Less than one month ago, the West Virginia University Board of Governors made a major commitment to athletics by developing a plan to position the athletic department in the top tier for funding among Big 12 Conference institutions.
On Thursday, WVU Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker announced an increase in athletic scholarships by 140 for the 2026-27 season.
As a result, West Virginia will have 400 athletic scholarships as opposed to the 260 at present over 18 varsity sports. Football scholarships are to increase by 16 for the Mountaineers, with the remaining 124 scholarships spread across Olympic sports.
The announcement marks the university’s first step in an effort to meet the BOG mandate and was largely supported by new WVU President Michael T. Benson.
“When our athletic teams win, WVU wins and West Virginians swell with pride. We have an obligation to help strengthen the University while advancing its mission and integrity,” Baker said. “I want to thank President Benson and our tremendous Board of Governors. Under their leadership, we have been given a path that will help us compete in the Big 12 and strengthen our position on the national level. “The addition of 140 scholarships is a crucial step to making WVU Athletics stronger,” Baker added. “We are thankful for the confidence shown by President Benson and the BOG.”
These new scholarships will be a huge boost to our programs. I’m grateful for our donors and supporters and the leadership of @michaeltbenson and our Board of Governors. We WILL build something special together. Let’s Go! #HailWV https://t.co/ZLC5LPnLsp
— Wren Baker (@wrenbaker) October 9, 2025
The House v. NCAA settlement, which went into effect in June, allows for current scholarship limits to be replaced by roster sizes with scholarship numbers and distribution counting toward revenue sharing.