Is There a More Passionate Fanbase Than West Virginia? Scott Van Pelt and Stanford Steve Think Not
By Schuyler Callihan | Jun 14, 2024
West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia has never claimed a national championship in the four major sports—football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and baseball. Yet, the fierce love and passion of its fanbase might lead one to believe otherwise.
For the people of West Virginia, the Mountaineers are more than just a favorite college team; they represent the entire state. While outsiders may see the enthusiasm, they often don’t grasp its full significance for the 1.8 million residents of West Virginia.
ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt and Stanford Steve Coughlin do understand. They recently praised WVU fans following the baseball team’s performance in the super regional against North Carolina.
Stanford Steve:
“West Virginia traveled well, as they always do. And it just sticks out because I think they’re the most tortured fanbase in college sports, man. They just find ways to…you go back to football, basketball there’s been some brutal ones. But they ain’t going to stop.”
Van Pelt:
“This is going to sound like it’s not a compliment, but it’s a compliment. In a horror movie, like Freddy Kruger, Jason, or Michael Myers…can’t kill ‘em. No matter what you do to them, you can’t break their spirit and you can’t kill ‘em. Knock ‘em down a hundred times, they’ll get up a hundred and one. Dust themselves off, where’s a cold beer? Let’s go Mountaineers, let’s go drink some beers! And what time’s kickoff? What time’s the jump ball? What time’s the first pitch? Mountaineer fans…built for it. And some day they’re going to win something big and when they do you talk about a parade in sunrise, buddy, I got news for ya. When the Mountaineers win a ‘chip in something big, they might just go annex states and go guess what? You know how we got these weird lines in our state? No, not anymore. This is ours! We claim all of this country as ours, we won it. That’s it. The whole country, now West Virginia.”
This unwavering spirit and dedication from WVU fans have cemented their reputation as one of the most passionate fanbases in college sports, enduring every setback with resilience and a readiness to cheer again.
