Initial Reactions + Takeaways to the 2025 WVU Football Schedule

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It's finally here! The 2025 West Virginia football schedule is out and as promised, I have some thoughts on how things lay out this season for the Mountaineers.
No homestands
This isn't that big of a deal, but you always like to have a spot on the schedule where you feel you can either get back on track or gain some momentum with 60,000 behind your back. WVU had three two-game homestands last season but went 2-4 in those games. In 2023, they had three straight at home, picking up victories over Duquesne, Pitt, and Texas Tech. You'd have to go back to 2018 for the last time the Mountaineers went an entire season not playing consecutive games at home.
Living on the road to start Big 12 play
The Big 12 schedule makers did Rich Rodriguez no favors whatsoever. To begin league play, the Mountaineers will play three of its first four away from Morgantown. Of course, we already knew who WVU was going to play and where, we just didn't know when. Kicking things off versus Kansas is not the easy chore it once was. After the Big 12 home opener against Utah, they'll hit the road for games against BYU - who was in the conference championship this past season - and UCF. It's not necessarily a daunting start to conference play, but it's certainly not the easiest.
Brutal stretch in November
If West Virginia wants to do more than just become bowl eligible, such as competing for a spot in the Big 12 Championship game, they're going to have to get out to a hot start. Their final three games of the year are, without question, their most difficult. Thankfully, two of them (Colorado and Texas Tech) are at home. The trip to Tempe (Arizona State) is probably the most challenging road game on the slate. They're loaded with talent and are only going to get better under second-year starting quarterback Sam Leavitt.
Senior Day, when students are gone
I don't know what the exact number of occasions is, but it feels like West Virginia's Senior Day game always falls the week the students are out for break, which is a big bummer. Not only do you want a packed house for those playing in their final home game, but you could be playing for a spot in Dallas.
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Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.
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