MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University is taking steps to change the culture when it comes to post-game behavior as a big weekend for the Mountaineers approaches.
With ESPN’s “College GameDay broadcasting from campus Saturday morning before the matchup between No. 20 WVU and No. 10 TCU at 3:30 p.m., officials with the university want to create an unprecedented gameday atmosphere devoid of the destructive behavior that occurred after the upset of Baylor.
“As I have stated before, it’s time to take our University back, and this weekend will be a great opportunity for us to do so,” WVU president Gordon Gee said. “I hope that all of our students and fans understand that we take these situations very seriously, and we hope that we can continue to have a safe and friendly environment for Saturday’s game, with appropriate celebrations afterwards.”
An estimated 5,000 rioters blocked streets, started fires, damaged property and threw objects at police and firemen several hours after the 41-27 win against Baylor.
The City of Morgantown estimated expenses exceeding $45,000 to cover damages, overtime and equipment to handle any future riots, and many city officials voiced their outrage after the celebration.
Others were outraged as well, as marketing majors Deonna Gandy and Chris Hickey began a social media campaign to encourage WVU community members to share how they show their love for the Mountaineers in a positive way.
The student-led #RespectfulMountaineer movement has picked up steam since it was initiated, leading to a student-driven PSA encouraging respect, plus a video message to alumni and friends from Gee are also planned for the upcoming game. Advertisements encouraging respect signed by student-athletes can also be found this week in The Daily Athenaeum, the student newspaper.
Saturday will also be the first “True Blue” game, where all fans are being asked to wear blue. In addition, blue T-shirts with the #RespectfulMountaineer message will be placed throughout the student section prior to the game.