Mountaineer Nation Reacts To Divisive Name Change For Now-Former WVU Coliseum

The news came on Thursday that the first-ever name change has occurred for the venue now formerly known as the WVU Coliseum.

WVU has signed a deal with Hope Gas to rename the arena – which is home to multiple WVU sports teams, including the men's basketball and women's basketball programs – to the Hope Coliseum, a ten-year naming rights deal for an unspecified amount of money.

Now, Mountaineer Nation is reacting the news of the name change. Most folks seem to be accepting the name change well, or at least understand the financial incentive behind the deal. Others, however, don't seem to be too excited about the change. Meanwhile, there are others speculating how much of the money is going towards the roster – including a major 2026 signee that recently made his commitment to the Mountaineers official.

And of course, at least one fan hopes that at least part of the money will go toward working shot clocks – poking fun at a recurring issue the Mountaineers have had with the functionality of their shot clocks inside the arena in recent years.

But at the end of the day, the key takeaway is that the move should prove a financial boon to the university's athletic department in an era of college sports that is rapidly shifting towards a more professional model where every penny a program can gain will be important when it comes to how competitive they'll remain – or even if they can survive the sesimic shifts. Take a look below at some early social media reaction to the name change.

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