West Virginia
West Virginia vs. Penn State is Most Important Game for New Big 12
It’s a new world for the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma and Texas left the Big 12 for the SEC this week. It was three years in the making and it’s now official. Meantime, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are set to join the Big 12 in August.
It’s a critical year in college football as the powers try to create a Power 2, rather than a Power 4, with the Big 12 and ACC excluded from the SEC and the Big Ten. So for the Big 12, it will be imperative to get some impressive wins in 2024 to put to bed the narrative that the Big 12 can’t compete with the top two conferences in college football.
There are going to be opportunities for the Big 12, such as Oklahoma State vs. Arkansas and UCF vs. Florida, plus Iowa State vs. Iowa and Colorado vs. Nebraska. But the biggest game for the Big 12 will come in Week 1, when the West Virginia Mountaineers host the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Why Penn State
The Nittany Lions enter the 2024 season as the team best positioned to challenge the top trio in the Big Ten of Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon. Big 12 fans will recall that James Franklin hired Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to boost a passing game that ranked 80th in the FBS with 215 yards per game.
The two teams met last year when West Virginia lost 38-15 to Penn State, but that final score does not do the game justice. WVU trailed by a touchdown at halftime, and had it a two-score game entering the fourth quarter before things began to unravel for the Mountaineers.
Penn State finished the regular season 10-2 with their only losses coming against Michigan and Ohio State.
For the Mountaineers
So now these two teams meet for a second-straight season, this time in Morgantown for Week 1. West Virginia is a projected middle-of-the-pack team in the Big 12 preseason poll, despite a nine-win campaign in 2024. So they likely won’t be in the preseason Top 25, while Penn State will likely find itself in the Top 15, if not higher.
For a Big 12 that is being perceived as competitive, but weak at the top, a West Virginia win over a highly-ranked Penn State program immediately gives credibility to the new Big 12 and helps change the conversation from where the national media narrative wants it to be.
National media talking heads want to promote a “Power 2”, because that’s what their overlords at ESPN, FOX, etc. prefer. They want that narrative as the consolidation is good for their college football business.
The Big 12’s Non-Con
At the start of every season I discuss how Big 12 fans should root for every Big 12 team in non-conference play. It’s good for the league to win as many games as possible before conference play, and then when your team plays its conference games, every win is more valuable, if the perception of the league is high. Just ask the SEC about this. That conference has mastered that perception, whether fair or not, and that’s how they get away with eight league games and multiple FCS games, with no questions asked!
So for Big 12 fans, this is the most critical non-conference slate in Big 12 history. It will set the tone for the future of college football.
Will it truly become a Power 2? Or can the Big 12 win the right games to justify conversations around a Power 3 or Power 4 with the ACC?
Regardless, it all begins Week 1 in Morgantown, West Virginia with a 12:00 p.m. EST start on FOX.
West Virginia
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West Virginia
West Virginia Online Casino Payout Methods: Best Withdrawal Options In 2026
Online casino revenue has never been higher in West Virginia.
That means plenty of customers are making deposits and playing games.
But, one of the keys to being among the top online casinos in West Virginia is having reliable and secure payout methods.
Online players need to know they will be able to receive their winnings in a timely and legal fashion. While iGaming platforms often promote their deposit methods, we’re taking a closer look at the available withdrawal options.
Top WV Online Casino Payout Methods
Options for withdrawing funds from a West Virginia online casino are a little more limited than deposit options.
Online casino operators are also slower to provide a withdrawal than a deposit, as they tend to review with payout to ensure the funds are going to the right person in a secured way.
Here’s a breakdown of the available withdrawal options for WV online casino players.
Online Banking
Online casinos typically use a company like Trustly to complete secure online banking transfers to make payouts.
This method will see the winnings deposited directly into the bank account that you provide.
Thousands of banks participate in these programs, so your bank is likely covered. Withdrawals can take 24 hours for online casinos to review, then 3-5 business days for your bank to process the funds.
eCheck/ACH
Most online casinos use VIP Preferred as a banking method option. This is a way to transfer funds through an electronic check that is done through ACH (Automated Clearing House). It’s the same option many companies use for making direct deposit payments to employees.
Electronic checks take 1-2 business days to be processed.
Debit Card
Debit cards are payment cards linked directly to your bank account. Most WV online casinos accept Visa and Mastercard from customers.
