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98-506: The Coliseum, which opened in 1970, has more than 10.5 million cubic feet (300,000 m) of space. It is home to West Virginia University Mountaineers sports teams, including the men's and women's basketball teams, men's wrestling, and women's volleyball and gymnastics. There is also a 3,000-square-foot (280 m) weight room located in the lower level of the Coliseum. The arena has nearly 100 offices, 13 lecture and seminar rooms,

196-472: A car that will travel directly to that station. The PRT began operation in 1973, with U.S. President Richard Nixon 's daughter, Tricia, aboard one of five prototype cars for a demonstration ride. The PRT handles 16,000 riders per day (as of 2005 ) and uses approximately 70 cars. The system has 8.7 miles (14.0 km) of guideway track and five stations: Walnut, Beechurst, Engineering, Towers, and Medical/Health Sciences. The vehicles are rubber-tired, but

294-616: A certificate in forensic accounting and fraud examination. WVU robotics teams have won several international competitions such as the NASA Robotic Mining Competition and the NASA/NIA RASC-AL Exploration Robot-OPS Challenge. In 2016, a WVU team led by Dr. Yu Gu won the final NASA Sample Return Robot Centennial Challenge with a $ 750,000 prize. Biometrics is an engineering-centric field of study offered at WVU,

392-522: A dance studio, safety lab, racquetball and squash courts, and the Jerry West Mountaineer Room, which holds nearly 150 people for meetings. The arena also has more than 1,000 individual locker units in various dressing rooms available for students and staff. The Coliseum has been used for music concerts but the concrete roof has poor sound distribution properties, so other venues in town are more appropriate for this purpose. The arena

490-587: A member of the single-sport Great America Rifle Conference and have won the most NCAA Rifle Championships of any school, at 19. NCAA Top 10 finishes: 1 2010 Outdoors NCAA Sweet 16 finishes: 1999, 2010, 2011 NCAA top 20 finishes: 1999, 2009, 2010, 2011 West Virginia has won 20 NCAA team national championships. Below are the national team titles that were not bestowed by the NCAA: West Virginia athletes have won 38 individual and relay national championships: The West Virginia Rugby Football Club

588-889: A mile and a half north-northwest, on a rise above the flood plain of the Monongahela River , was developed in the 1950s and 1960s to accommodate a growing student population since space for expansion was limited at the Downtown Campus. The Health Sciences Campus, in the same outlying area (but on the other side of a ridge), includes the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, the Erma Byrd Biomedical Research Facility, Ruby Memorial Hospital, Chestnut Ridge Hospital, Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, WVU Healthcare Physicians Office Center, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute , WVU Eye Institute, and

686-403: A new floor design. WVU Athletic Director Ed Pastilong also announced the construction of a new $ 20–$ 22 million practice facility to be built adjacent to the Coliseum. In 2016, the concourse area of the Coliseum underwent major renovation to enhance the fan experience, widening the concourse for better traffic flow, adding new concession areas (including self-serve options), and more than doubling

784-470: A new level of athletic success to start the new millennium. The football team featured a 3‑0 BCS bowl record, ten consecutive bowl game appearances, a #1 ranking in the USA Today Coaches' Poll , three consecutive 11‑win seasons amassing a 33–5 record, 41 consecutive weeks in the top 25, and 6 conference championships. The men's basketball team won the 2007 NIT Championship and

882-597: A part of a football uniform redesign by Coach Don Nehlen , and was adopted as the official logo for the university in 1983. While the "Flying WV" represents all university entities, unique logos are occasionally used for individual departments. Some examples include the script West Virginia logo for the WVU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the interlocking WV logo used in baseball. The official fight songs of West Virginia University are "Fight Mountaineers" and "Hail, West Virginia." "Hail, West Virginia."

