WVU Rifle Captures Another National Championship for School

The WVU athletic department captured its 22nd overall national championship on Saturday when the Mountaineer rifle team climbed back to the top of the sport.

West Virginia edged out Kentucky to secure the program’s 20 national title. Rifle’s last national championship came in 2017, which was their fifth straight national title.

THE WAIT IS OVER!!!

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AGAIN 🏆#HAILWV pic.twitter.com/qHWr5aJAUK

— WVU Rifle (@WVURifle) March 15, 2025

In addition to the dynastic continuous success of the rifle team, WVU also owns a national championship from when boxing was a sport at the school in 1938 and a claim in men’s basketball in 1942.

The men’s basketball program claims their 1942 NIT title as a national championship season due to the NIT being a more prominent tournament than the NCAA Tournament at the time.

Below are other non sanctioned WVU national championships.

• Rifle (4): 1913, 1961, 1964, 1966
• Cricket (3): 2019, 2020, 2022

Author’s note: Some believe WVU football should claim the 1922 season as a national championship. West Virginia finished that season at 10-0-1 and was the only 10-win bowl champion that season. There are six schools who claim a national title for that season, including some who suffered a loss.