The internet reacts as WVU football set to debut "Coal Rush" uniforms this Saturday

The wait is now officially over.

Last week, West Virginia football announced that the upcoming October 12th showdown with Iowa State -- set for an 8 p.m. kickoff -- will be a "Coal Rush" theme, with fans encouraged to wear black and create a "blackout" effect at Milan Puskar Stadium.

It was quickly deduced online that the Mountaineers were likely to debut their black alternate uniform, marketed as the team's "coal rush" jersey upon it's initial announcement earlier this year. Today, it was confirmed by WVU that the team will don the new uniforms during the contest. It appears even the Mountaineer mascot will get in on the fun with special attire for the event.

As WVU easily disposed of Oklahoma State this past weekend and set it's sights upon the upcoming clash with an undefeated No. 11 Iowa State, the internet has been reacting to the idea that WVU is embracing a blackout theme and debuting their new uniforms.

Many fans accounts on Twitter/X have begun to sport black-and-white versions of their profile pictures to align with the color scheme of the new jerseys. But it's not just fans, with folks such as WVU Tight Ends Coach Blaine Stewart and WVU Athletic Director Wren Baker rolling out their own versions of a retro looking profile picture.

Many WVU fans born-and-raised amidst the Appalachian coal mining culture have also begun to share what it means to see the state's most prominent industry honored. For the flagship university in the state to honor an occupation so intricately tied in with the state identity, particularly one that was on the forefront of the fight for worker's rights such as mining, is important to many folks throughout West Virginia.

With excitement for the game at a fever pitch, some fan accounts are circulating ideas of what they'd like to see to complete the atmosphere on Saturday night, with one suggestion often circulated since 2018 making the rounds after once again being promoted by the WVU Barstool account on X/Twitter.

The Mountaineer Maniacs student section also released a little hype video featuring a black-and-white Milan Puskar Stadium set to "Paint it Black" by The Rolling Stones, while even WVU's Big 12 rivals are getting a bit excited for the themed game -- Texas Tech-centric Big 12 podcast Gamblin' Gauchos shared a potential black-and-white profile picture.

And of course, many are admiring the new threads that WVU will debut on Saturday night, with one Barstool-sponsored show calling them a "work of art" and WVU Wide Receivers Coach Bilal Marshall showing his enthusiasm in a post as well.

Are you excited for the upcoming "Coal Rush" at Milan Puskar Stadium? Let us know in the comments on the social media posts atached to this article!