980-436: A player's lounge and team video theater, expansion of the equipment and athletic training rooms, refurbishment of the Coliseum roof, and construction of a club seating area in the main arena complete with a private space for concessions, hospitality area, and rest rooms under the lower level seats. In 2008, the Coliseum received a new video scoreboard, a new public address system, a new lighting system, two LED ribbon boards, and

1078-615: A safe alternative to partying and has become one of the largest University-sponsored events, typically drawing crowds of 15,000 or more. The celebration has been highlighted by a series of evening concerts by renowned artists. A dance party, film festival, comedy show, and several indoor musical performances are also featured. Mountaineer Week is a celebration of WVU tradition and Appalachian heritage that began in 1947. Festivities have expanded to include competitions among WVU students, designed to honor school and state pride. A beard-growing competition introduced in 1949 has continued throughout

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1176-503: A special gold and blue basketball. The tradition died out in the 1960s, died out, but former Mountaineer player Gale Catlett reintroduced the carpet when he returned to Morgantown in 1978 as head coach of the men's basketball team. In a state that lacks professional sports franchises, the citizens of West Virginia passionately support West Virginia University and its athletics teams. West Virginia fans are nationally known for following their Mountaineers to bowl games and games throughout

1274-406: A total of 15 conference championships, including eight Southern Conference titles and seven Big East Conference titles. WVU sponsored men's golf from 1933 until dropping the sport in 1982. On July 1, 2013, then-WVU athletic director Oliver Luck announced that the sport would be reinstated in the 2015–16 school year. The Mountaineer golf program reached their first ever top 25 ranking back in

1372-624: A trend toward non-traditional university presidents by the Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed , but the Faculty Senate approved a vote of no confidence in the search that selected him. C. Peter McGrath was named interim president in August 2008. James P. Clements became WVU's 23rd president on June 30, 2009. He had previously served as provost at Towson University . On September 16, 2009, Michele G. Wheatly

1470-453: A variety of natural habitats in which several hundred species of native WV trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants may be found. Some of the large trees are likely over 200 years old. The university created WVU Alert, a text-based alert system for quickly disseminating emergency situations to faculty, staff, and students. WVU also uses LiveSafe, a smart phone application that enables users to anonymously report crimes or safety concerns, or to use

1568-572: A walkout and held rallies on Morgantown's Downtown and Evansdale campuses to show opposition to the proposal. Participants wore red in honor of the striking coal miners who fought in the Battle of Blair Mountain . The event was organized by the West Virginia United Students' Union , which began organizing in response to potential reductions and discontinuations while the program reviews were still in process. Shortly thereafter,

1666-600: Is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". According to the National Science Foundation , WVU spent $ 185.1 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 121st in the nation. WVU is affiliated with the Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, dedicated to the study of Alzheimer's and other diseases that affect the brain. WVU is also a leader in biometric technology research and

1764-421: Is 71.9% of applications received with an average entering student GPA of 3.42, an SAT super score of 1115 of 1600, and an ACT super score of 24 of 36. In the fall of 2020, the university relaxed its test score requirements for students applying for admission in response to the coronavirus pandemic . According to WVU assistant vice president of Enrollment Management George Zimmerman, if students are unable to take

1862-400: Is in reference to Washington & Jefferson College , an early rival. In addition to the official fight songs of West Virginia university, the fan response to West Virginia's official state song , " Take Me Home, Country Roads " by John Denver , has made "Country Roads" the unofficial song of the university (arrangement by Dr. James Miltenberger). The West Virginia University Alma Mater

1960-409: Is nicknamed "The Pride of West Virginia". The 390-member band performs at every home football game and makes several local and national appearances throughout the year. The band was the recipient of the prestigious Sudler Trophy in 1997. The Mountaineer mascot carries a period Musket and powder horn for firing a shot to signal the opening of several athletic events. The Mountaineer points the gun into

2058-793: Is one of only two designated Trauma I hospitals in the state. The West Virginia University Libraries encompasses seven libraries and the WVU Press, including the Downtown Campus Library, Evansdale Library, Health Sciences Library (Morgantown), Law Library, Health Sciences Library (Charleston), the Mary F. Shipper Library at Potomac State College in Keyser, the Beckley Library at the WVU Institute of Technology, and

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2156-560: The 2010 Big East championship , while appearing four times in the sweet sixteen, twice in the elite-eight, and once in the final-four of the NCAA tournament . The athletic successes brought the university a new level of national exposure, and enrollment has since increased to nearly 30,000 students. On April 24, 2008, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the university had improperly granted an MBA to Heather Bresch ,

2254-717: The Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball tournament in 1984 and 1988. During the 1998-99 season, the Jerry West Lounge, named for WVU and NBA Hall-of-Famer Jerry West , was formally dedicated. A display showcasing the highlights of the Mountaineer great flanks the entrance to the lounge. In November 2005, the University announced that a life size bronze statue of West would adorn the Blue Gate entrance of

