Kirk Herbstreit Hops on WVU Bandwagon, Wants GameDay to Go to the Backyard Brawl

The ESPN college football analyst is a believer in what's going on in Morgantown.
Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Kirk Herbstreit talks to the media during 2025 CFP National Championship Media Day at Georgia World Congress Center, Building A. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Kirk Herbstreit talks to the media during 2025 CFP National Championship Media Day at Georgia World Congress Center, Building A. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Many national college football analysts are down on West Virginia for the 2025 season, primarily due to all the uncertainties that come with a roster that has over 70 newcomers and a brand-new coaching staff.

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit, surprisingly, isn't one of them. Well, to be fair, he didn't really say he was on board for the Mountaineers in 2025, but he is a big believer in Rich Rodriguez.

“It’s a new era in Morgantown, and I am officially on the bandwagon. Because Rich Rod, to me, I’m all in on Rich Rod," he said on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday afternoon. "I love the way he says things, the way he talks, like, we’re not doing that. We’re going to go back to work and just going to grind. And these guys probably don’t know what him them. They’re coming.”

Sometimes, Herbie will poke fun at McAfee on College GameDay for bringing up WVU, but not this time. You could legitimately tell he was serious with his belief in the Mountaineers' future.

When going through the schedule, Herbstreit asked, "Can we go to that?" when they reached the Backyard Brawl. "Can GameDay go to that? We've got to get back to Morgantown."

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Former WVU Star Nick Kwiatkoski Gives Back in a Big Way to Mountaineer Football

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

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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