Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark Makes Strong Statement About WVU

West Virginia sports may not be back just yet, but it sure feels like we could be approaching the dawn of a golden era across the entire department.

The women’s basketball team really kicked off this turnaround by winning the Big 12 Conference tournament and hosting in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992. The baseball team carried the momentum into the summer, reaching the College World Series for the first time ever and were one of the final four teams standing in Omaha.

Those two programs don’t appear to be going anywhere but up and the same can be said about men’s and women’s soccer. Now, it all comes down to Rich Rodriguez and Ross Hodge doing their part to get the football and men’s basketball teams headed back in the right direction.

Both coaches have done a phenomenal job early in their tenure on the recruiting trail, landing key pieces to build around into the future, which has everyone believing that year two will lead to more nights of singing, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

And of course, that song has done wonders for West Virginia’s brand this summer, with it going viral on ESPN and the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team adopting it. It also helps to have the biggest personality in sports media, Pat McAfee, as an alum of the university, too. A bunch of eyes are on West Virginia and will continue to be if they take advantage of this momentum that’s been built.

During day two of Big 12 media days, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark was asked about West Virginia’s success across the board and the importance of the brand of the league. His response was exactly what you want to hear if you’re a Mountaineer fan.

“Listen, I will say this: there are a couple of our schools that continue to evolve, and that truly make a difference. West Virginia makes a difference in this conference. No question about it. When they’re competitive, their fan engagement is off the charts. I’ve seen it. I’m excited about what Wren Baker, the AD, is building there. They have a great trajectory going up right now. They’re making a lot of investments, and you hear about them quite often. But again, in addition to West Virginia, all of our schools are making great investments, and that’s why I’m so excited about where this conference is going. I see the future, and I know it’s extremely bright. But you mentioned earlier, it really does come down to performance, and we’re judged on performance, and I’m excited about the progress we’re making there.”

Although the league isn’t the best fit geographically, West Virginia does fit the conference, having a similar culture and environemnt as the other members. They are passionate, many schools in a small town or rural area, and have a chip on their shoulder. Conference realignment seems to have come to a halt for the time being, but if you’re WVU, you have to love the commissioner of the league expressing how much the school’s brand means. That will bode well for West Virginia in the future, be it in the Big 12 or elsewhere when the realignment merry-go-round takes off again.