2352-658: The Big 12 Conference . With a 712–471–45 record as of the conclusion of the 2013 season, WVU ranks 14th in victories among NCAA FBS programs , as well as the most victories among those programs that never claimed nor won a National Championship. WVU received Division I classification in 1973, becoming a Division I-A program from 1978 to 2006 and an FBS program from 2006 to the present. The Mountaineers have registered 80 winning seasons in their history, including one unbeaten season (10–0–1 in 1922 ) and five 11-win seasons ( 1988 , 1993 , 2005 , 2006 , 2007 ). The Mountaineers have won

2450-639: The Federal Bureau of Investigation . The program is accredited by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and is the official library holdings repository for the International Association for Identification . The program includes three main areas of emphasis, the examiner track, which specializes in crime scene investigation and comparison sciences, the biology track, which specializes in body fluids and DNA analysis, and

2548-464: The SAT or ACT, they will still be admitted to WVU as long as they have shown academic ability in other areas of their application. The policy is said to be in effect until spring 2023. West Virginia University is organized into 15 degree-granting colleges or schools and also offers an Honors College. WVU's forensics and investigative science program was originally created through a partnership with

2646-467: The U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency dubbed WVU one of the best workplaces for commuters. Each autumn, during Mountaineer Week celebrations, a special PRT car is placed in front of the Mountainlair student union where groups of students participate in the "PRT Cram" with the objective of squeezing in as many people as possible. A record of 97

2744-745: The Vance Farm was acquired for the West Virginia University Experiment Station. The Reymann Memorial Farm was given to West Virginia University in 1917 by the family of Anton Reymann of Wheeling in memory of Lawrence A. Reymann. The farm consisting of 990 acres located in Wardensville in Hardy County, comes until the Davis College of Agriculture. WVU was required to have a Cadet Corps under

2842-749: The West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley , Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser , and clinical campuses for the university's medical school at the Charleston Area Medical Center and Eastern Campus in Martinsburg . WVU Extension Service provides outreach with offices in all 55 West Virginia counties. Enrollment for the fall 2023 semester was 24,200 for

2940-803: The West Virginia and Regional History Center (the world's largest collection of West Virginia-related research material), is in the Wise Library on the Downtown Campus. Collections include the Appalachian Collection, Digital Collections, Government Documents, Map Collection, Myers Collection, Patent and Trademarks, Rare Books Collections, and Theses and Dissertations. West Virginia University libraries contain nearly 1.5 million printed volumes, 2.3 million microforms, more than 10,000 electronic journals, and computers with high-speed Internet access. The Evansdale Library supports

3038-471: The 20th century was optimistic, as the school constructed the first library in present-day Stewart Hall in 1902. The campus welcomed U.S. President William Howard Taft to the campus for WVU President Thomas Hodges's inauguration in 1911. On November 2, 1911, President Taft delivered the address "World Wide Speech", from the front porch of Purinton House . However, the university's efforts to attract more qualified educators, increase enrollment, and expand

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3136-733: The Academic Innovation Teaching and Learning Commons Sandbox. The university co-publishes the Labor Studies Journal with the United Association for Labor Education . FallFest welcomes students to the university by providing an evening of entertainment and musical performances traditionally held during the first week of the fall semester and traditionally at the Mountainlair Student Union . The event began in 1995 as

3234-733: The Biology Department, then convinced President Irvin Stewart to set the property aside for the study of biology and botany. In 1975 the Arboretum was named in Core's honor. The Arboretum is now managed by the WVU Department of Biology and consists of mostly old-growth forests on steep hillside and Monongahela River floodplain. It includes densely wooded areas with 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of walking trails, as well as 3 acres (12,000 m ) of lawn planted with specimen trees. The Arboretum has

3332-559: The Coliseum since opening in 1970. The previous court design was installed in 2009, but was repainted in 2012 when West Virginia University changed conferences from the Big East to the Big 12 in 2012. The new court returns to the theme of West Virginia's historic courts with a primarily blue color scheme, and the design coincides with WVU's school-wide Nike rebranding efforts. OVERALL: 549–159 (.776) West Virginia University Mountaineers The West Virginia Mountaineers are

3430-406: The Coliseum, and the statue has since been installed there. West ' s number is retired and a sign hangs over the seating section formerly designated Section 44 (now Section 236, after renovation) with "Jerry West 44" written on it. Hot Rod Hundley ' s number 33 also is retired and hangs from the walls. On February 29, 2020, the number 44 was retired again in honor of Rod Thorn , who had worn

