Morgantown, West Virginia – The West Virginia University Coliseum has been home to the West Virginia basketball team for the past 50 years. During this time, the Mountaineers have gone 549-149 (77.6 win percentage) and the Coliseum has gone through multiple renovations since 1970 when it first opened its doors.
In 2016, the Coliseum went through many renovations, including new restrooms, concessions, as well extensive aesthetic changes. With additional upgrades during the offseason – including brand new seats and an enormous new video board hanging over the court – there is simply no place better in the country to watch a college basketball game.
In addition, West Virginia University opened a new $24 million, 64,000 square foot practice facility in 2012. The facility – complete with a Hall of Traditions, a state of the art weight and training room, as well as two full courts to practice on and an alumni locker room for former players – is among the best, most impressive practice spaces in all of college basketball.
Head Coach Bob Huggins and Director of Athletics Shane Lyons have made facilities a real priority, and it has paid off. Huggins, Lyons and West Virginia University have made Morgantown the preeminent location for college basketball on the East Coast.
With that said, the attendance and support for both the men’s and women’s Mountaineers teams have been questionable at best. Head coaches Bob Huggins and Mike Carey have called out West Virginia fans numerous times for their disappointing attendance on multiple occasions.
Back in 2016, Huggins ripped the fans’ attendance, or lack thereof, saying, “We’re 9th in the country. We were sixth in the country, and we want to act like we are a big time program. I told our guys before the game. We practice every day with nobody in here and if people don’t want to come see us, that’s their loss.”
Huggins wasn’t wrong then and he’s still not wrong. Despite many years of success, a legendary head coach leading the team and the best facilities in the country, West Virginia fans make every possible excuse – traffic, parking, weather, increasing ticket prices, etc. – to not attend games.
Bob Huggins will not always be the coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers and there is no reason for one seat to be open in the beautiful Coliseum for the remainder of Huggins’ incredible career. If health regulations allow it, West Virginia fans should absolutely pack the best venue in the country every single game this season.
