West Virginia
Rich Rod signs West Virginia contract, with an unique clause
More than seven months after taking the job, Rich Rodriguez has signed his contract to be West Virginia’s head coach.
As detailed by Eer Sports, the signed contract carries over all of the major details of the memorandum that Rodriguez had been working under until now. It’s still a 5-year deal worth a total of $18.5 million. His salary begins at a relatively-modest $3.5 million this year and tops out at $3.9 million. If Rodriguez leaves for another job, he’d owe 25 percent of his remaining salary. If West Virginia fires him without cause, it would owe 50 percent of the remainder.
Where it gets interesting is in the concept of intellectual property, and how WVU plans to profit off it to the program and the coach’s benefit. The contract details three slogans as “Personal Indicia of Coach”: Hard Edge, Hold the Rope, and Spot the Ball. Rodriguez and his representation may have legal grounds to claim ownership over those phrases, and all the financial benefit that comes with them. His contract, however, states that 50 percent of merch sales either sold directly by WVU or licensed to a third party through WVU will go to the football team as directed by Rodriguez and approved by AD Wren Baker. The contract does not stipulate whether that money would be used to purchase new footballs or a new left tackle; it probably depends on how many Hard Edge T-shirts and keychains are sold.
This is probably a wise move by Rodriguez. With the guess that his share of the royalties probably lands somewhere in the five figures — again, total guess — that money is probably best used funneled back in the football program. Whatever dollar figure generated will help him access the real money — bonuses, further years on his contract — by improving the football team, rather than topping off the pile in his bank account.
Elsewhere, Rodriguez’s bonus structure begins at $100,000 for eight regular season wins, and a 12-0 regular season would be worth $700,000. A Big 12 Championship berth will be worth between $100,000 and $250,000, depending on how WVU gets there and whether the Mountaineers win the game or not. (WVU has never made the Big 12 Championship in eight tries.) Postseason bonuses range from $50,000 for a standard bowl berth to $750,000 for a national title. (WVU has never won one.) Rodriguez has “at least” $5 million to spend on his on-field staff and $2.5 million on his off-field staff.
Unlike other head coaching contracts signed under Baker, Rodriguez’s contract does not have an automatic extension trigger. Instead, on or around Dec. 31, 2027, Rodriguez’s camp will sit down with WVU to discuss an extension with the understanding “there is no expectation of an extension, revision, or other additional terms not already stated in this Agreement.”
West Virginia
The Moving Wall returns to West Virginia with stop in St. Albans this week – WV MetroNews
ST. ALBANS, W.Va – Kanawha Valley residents and visitors from around the state get the chance to pay their respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War when The Moving Wall arrives in St. Albans this week.
The Moving Wall is a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located in Washington, DC, and it has been touring the United States for over 40 years to give Americans that may not be able to visit the memorial a chance to recognize those who lost their lives.
“The Moving Wall was put together in 1984 for the purpose of providing a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It’s about 250 feet long, about ten foot at the high point, and then slopesx down along both wings of the wall,” VFW Post 6418 Commander Jerry Mollohan said Tuesday on 580 Live with Dave Allen.
VFW Post 6418 is hosting The Moving Wall in St. Albans with public viewing beginning at noon on Thursday and continuing through Sunday. A ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, at the wall’s location at 1481 MacCorkle Avenue.
“It’s coming to us from a VFW post in North Carolina, and they’ll be in town tomorrow night, and they’ll bring the wall to the St. Albans Shopping Center,” Mollohan said.
West Virginia suffered the highest casualty rate per capita of any state during the Vietnam War and was among the states with the highest rate of volunteers for service. Mollohan said this is a chance for people with ties to those that served to reconnect with their history.
“There’s 388 West Virginians on the wall, and, of course, there’s over 58,000 total names on the wall. There’s just a lot of family and friends that are connected to those servicepeople that are on the wall,” he said.
Mollohan takes pride in VFW Post 6418 bringing The Moving Wall to West Virginia for the first time in recent memory. He wants residents to come out and learn more about the lives lost in service of the United States.
“The sacrifices that the country has made in all wars is high priority for our obligation to recognize the price of freedom,” he said.
VFW Post 6418 has more information about The Moving Wall at vfw6418.org.
A 6-year-old boy died in a motocross crash in West Virginia over the weekend, officials say.
The boy died during practice runs at Mason Motocross in Mason County on Sunday morning, CBS affiliate WOWK reported. The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. at the track in Point Pleasant.
Officials reportedly said a medical helicopter was called to the scene of the crash, but the child was not stable enough to be flown to the hospital, so instead he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The boy later died from his injuries at the hospital. He has not been identified as of Monday night.
The Mason Motocross races on Sunday were canceled after the crash, WOWK reported. They were scheduled to start at noon. According to a Facebook post from Mason Motocross, practice runs began around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
In a separate Facebook post on Monday, Mason Motocross asked for prayers for the boy’s family.
“Let’s lift them up in prayer during this unimaginable time,” the social media post said. “Our community. Our support. Our prayers.”
No other information about the crash was released on Monday.
West Virginia
Over 26,000 West Virginia students have applied for full Hope Scholarship funding – WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than 26,000 West Virginia students submitted applications for full Hope Scholarship funding for the next school year.
State Treasurer Larry Pack and his office announced the latest application numbers in a release Monday. Pack’s office said 26,617 students applied during the first application period from March 2 to June 15. The estimated cost for Hope Scholarship funding, as it currently stands, is $155 million.
The first window for students to apply for 100-percent funding closed last Monday. The state treasurer’s office said the cost for this year will rise as students submit applications. Students can apply for 75 percent of the full funding amount until September 15.
The release said around $277 million was allocated by the West Virginia Legislature and Gov. Patrick Morrisey for Hope Scholarship funding during the 2026 Legislative Session.
“We are so excited to welcome thousands of new families into the Hope Scholarship Program. Seeing the Education Savings Account nearly double in participation is a true indicator of the impact and popularity of the program,” Pack said. “Now our team turns their attention to helping these students get the resources they need to tailor their education towards their unique needs. Our goal is for West Virginia will continue to lead the nation in education innovation as we continue to build the program.”
The state treasurer’s office said the 2026-27 full scholarship amount is $5,435.62 per student, with those funds distributed quarterly.
More students are eligible for Hope Scholarship funding this year with more flexibility offered for school choice. The state treasurer’s office said that private school and traditional homeschool students can apply to the Education Savings Account program for 2026-27 academic funding.
The state treasurer’s office broke down each applicant’s eligibility for funding based on when applications are submitted.
June 16 — September 15, 2026: 75% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
September 16 — November 30, 2026: 50% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
December 1, 2026 — February 28, 2027: 25% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
Students can apply online here.
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