West Virginia

West Virginia Trims Dates For ’24, Exact Schedules Hinge On Outcome of HISA Legality

Published

12 months ago

December 13, 2023

West Virginia Trims Dates For ’24, Exact Schedules Hinge On Outcome of HISA Legality

Both Charles Town Races and Mountaineer Park got approval Wednesday from the West Virginia Racing Commission (WVRC) to reduce live racing dates in 2024 compared to recent seasons.

The Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) chapters at both tracks supported the diminished schedules based on available purse funds and projected horse populations.

Right now the placeholders are 158 dates for Charles Town and 121 for Mountaineer.

But the exact number of programs will ultimately be contingent on the outcome of several overlapping federal lawsuits that have to do with the legality of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA).

In July of 2022, the states of West Virginia and Louisiana won a preliminary injunction that has kept the HISA rules from being implemented in those two states until their lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of HISA gets decided in full.

Then in September of 2023, the judge handling that case ordered it to be “administratively terminated” until the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals made a ruling in a separate (but related) suit in which the National HBPA is also alleging that HISA is unconstitutional.

Oral arguments in the HBPA vs. HISA case were heard Oct. 4 but no Fifth Circuit decision has been issued yet.

WVRC executive director Joe Moore explained during the Dec. 13 meeting that if HISA were to be deemed legal nationwide and/or the court’s injunction barring implementation in West Virginia got lifted, both tracks would need to recalculate how much purse money was available and how many racing dates those funds could cover.

That’s because Charles Town and Mountaineer would be subject to HISA assessments for safety oversight and drug testing services that they currently don’t pay because of the injunction that grants them an exception.

According to HISA’s 2024 budget, West Virginia’s assessment for next year is $4,448,269 (Charles Town $3,281,367; Mountaineer $1,166,902).

Moore said that “if HISA were to become effective in West Virginia, I suspect Charles Town and the horsemen would consider reducing their race days by a number to ensure that there were purse monies available after the [HISA] assessments were calculated for them.”

Charles Town’s director of racing, Charlie McIntosh, concurred.

“If HISA were to come back into effect, we’d have to sit down and evaluate” funding options, McIntosh said.

Mountaineer gate | Coady Photography

No representative from Mountaineer spoke on the track’s behalf during the meeting.

The two tracks handled their dates reduction requests differently. Charles Town asked for and received 158 dates but left the door open to come back to the commission for a further reduction request if necessary.

Mountaineer took the opposite approach, asking for and receiving the commission’s approval for two dates contingencies so the track wouldn’t have to come back a second time to request another trim if HISA gets legalized in the state.

So the WVRC approved 121 dates for Mountaineer, with Moore explaining that “if feasible and [if West Virginia continues to] remain exempt from HISA, their number of live race days would increase to 128.”

Moore said Mountaineer’s season would run Apr. 28-Dec. 4 under the first contingency, with the meet extending through Dec. 11 if the second plan got utilized.

Charles Town’s 2024 schedule, according to the track’s website, will consist of four- and three-date weeks nearly year-round, with breaks Aug. 25-Sept. 11 and Dec. 15-31.

Charles Town’s 158 dates for 2024 continues a downward trend. The track was awarded 164 dates in 2023 and 179 in 2022.

Unless Mountaineer ends up running the bumped-up 128 dates, its 121-date allotment also represents a decrease, from 124 dates in 2023 and 130 dates in 2022.

(All dates cited above are based on dates as originally assigned by the commission, and do not reflect any in-season program losses that might have occurred because of weather cancellations.)

Even in years when the costs of HISA assessments have not been in play, the awarding of race dates in West Virginia has been a somewhat confusing several-step process. A state statute requires Charles Town to apply for 220 programs every year, and Mountaineer is required to apply for 210 dates. But those quotas haven’t been reached for quite some time.

What has ended up happening in recent seasons is that after the initial approvals of those mandated 220 and 210 dates every November by the WVRC, both venues have subsequently come back before the commission to ask for reductions that reflect what each track and its HBPA representatives think is a workable schedule.

The dates reduction votes were unanimous Dec. 13, with WVRC chairman Ken Lowe Jr. and commissioner J.B. Akers voting in the affirmative, while commissioner Tony Figaretti was listed as being absent from the meeting because of a travel conflict.

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West Virginia

West Virginia 98-28 Lafayette (Nov 22, 2024) Game Recap – ESPN

Published

3 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

West Virginia 98-28 Lafayette (Nov 22, 2024) Game Recap – ESPN

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — — Ja’Naiya Quinerly had 19 points, Sydney Woodley scored 15 off the bench and No. 13 West Virginia posted a wire-to-wire 98-28 victory over Lafayette on Friday night.

