WVU Athletics Smashes Previous Fundraising Record By Nearly 3X

Wren Baker (and others) continues to elevate the Mountaineers.

West Virginia University Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

All Wren Baker has done since arriving in West Virginia is win people over.

From his coaching hires to his swag that includes a deep shoe collection, approachability, humbleness, and maybe the most important thing in this day and age of collegiate athletics: his ability to raise money.

When WVU first hired Baker back in 2022, very few had any idea who he was, what his strengths were, and what it meant for the future of WVU athletics.

Those who knew Baker from his previous stops or were a part of the interview process at WVU knew he was elite in forging relationships and generating dollars. He was the perfect man to occupy the chair he's now in, and no one outside of the process knew it. At the time, NIL had been a thing for just a year, and rev share didn't come into play until 2025.

WVU is doing more than just turning the corner; they are firmly positioning itself to compete at the highest level in the Big 12 Conference for years to come.

Baker announced back in the spring that WVU's budget had exceeded $150 million, which is "roughly 50% growth from where we were three years ago."

Recently, Baker also announced that WVU shattered its previous record for fundraising, bringing in $111 million in philanthropic support. The previous record was $38 million. The Mountaineer Athletic Club (MAC) has reached 7,934 members (record high), which, of course, played a big part in the increase.

"The numbers speak for themselves, but what stands out most is the number of people who chose to support WVU Athletics," Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. "Whether through a major gift, annual giving, season tickets or one of our new initiatives, every investment strengthens our ability to support student-athletes and move this department forward. We're incredibly grateful for that commitment."

Their partnerships with Hope Gas (naming rights for the Coliseum) and Antero Resources (jersey patch deal), as well as others, were key in setting this record, and those annual payments will continue to put West Virginia athletics in a great position moving forward.

"College athletics requires us to think differently about how we generate revenue and support our programs," Baker said. "The support we received this year from our donors, fans and corporate partners puts us in a stronger position moving forward. We're thankful for their confidence in WVU Athletics, and we're committed to being good stewards of that investment."

WVU also announced that it generated $20.7 million in ticket revenue for FY26, marking the first time in school history they have gone over the $20M mark in consecutive years.