total offense (10,529) and became the first player in Big East history to pass for more than 10,000 yards. He posted a 7-2 (.777) record against Top 25 opponents during his career.

“Pat White was a generational player for West Virginia football and led our program through perhaps the greatest era in our history,” Baker said. “Everywhere I go, I hear stories about the way Pat elevated our program and his teammates to greatness.

“There is no question Pat deserves this ultimate honor. His legacy and success have been documented and appreciated by his teammates, national media and college football fans all over the world,” Baker added. “It has also been a privilege to watch him continue to pour himself into our program while serving on our coaching staff. Pat White is a special person and one of the greatest Mountaineers of all time.”

White’s No. 5 will become the seventh number retired in football and will join prestigious company in Major Harris (9), Ira Rodgers (21), Chuck Howley (66), Sam Huff (75), Bruce Bosley (77) and Darryl Talley (90).

Find more coverage of the WVU football program at WV Sports Now.