3528-576: The Evansdale campus. In 1970 the WVU Coliseum , a basketball facility with a capacity of 14,000, opened near the new campus. As the facilities expanded, the university researched ways to move its growing student population across the split campuses and to solve its worsening traffic congestion. The resulting Personal Rapid Transit system opened in 1973 as the world's first automated rapid transit system. The student population continued to grow in

3626-537: The Federal Bureau of Investigation's lead academic partner in biometrics research. Freshman West Virginia resident applicants must have a 2.0 GPA and either an SAT super score of 990 of 1600 or an ACT super score of 19 of 36. For non-residents the requirements are a GPA of 2.5 and either a super score SAT 1060 or a super score ACT of 21. College and program admission requirements for first-time freshmen vary by program. The general freshman acceptance rate at WVU

3724-635: The Monongalia Academy of 1814, the Morgantown Female Academy of 1831, and Woodburn Female Seminary of 1858. Upon its founding, the local newspaper claimed that "a place more eligible for the quiet and successful pursuit of science and literature is nowhere to be found". The first campus building was constructed in 1870 as University Hall and was renamed Martin Hall in 1889 in honor of West Virginia University's first president,

3822-743: The Mylan Park Athletic Field Complex. The Mountaineers have been led by Head Coach Glover since spring of 2013. The West Virginia Cricket Club competes in American College Cricket . In 2019, the Mountaineers won the American College Cricket National Championship by defeating NJIT . The following year, the Mountaineers qualified for the 2020 National Championship tournament. However, due to COVID-19,

3920-617: The Rev. Alexander Martin of Scotland . After a fire destroyed the Woodburn Seminary building in 1873, the centerpiece of what is now Woodburn Hall was completed in 1876, under the name New Hall. The name was changed to University Building in 1878 when the College of Law was founded as the first professional school in the state of West Virginia. The precursor to Woodburn Circle was finished in 1893 when Chitwood Hall (then Science Hall)

4018-620: The Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. These schools grant doctoral and professional degrees in 16 different fields, as well as a variety of other Master's and Bachelor's degrees. For 2012 U.S. News & World Report ranked WVU's Medical School ninth in the United States for rural medicine . Also on the Health Sciences Campus is WVU's local teaching hospital, Ruby Memorial Hospital , which

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4116-639: The WVU Children's Hospital. The Health Sciences Campus is near Mountaineer Field , over a ridge from the Evansdale Campus. The Core Arboretum is a 91-acre (37 ha) arboretum owned by West Virginia University and on Monongahela Boulevard in Morgantown, West Virginia. It is open to the public daily without charge. The Arboretum's history began in 1948 when the university acquired its site. Professor Earl Lemley Core (1902–1984), chairman of

4214-872: The WVU Faculty Assembly approved a vote of " no confidence " in President Gordon Gee. The Morgantown campus comprises three sub-campuses. The original main campus, typically called the Downtown Campus, is in the Monongahela River valley on the fringes of downtown Morgantown. This part of the campus includes eight academic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places . The Downtown Campus comprises several architectural styles predominantly featuring red brick including Victorian Second Empire, Federal, Neoclassical, and Collegiate Gothic among others. The Evansdale Campus,

4312-424: The academic programs and research centered on the Evansdale Campus. The library holds materials in the disciplines of agriculture, art, computer science, education, engineering, forestry, landscape architecture, mineral resources, music, physical education, and theater. In addition to the collections, Evansdale Library is home to da Vinci's Cafe, an Information Technology Services Big Prints! poster printing lab, and

4410-483: The academic year. While not required, male mascots traditionally grow a beard. Jonathan Kimble, a Franklin, WV native (pictured) served his term as the 2012-2013 WVU Mountaineer. Each newly named Mountaineer will officially take over as the mascot at the annual spring football game. Designed by sports artist John Martin, The "Flying WV" is the most widely used logo in West Virginia athletics. It debuted in 1980 as

4508-409: The air with one arm and fires a blank shot, a signal to the crowd to begin cheering at home football and basketball games. The Mountaineer also fires the musket every time the team scores during football games. The Pride of West Virginia forms the outline of the state of West Virginia during the pregame show of all home Mountaineer football games. The outline of the state moves down the field during

