MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — There is another update to the Owen Schmitt situation from Saturday night, and this time it comes directly from Schmitt himself. After video circulated showing the WVU legend being escorted away from the field area following West Virginia’s game, Schmitt has now publicly apologized for his actions. And after everything that has come out over the last couple of days, I think it’s only fair that we share his side and his apology just as prominently as we shared the other details.
In his statement, Schmitt didn’t try to pretend that nothing happened. He acknowledged right from the beginning that he made a mistake, writing, “Last night at the game I made a bad choice and let my emotions and tailgating get in the way of an electric atmosphere at Mountaineer Field.” That alone provides some important context to everything we’ve seen and heard since the incident.
Schmitt also addressed what happened when security and law enforcement became involved. He said he was “respectfully taken off the field and escorted to my seat,” where he was able to calm down and had people around him help him through the situation. That part is important too, because there was a lot of speculation when the original video surfaced about exactly what the State Troopers were doing and where Schmitt was being taken. According to Schmitt himself, he was escorted back to his seat and given an opportunity to calm down.
He then apologized directly to the people and organizations affected by his behavior, including West Virginia University, Mountaineer Nation, the security staff, his community and his family. Schmitt said he was sorry for making a bad choice and for any concern his conduct may have caused.
Perhaps the most important part of the apology came at the end. Schmitt acknowledged the responsibility that comes with being someone who represented West Virginia University, saying, “As someone who wore the Flying WV with pride, I hold myself to a higher standard.” He added that he plans to take steps to make sure he handles his next visit professionally and in a way the program deserves.
— Owen Schmitt (@OwenSchmitt35) September 28, 2026
And I respect that.
When the original video surfaced, we didn’t have the entire story. All we saw was one of the most beloved players in West Virginia football history being escorted away by State Troopers, and I initially questioned why a WVU legend was being treated that way. We later received messages from multiple people who said they witnessed what happened beforehand, and their accounts painted a much different picture of the situation. Now Schmitt himself has acknowledged that he made a bad choice and that his conduct wasn’t up to the standard he expects from himself.
I said in our previous update that being a WVU legend doesn’t give anyone a free pass. Regardless of who you are, you’re responsible for how you behave in public and how you treat other people. But the other side of accountability is recognizing when someone admits they were wrong.
Schmitt didn’t use his statement to attack the security staff or State Troopers. He actually described the way he was removed as respectful. He didn’t make excuses or try to shift all of the responsibility onto someone else. He acknowledged that his emotions and tailgating contributed to what happened, apologized and said he expects better from himself moving forward.
That’s about all you can ask someone to do after making a bad decision.
Owen Schmitt is still a WVU legend. One bad night doesn’t erase what he accomplished in Morgantown, what he has meant to Mountaineer Nation or the memories he gave this fanbase. At the same time, being a legend doesn’t put anyone above accountability.
He made a mistake. He owned it. He apologized for it. And now he has the opportunity to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
As far as I’m concerned, that’s how you move forward.