Quinerly made 6 of 12 shots with four 3-pointers for the Mountaineers (6-0), who have yet to play a road game this season. She added five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Woodley hit 4 of 5 shots with two 3s and pitched in with five steals and four rebounds.

Kylee Blacksten finished with 13 points and six boards for West Virginia. Jordan Thomas contributed 11 points, five assists and four rebounds. Reserve Tirzah Moore scored 10.

Abby Antognoli had 11 points to lead the Leopards (1-4), who fell to 0-3 away from home. Antognoli made just 1 of 6 from 3-point range for Lafayette which shot 2 of 17 from distance.

Watson and Jordan Harrison made 3s in the first 27 seconds as West Virginia grabbed a quick two-possession lead. Quinerly made both of her 3s in the quarter to help the Mountaineers take a 22-8 lead.

Moore followed her two successful free throws with a 3-point play to spark an 11-0 run to begin the second period and West Virginia cruised from there. The Mountaineers led 45-15 at halftime and 78-19 at the end of the third.

West Virginia will host High Point on Friday.

—— Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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West Virginia

How to Watch West Virginia vs. UCF: Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – November 23, 2024

Published

12 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Data Skrive

One of the best runners in college football will be featured when RJ Harvey and the UCF Knights (4-6) take on the West Virginia Mountaineers (5-5) on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

Go to ESPNU to watch the Knights battle the Mountaineers.

Keep up with college football all season on FOX Sports.

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Learn more about the UCF Knights and the West Virginia Mountaineers.

How to Watch UCF vs. West Virginia

When: Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia
Live Box Score: FOX Sports

UCF’s 2024 Schedule

Date	Opponent	Score
8/29/2024	vs. New Hampshire	W 57-3
9/7/2024	vs. Sam Houston	W 45-14
9/14/2024	at TCU	W 35-34
9/28/2024	vs. Colorado	L 48-21
10/5/2024	at Florida	L 24-13
10/12/2024	vs. Cincinnati	L 19-13
10/19/2024	at Iowa State	L 38-35
10/26/2024	vs. BYU	L 37-24
11/2/2024	vs. Arizona	W 56-12
11/9/2024	at Arizona State	L 35-31
11/23/2024	at West Virginia	–
11/29/2024	vs. Utah	–

UCF 2024 Stats & Insights

UCF owns the 57th-ranked defense this season (355.4 yards allowed per game), and has been better on offense, ranking eighth-best with a tally of 464.6 yards per game.
UCF is averaging 201.8 passing yards per game offensively this year (93rd in the FBS), and is giving up 239.5 passing yards per game (96th) on the other side of the ball.
The Knights rank 32nd in scoring offense (33.0 points per game) and 80th in scoring defense (26.4 points allowed per game) this season.
The Knights rank 28th in run defense this year (115.9 rushing yards allowed per game), but they’ve been shining on offense, ranking second-best in the FBS with 262.8 rushing yards per game.
Despite sporting a bottom-25 defense on third down that ranks 22nd-worst in the FBS (44.4% third-down conversion rate), UCF has had more success offensively, ranking 42nd in the FBS by posting a 43.3% third-down conversion rate.
With 11 forced turnovers (96th in the FBS) against 15 turnovers committed (80th in the FBS), the Knights (-4) have the 95th-ranked turnover margin in college football.

UCF 2024 Key Players

Name	Position	Stats
RJ Harvey	RB	1,328 YDS / 19 TD / 132.8 YPG / 6.8 YPC 15 REC / 229 REC YDS / 2 REC TD / 22.9 REC YPG
K.J. Jefferson	QB	1,012 YDS (59.3%) / 7 TD / 4 INT 193 RUSH YDS / 2 RUSH TD / 27.6 RUSH YPG
Kobe Hudson	WR	38 REC / 623 YDS / 3 TD / 62.3 YPG
Jacurri Brown	QB	387 YDS (51.5%) / 1 TD / 4 INT 354 RUSH YDS / 4 RUSH TD / 39.3 RUSH YPG
Deshawn Pace	LB	43 TKL / 2.0 TFL / 2 INT / 2 PD
Quadric Bullard	DB	48 TKL / 1.0 TFL / 1.0 SACK
Nyjalik Kelly	DL	36 TKL / 3.0 TFL / 2.5 SACK
Daylan Dotson	DL	23 TKL / 5.0 TFL / 4.0 SACK