4606-586: The athletic teams that represent West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia . The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I . The Mountaineers have been a member of the Big 12 Conference since 2012 . The men's soccer team now competes as an affiliate member in the Sun Belt Conference . Currently, WVU sponsors seven men's sports, ten women's sports, and one coeducational sport (rifle). Men's golf

4704-411: The building's restroom capacity. During the summer of 2020, the arena's original 1970-era seats were replaced. The re-seating project did not change the Coliseum's seating capacity. The arena also received a new video scoreboard, with a larger display area and higher resolution than the previous scoreboard. In 2019, the playing surface was refinished and repainted. The look is the sixth court design in

4802-485: The campus was hindered during a period that saw two World Wars and the Great Depression . With a heavy military influence in the university, many students left college to join the army during World War I , and the local ROTC was organized in 1916. Women's involvement in the war efforts at home led to the creation of Women's Hall dormitory, now Stalnaker Hall , in 1918. Despite its wartime struggles,

4900-476: The cars have constant contact with a separate electrified rail. Steam heating keeps the elevated guideway free of snow and ice. Although most students use the PRT, this technology has not been replicated at other sites for various reasons, including the high cost of maintaining the heated track system in winter. The PRT cars are painted in school colors (blue with gold trim) and feature the university name and logo on

4998-641: The celebration after the WVU basketball team won the Big East title. Fires have sometimes occurred in response to non-sporting events, such as following the announcement that Osama bin Laden had been killed. Much of this behavior has died down in recent years. West Virginia University West Virginia University ( WVU ) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia , United States. Its other campuses are those of

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5096-619: The chemistry track, which specializes in the chemical identification of seized drugs, fire debris, trace evidence and explosives. Facilities include four "crime-scene" houses, a vehicle processing garage, a ballistics laboratory, and numerous traditional laboratories and classrooms in Ming Hsieh Hall and Oglebay Hall. A separate Criminology & Investigative Sciences major was later added to the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Business and Economics also provides

5194-400: The country. West Virginia games also have received high TV ratings throughout the years. Men's basketball head coach Bob Huggins , a former Mountaineer basketball player who was born in Morgantown, stated that the "strong bond between the university and the people of West Virginia" is a relationship that is difficult for non-natives to understand. Former basketball player Da'Sean Butler cited

5292-498: The daughter of the state's governor Joe Manchin and an employee of Mylan , a pharmaceutical company whose then-chairman Milan Puskar was one of the university's largest donors. In the aftermath, the university determined Bresch's degree had been awarded without the prerequisite requirements having been met. They subsequently rescinded it, leading to the resignation of the president Michael Garrison , provost Gerald Lang, and business school dean Steve Sears. Garrison had been profiled as

5390-446: The event was canceled. Following the resumption of American College Cricket in 2022, it was decided that the 2020 tournament would be made up. The Mountaineers also qualified for the 2022 National Championship tournament and played in both tournaments during the same week. They went on to win both tournaments, defeating Arkansas State to be crowned 2020 national champions and Florida to become 2022 national champions. The Mountaineer

5488-511: The event's history. Participants must shave before the panel of judges that also chooses the winner at the end of the competition. The Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer competition has been included in Mountaineer Week since 1962, honoring one male and one female student who show "outstanding school spirit, academic excellence, and extracurricular involvement". The annual PRT Cram features the unique PRT system , where students compete to fit

5586-452: The fall semester in 2019 with their top 5 finish at the Gopher invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota. In April 2021, they were ranked in 76th place. In 2021, the Mountaineers claimed their third straight Mountaineer Invitational victory on April 13. During that same event, Mark Goetz won the individual tournament with a score of -12 (70-69-65). For rifle , the Mountaineers are

5684-585: The fan support as a factor in his decision to play for WVU, saying "everybody loves our school to death" in reference to the fan base in West Virginia. West Virginia fans have also been recognized for their hospitality. In the first football game played by the University of Connecticut following the death of Jasper Howard , a banner displayed at Mountaineer Field in the Connecticut entrance tunnel read "Today we are all Huskies". Connecticut fans described

5782-413: The fans lower and raise their arms three times while simultaneously yelling the initials "WVU". Then, the fans clap and signal to the end zone while cheering "first down!" In 1955, Fred Schaus and Alex Mumford devised the idea of rolling out an elaborate gold and blue carpet for Mountaineer basketball players to use when taking the court for pre-game warm-ups. In addition, Mountaineer players warmed up with

