WVU Drops Electric Hype Video Ahead of Backyard Brawl

Thursday night at Hope Coliseum, the West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0) will square off with their better arrival from up north, the Pittsburgh Panthers (3-0), for the 192nd time.

Late last night, the WVU social media team posted a hype video ahead of this year’s game, narrated by former Mountaineer wing Emmitt Matthews Jr., highlighting some of the best moments spanning over the last several decades.

The bell rings again.

Narrated by @THEDOOSKIE pic.twitter.com/gJSLmTSK0u
— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) November 13, 2025

Just like it is in football, the Backyard Brawl is a heated, intense, passion-filled rivalry where no love is lost. Over the years, there have been some incredible moments between these two, and in that, there have been many words and shoves exchanged. These two do not like each other, and even in the age of the transfer portal, it’s very clear that both sides understand the meaning of this game.

A year ago, West Virginia had an entirely new roster with a first-year head coach and was beaten soundly. It’s the same situation again for the Mountaineers, except this time around, they’ll have the crowd behind them.

Ross Hodge may be another new face on the Mountaineer sideline, but he is well aware of the significance of this matchup, saying that “It would be phony or fake to say it’s just another game.”

"Two things can be true at once. It can be true that it is a big game; it does mean a lot to a lot of people. It's certainly the biggest game that we've been in as a group up to this point," Hodge said. "The other truth is that at 8:30 or whatever time that game is over, they're not going to be handing out a national championship trophy or a Big 12 championship trophy, and you'll have a lot of season left. But to say 'Oh, it's just another game,' that's just not real. The truth is, this game means a lot to a lot of people.

Tip is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+. After the game, head over to our YouTube page (West Virginia On SI) for the Mountaineer Postgame Show, where we'll take a look at the final numbers, talk about the positives, what needs to improve, and much more.

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