West Virginia’s 2024 Schedule

Date	Opponent	Score
8/31/2024	vs. Penn State	L 34-12
9/7/2024	vs. Albany	W 49-14
9/14/2024	at Pittsburgh	L 38-34
9/21/2024	vs. Kansas	W 32-28
10/5/2024	at Oklahoma State	W 38-14
10/12/2024	vs. Iowa State	L 28-16
10/19/2024	vs. Kansas State	L 45-18
10/26/2024	at Arizona	W 31-26
11/9/2024	at Cincinnati	W 31-24
11/16/2024	vs. Baylor	L 49-35
11/23/2024	vs. UCF	–
11/30/2024	at Texas Tech	–

West Virginia 2024 Stats & Insights

West Virginia ranks 53rd with 400.8 total yards per game on offense, and it ranks 99th with 400.8 total yards allowed per contest on the defensive side of the ball.
West Virginia ranks 91st in passing yards per game (202.3), but it has been worse on the other side of the ball, ranking eighth-worst in the FBS with 269.6 passing yards allowed per contest.
The Mountaineers rank 53rd in the FBS with 29.6 points per game on offense, and they rank 102nd with 30.0 points given up per contest on the defensive side of the ball.
The Mountaineers’ run offense has been leading the way for the team, as they rank 24th-best in the FBS with 198.5 rushing yards per contest. In terms of defense, they are giving up 131.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 49th.
West Virginia ranks 69th in third-down conversion rate (40.2%) on offense, but it has been less productive on the other side of the ball, ranking eighth-worst in the FBS with a 47.2% third-down percentage allowed.
The Mountaineers sport a -5 turnover margin this season, which ranks 100th in the FBS.

West Virginia 2024 Key Players

Name	Position	Stats
Garrett Greene	QB	1,589 YDS (54.6%) / 11 TD / 9 INT 613 RUSH YDS / 5 RUSH TD / 76.6 RUSH YPG
Jahiem White	RB	639 YDS / 5 TD / 63.9 YPG / 5.5 YPC 12 REC / 94 REC YDS / 1 REC TD / 10.4 REC YPG
CJ Donaldson	RB	525 YDS / 7 TD / 52.5 YPG / 4.6 YPC 5 REC / 20 REC YDS / 1 REC TD / 2.5 REC YPG
Traylon Ray	WR	28 REC / 426 YDS / 4 TD / 42.6 YPG
Josiah Trotter	LB	73 TKL / 3.0 TFL / 0.5 SACK / 1 INT
T.J. Jackson	DL	33 TKL / 12.0 TFL / 5.5 SACK
Anthony Wilson	DB	75 TKL / 0.0 TFL / 1 INT / 1 PD
Trey Lathan	LB	50 TKL / 5.0 TFL / 2.0 SACK

FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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West Virginia

West Virginia facing challenge in UCF rushing attack led by Harvey

Published

20 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

West Virginia facing challenge in UCF rushing attack led by Harvey

If West Virginia is going to have success on the defensive side of the ball against UCF it starts with keeping their ground game under control.

And the centerpiece of that is senior running back RJ Harvey.

The Knights are second nationally and top all Power Four programs at 262 yards per game with Harvey playing a major role in that. The Orlando native has rushed for 1,328 yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging almost 7 yards per carry on the season.

It’s no secret that keeping him in check will be critical.

“His ability to break tackles and once he does get past the defensive line and linebackers he gets going really fast,” defensive lineman TJ Jackson said.

Jackson compares Harvey to a bigger Devin Neal from Kansas in large part because of his ability to go from a jump cut to full speed. The running back is one of the most improved players in the country and is playing at an elite level according to head coach Neal Brown.

“Really tough to tackle, can make people miss. Has a great feel for their zone schemes,” Brown said.

UCF will utilize the same inside zone rushing scheme that Baylor was able to rush for 183 yards and it’s going to require some discipline out of the unit. The defense must attack the ball with leverage.

“You got to keep great edges on the defense. You have to keep technique all 11 guys across the board. If you’re the backside guy pursuing the ball then you have to keep technique and keep your shoulders square,” coordinator Jeff Koonz said. “He’s a threat to go anywhere, at any time. He understands blocking, he understands their scheme. It’s a great challenge for us.”

Where Harvey has created the most issues is when he is able to get the safeties and linebackers bottled up and then jump cuts to the outside and outruns the defense for big chunks of yards.

“The key is to contain him and not let him get on the perimeter for explosives,” Brown said.

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