5880-560: The first game then taking place on 1 December 1970. The Coliseum was one of the sites for games of the 1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament . Other National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division I college basketball events it has hosted include the ECAC South Region tournament organized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) in 1975 and 1976 and

5978-401: The first head of WVU's new Department of Art. Of Hubbard's students was renowned Modernist Blanche Lazzell . Phi Kappa Psi was the first fraternity on campus, founded May 23, 1890, while Kappa Delta , the first sorority at WVU, was established in 1899. The first football team was formed in 1891, and the first basketball team appeared in 1903. The university's outlook at the turn of

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6076-755: The first institution in the world to establish a Bachelor of Science degree in Biometric Systems. In 2003 the university also founded the initial chapter of the Student Society for the Advancement of Biometrics (SSAB). The program, in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (LCSEE), provides a firm understanding of the underlying electrical engineering and computer engineering disciplines that support biometric applications. On February 6, 2008, WVU became

6174-432: The front. Inside, the seats are light beige fiberglass and the carpeting is blue. Each car has eight seats with an overall capacity of 20 people, including standing room. The National Society of Professional Engineers named the WVU PRT one of the top 10 engineering achievements of 1972, and in 1997 The New Electric Railway Journal picked the WVU PRT as the best people mover in North America (for 1996). In 2006

6272-416: The innovative Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system to link the campuses (Downtown, Evansdale, and Health Sciences) and reduce student traffic on local highways. Boeing began construction on the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system in 1972. The unique aspect that makes the system "personal" is that a rider specifies their destination when entering the system and, depending on the system load, the PRT can dispatch

6370-445: The late 1920s, with an unofficial process to select the Mountaineer through 1936. An official selection process began naming the mascot annually in 1937, with Boyd "Slim" Arnold becoming the first Mountaineer to wear the buckskin uniform. As male students left for World War II in 1941–42, women became more prominent in the university and surpassed the number of males on campus for the first time in 1943. Soldiers returning from

6468-411: The late 1970s, reaching 22,000. With no room for growth on the downtown campus, the football stadium was closed, and the new Mountaineer Field was opened near the Medical campus on September 6, 1980. Mountaineer Field would later be named Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. After an $ 8 million donation to the university, Ruby Memorial Hospital opened on the Medical campus in 1988, providing

6566-430: The main campus, while enrollment across all three non-clinical campuses was 26,791. The Morgantown campus offers more than 350 bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs throughout 13 colleges and schools, including that state's only law and dental schools. Faculty and alumni include 25 Truman Scholars, 47 Goldwater Scholars, 88 Gilman Scholars, 70 Fulbright Scholars, and 25 Rhodes Scholars . Under

6664-408: The maximum number of riders on a special-model PRT car with the windows removed. The record was set in 2000 when 97 students fit inside one PRT car. The Lighting of Woodburn Hall is an annual university ceremony held in early December to light historic Woodburn Hall for the holiday season. The event began in 1987 and is open to the public. Christmas carols are typically sung and donations are taken at

6762-403: The nation's top party schools , they also garnered national attention as solutions for reducing alcohol consumption and partying on college campuses across the country. In 2001, a $ 34 million, 177,000-square-foot (16,400 m ) recreation facility opened on the Evansdale campus, providing students with exercise facilities, recreational activities, and personal training programs. WVU reached

6860-434: The national academic leader for the FBI 's biometric research. WVU is also the founding site for the Center for Identification Technology Research (CITeR), focusing on biometrics and identification technology . CITeR maintains and develops collaborative relationships with other academic institutions to meet research needs. The Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center is on West Virginia University's Evansdale Campus and houses

6958-407: The number immediately after West; Thorn's sign hangs over Section 226. In 1999-2000, the school was forced to play a year of games split between Wheeling and Charleston , and the gymnasium at nearby Fairmont State University while asbestos was removed from the Coliseum. In 2004, the Coliseum underwent an upgrade which included renovations to the men's and women's locker rooms, construction of

7056-452: The playing of "Hail West Virginia", and the shape inverts to face the student side of the stadium when the crowd begins the "Let's Go...Mountaineers" chant. The "Let's Go...Mountaineers" cheer originated at home football games as a competition between opposite sides of the stadium. The student side of the stadium chants "Let's Go...", and the pressbox side responds "Mountaineers". The chant can continue for long periods of time, as each side of

