West Virginia
West Virginia Looks Poised for a Red Hot Start in 2026 if Everything Clicks
On Wednesday, the Big 12 Conference unveiled the league slate for the 2026 football season, so now we know who, when, and where West Virginia plays each of its twelve regular-season games.
Sometimes my stance will change on how difficult a schedule is after studying it a little longer, following the initial release, but I have to tell you, this year there is a clear opportunity for the Mountaineers to come out of the gates red-hot.
The non-conference slate
West Virginia opens up with home games against Coastal Carolina and UT-Martin, both of which should be comfortable wins. After that, they head to Charlotte for a neutral-site game against Virginia, giving you an idea as to where this team truly is and what its potential is.
I’m indifferent about how I see that game against the Hoos playing out. It’s not the same Virginia football program we’re accustomed to seeing struggling. Tony Elliott was finally able to get the Cavalier to turn the corner this past season, and now they are trending in the right direction. Entering league play at 2-1 is good, but if things are clicking offensively, they could be 3-0, which would be the team’s best start since 2018.
The first half of the Big 12 schedule
WVU will host Oklahoma State, which has a first-year coach (Eric Morris), for the league opener, and then will hit the road to take on another first-year coach, Jimmy Rogers, and the Iowa State Cyclones. Facing a new coach doesn’t always guarantee a win, but the two programs are essentially starting from scratch, having lost so many players to the transfer portal.
Now, you could say West Virginia is in a similar boat, and I would tend to agree. However, the one thing WVU does have is continuity with the staff, and they knew exactly what they needed out of the transfer portal, whereas Oklahoma State and Iowa State are simply filling out their roster — something Rich Rod and Co. did a year ago.
Following the trip to Ames, they return home for two home games against Arizona and Cincinnati.
The Wildcats will be a bit of a challenge, considering veteran dual-threat QB Noah Fifita is returning for his senior year, and they are coming off a nine-win season. Assuming WVU can take care of business up to that point, there should be a strong crowd on hand that can help make things difficult. Winning that game against Arizona would be the Mountaineers sending a statement, especially if they come into that one at 4-0.
In the event they are perfect through five weeks, we could see the Mountaineers ending their drought of being ranked or at least on the cusp of doing so. The following week, West Virginia will have Cincinnati, who they’ve owned over the years, and they’ll be replacing some key pieces, including QB Brendan Sorsby, who is now at Texas Tech.
From that point on, though, the level of competition takes a big step up. Road games against TCU, Texas Tech, and Houston, and home games against Kansas and a dangerous Houston team that is seemingly on the rise.
As nice as the schedule sets up on paper, is it realistic to expect a 5-0 or 6-0 start?
The short answer is no. Is it possible? Absolutely. That’s why I just punched up 500+ words on it. The huge turnover of the roster is something that can’t get lost in the shuffle. Yes, the Mountaineers should be significantly better in 2026.
Yes, they should have an improved offensive line. And yes, they should have more consistent play from the quarterback spot. That can all be true, just as the concern of the chemistry with this group. It’s not going to be perfect out of the gates, and Rich Rod has to hope they don’t shoot themselves in the foot early on when they’re still trying to figure things out. If they can navigate those early bumps in the road, figure out who the quarterback is, and the right batch of guys up front, then there’s a good chance that red-hot start is in play, creating a ton of excitement around the program.
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Delegate Larry Kump of Berkeley County has died, state officials announced. Kump was 78 years old.
Kump, a Republican, served in the House from 2010 to 2014, again from 2018 to 2020 and finally 2022 to the present. He had announced plans to run again in the coming electoral cycle.
“As a battle-tested and liberty minded Christian and Constitutional Conservative, my consecrated action principles of good governance remains solid and steadfast,” he wrote to supporters in January.
He had been serving in the ongoing legislative session, but had been absent in recent weeks.
The daily prayer in the House of Delegates this past Wednesday included an expression of concern for Kump: “A special prayer for Delegate Larry Kump. Lord, you know where he is in the hospital now, and I pray right now that you would send your angels there to touch him, to be with him.”
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Kump’s death on social media, calling Kump “a devoted public servant who dedicated many years of his life to improving West Virginia.
“Delegate Kump served with a deep commitment to the principles he believed would strengthen our communities and protect our freedoms.
“On behalf of the First Lady and myself, we extend our condolences to Larry’s family, friends, former colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him. His legacy of service and his love for our state will never be forgotten.”
