CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia football fans can watch the Mountaineers’ spring practice Saturday, and meet players afterward, at the University of Charleston’s Laidley Field.
“A lot of this came about with coach (Steve) Dunlap and coach (Pat) Kirkland with the University of Charleston and their marketing department,” said Laidley Field manager Doug Carte. “It all started there.”
It will be the first time the Mountaineers have made an appearance at Laidley. They came down to hold a similar practice in 1997, but then-coach Don Nehlen did not like the turf and the team loaded up the buses and went back to Morgantown without practicing. Dunlap said during his playing days coming to the Kanawha Valley for a spring workout was routine.
“We practiced several times at Oakes Field,” said Dunlap
The event starts at 1 p.m. and is free to fans.
“Weather is going to be perfect in the low 60s and sunny,” said Carte. “I’m looking for attendance in of about 3,000 to 6,000.”
Dunlap said the practice will start with an Oklahoma drill, several individual unit drills, and the rest will be a full-on inter-squad scrimmage.
Carte and his staff will have to transform the facility from a track facility back to football accommodations. The pole vault at the 50 yard line will have to come down, benches will have to be moved in, some track equipment will be moved, and goalposts need to be leveled. The University of Charleston football team will provide assistance with logistics on Saturday.
“Right after the (scrimmage), the team will sit down at tables and people are going to be invited to come down and do autographs with the team,” said Carte. “We hope a lot of people will come out for a fun, family atmosphere.”