Let's Stop the Non-Rivalry Tonight
Tonight, West Virginia plays Marshall in what is known as the Capital Classic. It’s an annual game between the state’s two universities. WVU has won 13 of 16 in the series and 11 of 13 since they moved the series to Charleston, WV’s Civic Center.
In my lifetime, WVU has played Marshall in the major sports only a few times and only once in football. They met in football in 1997 and many looked forward to an annual series between the two schools, but Marshall backed out of the series leaving WVU in a bad position to schedule other teams. The blood has been bad between both schools since.
Making things more difficult was Marshall football coach Bobby Pruett’s insistence on chiding the Mountaineers at every opportunity. In an act of total inconsistency, Pruett and then Marshall president Dan Angel showed up on the capitol steps to “challenge” West Virginia to a football game a few years ago, complete with a mascot chicken. That’s real class. Never mind that it was Marshall and not WVU who cancelled the series. But, this is basketball.
The game has become kind of a non-event to most people in the state. Marshall and West Virginia haven’t been world beaters in the sport in the last few years. Marshall comes into the game at 2-10 with the two victories over East Tennessee and High Point by a combined 5 points. West Virginia has beaten two ranked teams. Word is that Marshall returned 3,000 tickets to the Civic Center they couldn’t sell. Apparently WVU fans took them because as of this morning the game is a sellout.
My preface is this. I don’t think the game is necessary anymore. Marshall, looking for legitimacy for their programs wants to beat WVU so they can shave off some of that built-in fan support that comes with the state’s land grant institution of higher learning. It hasn’t been working. In fact, little has been said about this game in the press and it’s nowhere to be found on television outside of the state of West Virginia. The outcome, though close most years, is usually the same. A bigger, stronger WVU beats a smaller, less seasoned Marshall club. WVU’s Gale Catlett and John Beilein have almost always out coached Marshall’s Bob Zuffaletto, Dana Austin, Billy Donovan, Dwight Gooden, Greg White, or Ron Jirsa. It hasn’t been much of a rivalry.
There is now talk of reviving the football series. A campaign promise by Governor-elect Joe Manchin, the game could happen with the new 12 game rule approved by the NCAA yesterday. WVU President David Hardesty says he in favor of the game “if it is financially advantageous to both schools.” That’s lawyer speak for “we’ll play every year at Mylon Puskar Stadium in Morgantown and we’ll pay you what we pay other schools.” Marshall got a sweetheart deal in 1997 and wants the same for any future games including the games being played in Huntington every other year. That’s just not going to happen.
My modest proposal is this. I think both sides ought to agree to not play ever again in any sport. I think that all Marshall and WVU coaches should have new clauses in their contracts that dismisses them if they mention the other school in public (Rich Rodriguez, John Beilein, and Ron Jirsa would not have to worry about that clause—too much class). Then, Marshall could worry about their Conference USA foes and WVU could wrestle with the futility of winning in the Big East. Simple.
By the way, my prediction on the game is a WVU win by 10. It should be 20, but the emotion that surrounds this game on the green side is always worth ten points to the Herd.
In my lifetime, WVU has played Marshall in the major sports only a few times and only once in football. They met in football in 1997 and many looked forward to an annual series between the two schools, but Marshall backed out of the series leaving WVU in a bad position to schedule other teams. The blood has been bad between both schools since.
Making things more difficult was Marshall football coach Bobby Pruett’s insistence on chiding the Mountaineers at every opportunity. In an act of total inconsistency, Pruett and then Marshall president Dan Angel showed up on the capitol steps to “challenge” West Virginia to a football game a few years ago, complete with a mascot chicken. That’s real class. Never mind that it was Marshall and not WVU who cancelled the series. But, this is basketball.
The game has become kind of a non-event to most people in the state. Marshall and West Virginia haven’t been world beaters in the sport in the last few years. Marshall comes into the game at 2-10 with the two victories over East Tennessee and High Point by a combined 5 points. West Virginia has beaten two ranked teams. Word is that Marshall returned 3,000 tickets to the Civic Center they couldn’t sell. Apparently WVU fans took them because as of this morning the game is a sellout.
My preface is this. I don’t think the game is necessary anymore. Marshall, looking for legitimacy for their programs wants to beat WVU so they can shave off some of that built-in fan support that comes with the state’s land grant institution of higher learning. It hasn’t been working. In fact, little has been said about this game in the press and it’s nowhere to be found on television outside of the state of West Virginia. The outcome, though close most years, is usually the same. A bigger, stronger WVU beats a smaller, less seasoned Marshall club. WVU’s Gale Catlett and John Beilein have almost always out coached Marshall’s Bob Zuffaletto, Dana Austin, Billy Donovan, Dwight Gooden, Greg White, or Ron Jirsa. It hasn’t been much of a rivalry.
There is now talk of reviving the football series. A campaign promise by Governor-elect Joe Manchin, the game could happen with the new 12 game rule approved by the NCAA yesterday. WVU President David Hardesty says he in favor of the game “if it is financially advantageous to both schools.” That’s lawyer speak for “we’ll play every year at Mylon Puskar Stadium in Morgantown and we’ll pay you what we pay other schools.” Marshall got a sweetheart deal in 1997 and wants the same for any future games including the games being played in Huntington every other year. That’s just not going to happen.
My modest proposal is this. I think both sides ought to agree to not play ever again in any sport. I think that all Marshall and WVU coaches should have new clauses in their contracts that dismisses them if they mention the other school in public (Rich Rodriguez, John Beilein, and Ron Jirsa would not have to worry about that clause—too much class). Then, Marshall could worry about their Conference USA foes and WVU could wrestle with the futility of winning in the Big East. Simple.
By the way, my prediction on the game is a WVU win by 10. It should be 20, but the emotion that surrounds this game on the green side is always worth ten points to the Herd.
posted by Ronnie Flamingo at 8:15 AM
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