7154-581: The removal of these obligations, students became active in extracurricular activities and established many of the school's first athletic and student organizations. The first edition of the student newspaper known as the Athenaeum , now The Daily Athenaeum , was published in 1887, and the West Virginia Law Review became the fourth-oldest law review in the United States when it was founded in 1894. In 1897, E. Eva Hubbard (1858–1947) became

7252-399: The space available on the original campus; therefore, the new site was nearly two miles north on what had been farmland. Beginning in the late 1950s the university experienced the most rapid period of growth in its history. In 1957, WVU opened a Medical Center on the new campus and founded the first school of dentistry in West Virginia. The basketball program reached a new level of success when

7350-428: The stadium tries to keep the chant from fading. The cheer has spread to other athletic events including basketball and soccer. Since the early 2000s, the "WVU First Down" cheer is used when fans are expecting a first down call during a football game. Prior to the announcement, fans put their arms in the air and yell while waiting for the call. After the announcer at Milan Puskar Stadium says, "First down, West Virginia,"

7448-484: The state accredited by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. The UPD has a sworn officer operations division, a central communication unit, a student cadet unit, investigations, K-9 teams and other support services. Officers have the same authority and powers as city and county police officers. Due to the distance between WVU's three campuses, the university built

7546-529: The state's first level-one trauma center. Early the next year, the undefeated Mountaineer football team, led by Major Harris , made it to the national championship game before losing to Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl . During the 1990s the university developed several recreational activities for students, including FallFest and WVU "Up All Night". While the programs were created to provide safe entertainment for students and to combat WVU's inclusion as one of

7644-467: The student sections, have developed a reputation for unruly behavior, being compared to "soccer hooligans" by GQ magazine. At some events, objects have been thrown onto the field or at opposing teams. There were previously also issues with small-scale fires, most notably of couches, being set after games; over 1,100 intentionally ignited street fires were reported from 1997 to 2003. The tradition of igniting furniture continues to this day, including

7742-556: The terms of the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act , the West Virginia Legislature created the Agricultural College of West Virginia on February 7, 1867, and the school officially opened on September 2 of the same year. On December 4, 1868, lawmakers renamed the college West Virginia University to represent a broader range of higher education. It built on the grounds of three former academies,

7840-477: The terms of the Morrill Act of 1862, which allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges . The United States Department of War —a predecessor of the U.S. Department of Defense —offered military equipment to the university at no charge, forming the basis of the school's Military Tactics department. The heavy military influence led to opposition of female enrollment that lasted through the first decade of

7938-563: The university admitted future 14‑time NBA All-Star and Hall of Fame player Jerry West , who led the team to the national championship game in 1959. As enrollment approached 14,000 in the 1960s, the university continued expansion plans by building the Evansdale Residential Complex to house approximately 1,800 students, the Mountainlair student union, and several engineering and the creative arts facility on

8036-403: The university established programs in biology , medicine , journalism , pharmacy , and the first mining program in the nation. In 1918, Oglebay Hall was built to house the expanded agriculture and forestry programs. Additionally, the first dedicated sports facilities were constructed including "The Ark" for basketball in 1918, and the original Mountaineer Field in 1925. Stansbury Hall

8134-404: The university's colors were selected. Additionally, the brighter gold is argued to create a more intimidating environment for sporting events. The university accepts "gold and blue" for the color scheme, but states clearly that the colors are not "blue and gold", to distinguish West Virginia from its rival school the University of Pittsburgh . The West Virginia University Mountaineer Marching Band

8232-403: The university's faculty and eliminate 32 major programs offered at its Morgantown campus was announced. These cuts will affect some humanities disciplines, including the entire Department of World Language, Literature and Linguistics, as well as some non-humanities programs, such as in pharmacy and engineering. Within the first week of fall classes, on August 21, 2023, hundreds of students staged

8330-543: The university. The trend changed in 1889 when ten women were allowed to enroll and seek degrees at the university. In June 1891, Harriet Lyon became the first (white) woman to receive a degree from West Virginia University, finishing first in the class ahead of all male students. Lyon's academic success supported the acceptance of women in the university as students and educators. During the university's early years, daily chapel services and roll call for all students were mandatory, limiting time for student recreation. Following

