Mountaineers await bowl spotlight in fan-friendly destination – WV MetroNews

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — While sitting in the stands watching his son Dax’s basketball game on Sunday, Neal Brown’s phone rang. Athletic Director Wren Baker was on the line with news that WVU’s bowl destination could be outside of the original Big 12 footprint of games.

“Wren called and said, ‘Hey, I know this is a little bit out of left field, but what do you think?’ Where we were the whole time is that we wanted to play a Power 5 opponent in the bowl game. I felt like that was important. That’s really where we centered our discussions on,” Brown said.

Hours later, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl matchup was officially announced with the Mountaineers (8-4) facing North Carolina (8-4) on December 27 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

“As you work through all of the various scenarios, you try to come out with what might make the most sense,” said Charlotte Sports Foundation Executive Director Danny Morrison. “With West Virginia sitting in close proximity to Charlotte, I have always said that the best bowl experiences are when fans can drive. You have more fans and a better environment. Geography, in this particular case, worked in our favor.”

“It is a great location for our fans and even closer for southern West Virginians. It is a quality matchup versus North Carolina. They are a team that was ranked for most of the year,” Brown said.

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is one of four bowl games scheduled to be played on December 27. With a 5:30 p.m. kickoff, it is the only game until the Holiday Bowl starts at 8 p.m.

“Your viewership is going to go up,” Brown said. “You get the casual fan. Anytime you have a lot of eyeballs on you, it is really important from a recruiting standpoint and really important from a branding standpoint.”

North Carolina is led by 72-year-old head coach Mack Brown. He is in his 15th season leading the Tar Heels across two stints and he is in his 35th season as a head coach.

“He’s got a lot of energy,” Neal Brown said. “I have seen a lot of their games and I have seen him in press conferences and how he handles himself. If thought he did a really good job in TV when he did that as well. As a coordinator, I faced him a couple times at Texas. He’s done it for a really long time.”

Brown spoke with media members Tuesday from Las Vegas, where he and Zach Frazier will attend a ceremony for the William V. Campbell Trophy. Frazier is one of the nominees for the award that honors the combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance.

Final exams are set for next week and the team will ramp up pre-bowl practices in Morgantown shortly after. The Mountaineers are tentatively scheduled to arrive in Charlotte on December 23.

“We had a team meeting [Monday] morning and it was really positive. Guys are excited. They like the location. A lot of their families are going to be able to drive to the game, which is important. They are excited about the matchup,” Brown said.

“They are enjoying a little downtime, which is needed after a long season. But they are ready to get back and they’re looking forward to facing a quality team and working to get our ninth win.”