Secretary of State Kris Warner also posted condolences to Kump’s family. “Larry was a conservative Christian and a true Mountaineer! He will be sadly missed by his friends and colleagues,” Warner posted.
The West Virginia Democratic Party also put out a statement to offer condolences, saying Kump’s work reflected a lifelong commitment to accountability, public policy, and the effective administration of government.
“Delegate Larry Kump devoted his life to his family, his community, and to his state. He brought experience, independence and thoughtfulness to his role, and he never lost sight of the people he served,” said Mike Pushkin, the Democratic Party chairman who is also a delegate from Kanawha County.
Kump was known for his turns of phrase, for example kicking off his comments on the House floor with “Great googly moogly” for emphasis. He often described his adoration for his “beloved and bodacious wife Cheryl.”
He regularly concluded interactions and written communications this way: “Meanwhile, and for sure and for certain, may God bless you all real good!”
West Virginia
Vape Safety Act of 2026 passes W.Va. House, tightening oversight and licensing for shops
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — The Vape Safety Act of 2026 passed in the West Virginia House of Delegates on Friday, aiming to crack down on what lead sponsor of the bill Del. David McCormick, R-Monongalia, said are the bad actors in the vape shop world.
“They’re very lightly regulated,” McCormick said. “Here’s something that is becoming a blight on our landscape out here in our neighborhoods and towns. They’re all over the state and they need some oversight.”
McCormick said the bill will also strengthen licensing as to who can run the shops.
A key part of the legislation that passed the House by a vote of 88-5 is an FDA registry, requiring all the products sold in the shops to be approved at the federal level.
“Make sure that something doesn’t have 30 times the nicotine in it that it’s supposed to, which has happened, and get a 12-year-old kid addicted to nicotine,” McCormick. “That’s buying something that looks like Pokémon.”
Cracking down on the marketing strategies vape shops use is also included in the bill. It has gained support from both sides of the aisle.
“You walk into them and they have you know it looks fun and all the flavors and all the things,” Del. Hollis Lewis, D-Kanawha said. “So when teens go in there, it’s geared towards teens. So I think some regulation is important.”
Other provisions include vape shops not being allowed within 300 feet of schools, libraries or churches.
“I would deem these things almost attractive nuisance for kids and teenagers,” Lewis said. “What we want to do in this piece of legislation, we want to ultimately, above anything else, is protect our children and to get rid of bad actors to make sure that we know what’s being sold in the shop and we know who’s selling it.”
The No. 23 BYU Cougars (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) visit the West Virginia Mountaineers (16-12, 7-8) Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. ET (FOX) tip from WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA basketball odds around the BYU vs. West Virginia odds and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions for the best bets.
BYU has dropped 2 of its last 3 games after falling 97-84 against UCF on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 13.5-point home favorite with the Over (162.5) hitting. F AJ Dybantsa led all scorers with 29 points and G Robert Wright III added 20 as only 3 Cougars players scored in double figures in the upset loss.
West Virginia has dropped 3 games in a row after falling 91-84 in overtime against Oklahoma State on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 1.5-point road underdog with the Over (143.5) hitting. G Honor Huff scored a game-high 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from 3, while the Mountaineers overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to force OT before running out of gas.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Watch NCAA basketball on Fubo!
BYU at West Virginia odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated 10:20 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): BYU -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | West Virginia +110 (bet $100 to win $110)
- Against the spread (ATS): BYU -1.5 (-115) | West Virginia +1.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 142.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
BYU at West Virginia picks and predictions
Prediction
BYU 81, West Virginia 74
PASS.
There is better value on the Cougars to cover the spread.
BET BYU -1.5 (-115).
A win all but guarantees a cover for the Cougars in this matchup with such a slim spread. They have covered in 2 of their last 3 and 3 of their last 5, including back-to-back road games.
Neither side has played particularly well recently, with both teams being 4-6 straight up (SU) and 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games. This matchup will give Dybantsa, the nation’s leading scorer (25.1 points per game) who earned USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors last week, an opportunity to take over the game.
BET OVER 142.5 (-110).
The Mountaineers have scored at least 74 points in 2 of their last 4 games while allowing 67 or more in 3 of their last 5.
The Cougars have hit the Over in 7 of their last 10 games. They have scored 79 or more points in 4 of their last 5, including 90 or more twice in that span. They have scored 82 or more points in 7 of their last 10 and have allowed at least 86 in 6 of their last 9.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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