The West Virginia Mountaineers were a major topic of discussion this summer, and that has carried into Big 12 Media Days, which took place earlier this week in Frisco, Texas.
The Mountaineers took the national spotlight and won over countless hearts as they made a massive postseason run in baseball that saw the program host an NCAA Regional and NCAA Super Regional before qualifying for their first-ever trip to the College World Series.
The WVU fans were in the spotlight for the electric atmosphere at Kendrick Family Ballpark during the action, as well as the post-game tradition of singing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" following wins – a tradition that would continue to shine after the Mountaineers were done for the season after the US national team adopted it as an anthem during the World Cup.
West Virginia Mountaineers provide immense value to Big 12 brand during stint in spotlight
During Big 12 Football Media Days this week, conference commissioner Brett Yormark was put on the spot by an ESPN reporter, who asked him about the value the Mountaineers offer to the Big 12 brand following their time on the national stage. And the commissioner's remarks were a major statement of confidence what WVU brings to the table.
"There are a couple of our schools that continue to evolve and that truly make a difference," Yormark said. "West Virginia makes a difference in this conference, no question about it. When they're competitive, their fan engagement is off the charts – I've seen it."
For the BRAND 💪@Big12Conference pic.twitter.com/HvXBsXIHZj
— WVU Sports (@WVUSports) July 8, 2026
"I'm excited about what Wren Baker, the AD, is building there. They have a great trajectory going up right now, they're making a lot of investments, and you hear about them quite often."
In today's changing landscape of college sports, where cash rules everything around us, what a school's athletic department offers as a recognizable brand is more important than ever. That will play as large a role in shaping how collegiate sports looks over the next few decades than anything, especially when the next round of conference realignment comes around.
And for West Virginia fans hoping they end up at the top level of college sports moving forward, whatever that might look like, should be excited to hear these remarks from Yormark.
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