In many cases, the operator will require a user to make a deposit with the debit card before accepting any withdrawals being credited to the card. Payouts using a debit card will send the funds directly to your bank account.
Transactions using a debit card should appear in under 24 hours.
Apple Pay
Apple Pay is an option that is available. It is a virtual wallet that holds debit and credit cards for customers. It is a convenient option for iPhone users that use mobile online casino platforms.
Payouts using Apple Pay are typically reflected in under 24 hours.
PayPal
PayPal is a virtual wallet that users can attach their debit cards or bank accounts to.
Online casinos require customers to have a Personal or Premier PayPal account if they are looking to use it as a payout method.
Withdrawals using PayPal take 1-2 business days to appear in your account.
Venmo
Another virtual wallet option that is owned by PayPal, Venmo links a user’s bank account and banking cards.
Just one Venmo account is allowed per customer at a given WV online casino.
Venmo withdrawals take 1-2 business days to appear in your account.
Play+
Play+ is an account that customers fund and then use those funds for various things like online gaming or online gambling.
West Virginia iGamers can fund and make deposits to their Play+ account through online casinos. In order to get a payout with your Play+ account, you must first make a deposit using the same account.
Payouts using Play+ should appear in your account in 24-48 hours.
Cash at Casino
Some online casinos will work with their retail partners for deposit and withdrawals.
Users have the option to visit the participating the retail casino location, make a cash withdrawal from their online account based on the funds they have available.
For this option, customers will need to have a valid ID photo and a transaction ID number from the online casino.
Wire Transfer
A wire transfer moves funds electronically from one account to another. However, this method is typically used for large sums or international banking.
West Virginia online casinos require large minimums in order to make a withdrawal using this method. These minimums are thousands of dollars.
Wire transfers tend to take 1-2 business days to take effect.
Check by Mail
If no other options work for you, West Virginia online casinos in most cases are willing to send you a paper check with your winnings.
Most require a certain minimum amount in order to use this method. Checks can take up to 14 business days to reach a user once sent.
Drew Ellis has experience covering the gambling industries in North America and around the world. Decades of media experience provide him with the background to handle the complexities of different gambling laws and policies around the United States and North America. Ellis has primarily focused on online and retail casino news since 2021. Prior to working in the gambling industry, Ellis spent over 20 years in the newspaper industry, covering sports and the gambling. His work for The Mt. Pleasant Morning Sun and The Oakland Press was recognized with awards by the Associated Press and other media organizations. Drew has also contributed to the Detroit Free Press and the Associated Press.
West Virginia
Oldest Toughman Contest in West Virginia returns for 47th year
CLARKSBURG, W.Va (WDTV) – The Toughman Contest will return to Clarksburg this weekend for its 47th year, with the Nathan Goff Armory hosting the event for the 45th consecutive time.
The tournament was founded in 1979 in Bay City, Michigan by Art Dore, a former professional boxer. Dore later teamed up with Jerry Thomas to bring the event to West Virginia.
The contest is designed for amateur boxers, with no professionals allowed to compete. A new rule introduced this year prohibits former winners from competing in future Toughman contests.
“The event is three 1-minute rounds. Everyone wears 16 oz. gloves which is a training glove. There’s no headgear required for this now, hasn’t been for about 7 or 8 years and they get a one-minute rest between each round. We’ll have experienced trainers in each corner,” said Jerry Thomas, president of West Virginia Sports Promotions.
Two doctors will be ringside along with paramedics and EMTs from Harrison County Emergency Squad to tend to fighters after their bouts.
The tournament features five weight classes for both men and women. Fighters will weigh in Friday at 4 p.m., where matchmakers will determine opponents based on age, size and experience.
The single-elimination tournament begins Friday night, with all participants fighting once before returning Saturday to advance through the bracket until winners are crowned.
“The winners here in the men’s division will take home $1,000 for first place prize. The runner-up in each weight class will receive $500. The winner receives a nice Toughman jacket that you can only obtain by winning the tournament or working for the company,” Thomas said.
The weekend will also feature two professional fights. Friday’s bout will be a four-round super middleweight contest, and Saturday will feature an eight-round title fight for the vacant West Virginia cruiserweight championship.
Tickets and live streaming options can be purchased on their website. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door before the event begins at 7 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WDTV. All rights reserved.
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