Virginia Trolls WVU with "Defend Our State" Hype Video, There's Just One Problem...

West Virginia-Virginia isn't the Backyard Brawl, and it's nowhere near the level of hatred between WVU and Virginia Tech. There is some distaste toward one another, though, largely fueled by Virginia, which had a couple of pep band halftime shows that went a little too far.

Even a few weeks ago, Virginia trolled West Virginia during their Week 0 matchup against North Carolina State, by playing John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," which, of course, is WVU's thing.

That is playful banter that doesn't cross a line like those halftime shows, and everyone understands the point of it. That's what makes college football great. The passion, the back-and-forth between teams and fanbases — that's what makes the sport so unique.

On Friday, though, Virginia's football account posted a hype video captioned. "Defend our state."

That's cool and all, but there's only one problem...

Defend our state#GoHoos 🔶⚔️🔷 pic.twitter.com/DQQNB5BMOu
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) September 18, 2026

What exactly is Virginia defending?

The Mountaineers are playing them in Charlotte, North Carolina, not Charlottesville, Virginia. So no, UVA isn't trying to protect its home turf.

Are they insinuating that the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" belongs to them?

It wouldn't be the first time folks from Virginia have tried to push that narrative. In the video, they very clearly use some references to the song, stating, “There’s a line that runs between us through the Blue Ridge Mountains, along the Shenandoah River, winding the land that connects our two states. Life is old here. Older than the trees. The roads that have always taken us home… tomorrow, those roads lead here. With history between us and moments that have shaped our programs, it’s something we carry with us two decades later. But now, a new generation gets its turn. A familiar venue versus a familiar foe. So, let them hear us. From the mountains to the river, let them know where we’re from. Because tomorrow night, it’s about defending everything on our side.”

Then you also have the history part of this as well. Many West Virginia fans came across the video on X and started asking, "Why did the state split again?" while also informing them where the game is being played.

Again, this is not a rivalry game, but it just goes to show how much better college sports would be if we brought some regionality back to it. Over time, matchups like this could develop into a rivalry. WVU vs. Virginia is far more entertaining than a Big 12 matchup of West Virginia vs. Colorado or an ACC showdown of Virginia vs. Cal, and that's something both sides can agree on.

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