A look ahead at WVU Football's future schedules.
Chris Anderson
There may be no team in the country that has scheduled non-conference games quite like West Virginia University's football program. The Mountaineers, during Neal Brown's tenure, have scheduled two Power Four opponents for their three non-conference games in every season.
In 2019, WVU took on Missouri and N.C. State. While the 2020 non-conference slate was called off, the Mountaineers were originally slotted to take on Florida State and Maryland. The following year, Neal Brown's squad played the Terrapins and Virginia Tech. And, in 2022, the Hokies and Pitt.
This year? The team will take on the same opponents as last season - long-time rivals Pitt and Penn State, albeit with the home and away status of each game flipped. That means eleven Power Four games for the Mountaineers in every season that Neal Brown has been coach (minus the COVID year changes, of course).
Over the summer (and even in press conferences before that), Neal Brown was quick to point out that this was nothis plan.
Let's start there - he's correct. Non-conference games are scheduled years in advance, typically with multiple games involved unless it's a one-off neutral site game (like the planned Florida State one). The home-and-home with Virginia Tech in 2021 and 2022? That was announced in the summer of 2013. Brown had never been a head coach at any level at that point, much less at WVU.
So, will that continue moving forward in Brown's time at WVU (and beyond)? We'll see. Some of those contests have already been set, even if Brown has indicated he would like a chance in philosophy for non-conference schedule.
With the help of FBSchedules.com, let's look ahead to WVU's future non-conference opponents, with the three-game slate already set through 2027, and at least one game put in place all the way through 2032.
2025
August 30th:vs Robert Morris
September 6th: @ Ohio
September 13th:vs Pitt
Summary:The changes already begin. The move away from two Power Four opponents will begin right away, as the Mountaineers face off against an FCS opponent, a Group of Five opponent, and then long-time rival Pitt for their Power Four matchup. The away game in Athens, Ohio may shock some people (it did me when it was first announced), but it is part of a 2-for-1 deal, where the Bobcats come to Morgantown twice down the road. This seems like the ideal leadup to a season - FCS, G5, P4, league play.
2026
September 5th: vs Alabama
September 12th: vs UT-Martin
September 19th: @ East Carolina
Summary:The first of a two-game series between WVU and Alabama, a home-and-home that was announced only a few weeks after Neal Brown had been hired. The thought among many Mountaineer fans at the time was "a homecoming for Nick Saban," but the West Virginia native retired this offseason, leaving only his powerhouse program to come to town. This matchup with East Carolina? It's part of a six-game series that was scheduled all the way back in 2008 (!). However, most of the series was called off due to WVU's move to the Big 12, which shortened the non-conference slate for the program. This game was then pushed to 2020.... which was then called off due to COVID.
2027
September 4th: @ Alabama
September 11th: vs VMI
September 18th: vs Ohio
Summary:The back half of the home-and-home against the Crimson Tide will see West Virginia travel to Tuscaloosa to kick off the season. Then, the Mountaineers return home for a one-off game against VMI, and the second of the three-game series with Ohio.
2028
September 2nd - vs Tennessee (in Charlotte, North Carolina)
Summary:The two teams (or at least WVU) had a ton of success when they met in Charlotte in 2018. There was plenty of fanfare, and it seems everyone involved found it to be a beneficial move. So much so, in fact, that three years later, the two programs announced a plan to do it again a decade after the initial matchup. Currently, there are no other games scheduled for this season, but the assumption would be that WVU goes with an FCS and Group of Five, as has been the trend for a couple years now.
2029
September 1st: vs Ohio
September 8th: @ Pitt
Summary:The third and final game against the Bobcats. The matchups between the two teams were played on odd years, with WVU traveling to Athens first, then welcoming Ohio to Morgantown in 2027 and 2029. The following week, the Mountaineers will rekindle things with Pitt, as the pair of teamsagreed to an extra four games during an announcement back in 2022.
2030
August 31st: vs Saint Francis U.
September 7th: vs Pitt
Summary:The Mountaineers get their home game against the rival Panthers in the second of four games played between the two teams. And they'll do so after opening up against an FCS squad. That leaves open a third weekend which could see the Mountaineers schedule a third home game, likely against a Group of Five opponent (if the trend continues).
2031
September 6th - at Pitt
2032
September 11th - vs Pitt
The only game scheduled for 2031 and 2032 at the moment are the final two games of the proposed four-game extension with Pitt as part of the Backyard Brawl.
