Hodge Shouts Out WVU Fans at Backyard Brawl Presser: 'You Never Have to Guess if They Care'

The West Virginia Mountaineers will have a unique setup for the Backyard Brawl this year, playing Pitt at PPG Paints Arena, the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It was Pitt's turn to host the Brawl, but AD Allen Greene said they couldn't pass up the NIL opportunity that was being offered to move the game to a neutral floor.

"While we'd prefer to play every game at The Pete, taking this rivalry to PPG Paints Arena creates a revenue opportunity that goes well beyond a typical home game, and those dollars matter for our student-athletes...we look forward to giving Pittsburgh a great event in December that drives meaningful, above-the-cap NIL revenue for our program."

Recently, WVU head coach Ross Hodge and players Martin Somerville, Miles Sadler, and Finley Bizjack made the trip up to PPG Paints Arena to participate in a press conference with representatives from Pitt, Robert Morris, and Duquesne, who are also playing one another in what is being dubbed the Backyard Brawl Classic.

When asked about how well he expects WVU fans to travel up for the game and truly make it a neutral atmosphere.

“Wren says it best about our fan base. You never have to guess if they care. It’ll be no different in this regard. So yeah, the excitement, the opportunity, and not only just our game for Pitt, but it can be hard in this time period, there’s so many things competing for people’s interest, and how do you grab people’s attention and make people feel like they’re being a part of something? And this being the first-ever (time) that we’ve done this, it’s something people can point to, both fanbases can look back on, saying, ‘I remember when we went to the first Backyard Brawl event at PPG.’ Super excited about it, and it’s been well-received. Just can’t wait to get here.”

Hodge wasn't necessarily taking a shot at Pitt's fan base — that's not his style — that being said, his comments were accurate. West Virginia fans truly care about every game on the schedule and will always show up, especially if it's a game within driving distance.

Even when the Brawl is played at The Peterson Events Center, there is a strong contingent of Mountaineer fans on hand. Just a few years ago, you could hear a LOUD and CLEAR "Let's Go Mountaineers" chant at the end of the game there.

Moving the game away from Hope Coliseum should never happen, and I wouldn't expect it to. In terms of the NET Rankings, a neutral court setup is a little more forgiving for whoever loses the game than it would be if you lost the game at home.

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