For the past five seasons, the WVU football team has kind of been on an island in the Big 12 Conference.
The Mountaineers are the only team in the eastern time zone and the closest conference opponent is still more than 1,000 miles away. Yes, it has been five years, but it still takes even more time to get used to something that is almost unnatural.
Head coach Dana Holgorsen has been around for all of West Virginia’s time in the Big 12. He has steered the ship into these unchartered territories and has had to be the tour guide, as well, because of his past experience in the Big 12 and in the Midwest, in general.
Holgorsen has seen his fair share of opponent’s facilities. For the most part, the Mountaineers have nice facilities, but are still in need of some renovations here and there. Teams in the Big 12 are kind of on the same wavelength as the Mountaineers, as universities and as athletic programs.
So, it may be a good thing in the end that West Virginia found its way into the Big 12. It’s just unfortunate that it has to come at the expense of some really long travel time. When the WVU football team arrives in a new location, it wants a comfortable setting in which to prepare for the game.
In a recent press conference, Dana Holgorsen dished out some information on the various locker rooms his team spends time in before and after a game. The good news is the worst conditions seem to be behind the Mountaineers.
But, also in good news, is that this week should provide a well-deserved oasis before a huge contest. Holgorsen told reporters that TCU probably has the nicest locker rooms he has ever seen, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In this upcoming slideshow, we’ll start with the Horned Frogs’ facilities and go through some of the subpar locations that Mountaineers have already experienced this season.