MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — For the first time in nine years, the WVU men’s basketball team will take the court at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center as part of its non-conference schedule during the upcoming season. West Virginia will face Wake Forest on December 6 in the opening game of a two-game series to be played on neutral floors.
Tip time and television information will be announced at a later date. The game is being called the Holiday Hoopfest and it is under the direction of the Gazelle Group.
The Mountaineers and the Demon Deacons will face off on the same weekend that the WVSSAC state football championship games will be played at University of Charleston Stadium.
“Hosting this game not only gives us the opportunity to bring the WVU Men’s Basketball team to Charleston to play in front of the loyal fanbase that lives here, but more importantly for us it’s a tourism draw bringing WVU and Wake Forest fans to town during a very vibrant period,” said President & CEO of Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau Tim Brady. “December is a fun-filled and exciting time for us to show off Charleston. Come for basketball, stay for so much more.”
“We are thrilled to be able to play a really good Wake Forest team in front of our fans in southern West Virginia,” said WVU head coach Ross Hodge. “It’s been a long time since the men’s basketball team played in Charleston and when we were presented with this two-game neutral site series against Wake Forest, it certainly made sense for us. As we continue to build our nonconference schedule, this is a quality opponent from the ACC, and I know our fans will be excited and be there to support us.”
“With the great college basketball tradition that these two schools have, the series promises to be one of the best early season nonconference matchups for the next two years,” said WVU Director of Athletics Wren Baker. “Even though the two games will be on a neutral court, the passionate fanbases of each school will provide the intensity and atmosphere of postseason play. By facilitating this two-game series, the Gazelle Group has provided a win for the fans of Wake Forest and West Virginia.”
This is one of four games revealed on WVU’s non-conference slate for the 2025-2026 season. The Mountaineers will host Pittsburgh on November 13 and they will play two games in Charleston, S.C. a week later.
The return game in the 2026-2027 season will be played at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. on a date to be announced.
The WVU men’s basketball team last played at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center on December 7, 2016, when they defeated Western Carolina, 90-37.
Wake Forest went 21-11 in the 2024-2025 season in their fifth year under head coach Steve Forbes. The Demon Deacons posted a 13-7 record in ACC play.