8428-431: The walk safe feature which allows the user to invite a friend to monitor their location while they walk. Additionally, there are 37, easily accessible, blue-lit towers housing emergency phones across the WVU campuses that automatically dial 911 in the event of an emergency. The West Virginia University Police Department (UPD) is the largest campus police department in the state and the only campus law enforcement agency in

8526-407: The war qualified for the G.I. Bill and helped increase enrollment to over 8,000 students for the first time, but the university's facilities were becoming inadequate to accommodate the surging student population. Preparation for the baby boomer generation and plans for curriculum expansion led to the purchase of land for the Evansdale and Medical campuses. The growth of downtown Morgantown limited

8624-443: The warmth of the environment as impressive, citing the number of WVU fans who offered condolences. In a letter to WVU, then UConn head football coach Randy Edsall wrote: "The response that you gave our team before and after the game was tremendous and greatly appreciated. The pregame moment of silence and team handshake was the most moving experience I have ever had in my 29 years of coaching football." Some WVU fans, primarily in

8722-414: Was actually designed with poor acoustics; the designers cupped the ceiling so that crowd noise generated at basketball games would be directed back to the floor. The seating at the venue was also designed for optimized viewing during sporting events, making the setup for concerts to be not as optimal as other large arenas. The first event held at the Coliseum was a Grand Funk Railroad concert in 1970, with

8820-492: Was adopted in 1890 as the official school mascot and unofficially began appearing at sporting events in 1936. A new Mountaineer is selected each year during the final two men's home basketball games, with the formal title "The Mountaineer of West Virginia University." The new Mountaineer receives a scholarship, a tailor-made buckskin suit with coonskin hat, and a period rifle and powder horn for discharging when appropriate and safe. The mascot travels with most sports teams throughout

8918-497: Was built in 1928 and included a new basketball arena named "The Fieldhouse" that held 6,000 spectators. Elizabeth Moore Hall , the woman's physical education building, was also completed in 1928. Men's Hall , the first dormitory built for men on campus, was built in 1935 and was funded in part by the Works Progress Administration . The Mountaineer mascot (based on the mountain man ) was adopted during

9016-454: Was composed by WVU alumni Earl Miller and Ed McWhorther in 1915 with lyrics by Fred B. Deem. The "Pride of West Virginia" Mountaineer Marching Band performs the second verse of "Hail, West Virginia" as part of its pregame performance at Mountaineer football games. The band's pregame arrangement of "Hail, West Virginia" was arranged by WVU's 7th band director - Dr. Budd Udell. The line "Others may be black or crimson, but for us it's Gold and Blue."

9114-424: Was composed in 1937, and is sung before every home football game. The upperclassmen of 1890 selected the official colors of "old gold and blue" from the West Virginia state seal. While the official school colors are old gold and blue, a brighter gold is used in official university logos and merchandise. This change in color scheme is often cited for the lack of a universal standard for colors during 19th century when

9212-505: Was constructed on the bluff's north side. In 1909 a north wing was added to University Building, and the facility was renamed Woodburn Hall. Throughout the next decade, Woodburn Hall underwent several renovations and additions, including the construction of the south wing and east tower (in 1930) housing the Seth Thomas clock. The three Woodburn Circle buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 1899,

9310-652: Was established in 1974, and is the oldest established club sport at WVU. In the fall of 2013, WVU won the Keystone Conference and qualified for the American Collegiate Rugby Championship, where they lost to Kutztown in the quarterfinals. In the spring of 2014, WVU reached the D1-AA national playoffs, where they defeated Princeton 41–24, but lost in the quarterfinals 34–14 to San Diego. The Mountaineers play their home games at

9408-409: Was named Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. In November 2013, James P. Clements was selected to be Clemson University's 15th president. E. Gordon Gee served as interim president and continues to serve as the president; this was Dr. Gee's second time in this role, having first served as president of WVU in 1981. On August 11, 2023, facing financial difficulties, a proposal to cut 7% of

9506-465: Was set in 2000. The PRT has become a cultural mainstay of the WVU campus. However, it is not without problems. One student was seriously injured in 2020 when a boulder collapsed onto the track, smashing a cart. Two more students had to be transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital . WVU has two divisional campuses: West Virginia University at Parkersburg , a primarily 2-year school, was a regional campus of WVU but has been independent since 2009. WVU

9604-525: Was the latest sport to be added in the 2015–16 school year. Football is the most popular sport at WVU. The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of college football . West Virginia plays its home games at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium on the campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia . The Mountaineers compete in

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