Post by cviller on Sept 5, 2007 15:17:40 GMT -5
By Jack Bogaczyk
Daily Mail Sports Editor
DUST from the Coal Bowl:
When West Virginia University got a strong-arming from Gov. Joe Manchin into a seven-game state series through 2012 with Marshall, the Mountaineers gritted their teeth behind long faces.
Well, I've discovered another reason for that, one that isn't on the surface.
When WVU visits Huntington for a football game for the first time since 1915 on Saturday, ESPN2 will televise the morning kickoff -- and the Mountaineers get nothing but national exposure from it.
Under the Big East Conference's telecast distribution plan from its $8 million contract with ESPN, league members do not receive an appearance fee for a road game if it isn't against a Bowl Championship Series conference member or Notre Dame.
Hence, the Mountaineers get nada for visiting Marshall, but according to the Big East plan, will pocket $76,433 for its road game eight nights from now at ACC member Maryland.
Marshall shouldn't get too giddy about this development, either. The Herd gets no extra TV bucks for playing host to WVU or anyone else on a Saturday, through the Conference USA telecast guidelines.
C-USA has a 10-game contract (league home dates) with the ESPN networks for about $3.7 million annually (through 2010). Saturday appearances simply fall under the conference's 12-team distribution plan for football and basketball monies (bowls and NCAA Tournament units included). Marshall received a $1.3 million overall C-USA revenue payment for 2006-07.
While the oh-so-rare WVU date in Huntington won't pay Marshall extra TV fees, their two October dates on the ESPN networks will provide a bit more because C-USA sweetens the deal when you play non-Saturday games.
Marshall will get a $25,000 payment as a road player on a Tuesday telecast at Memphis, then pick up $100,000 as the host for a Sunday night C-USA visit by Southern Mississippi.
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THE MOUNTAINEERS may not have played in Huntington since 1915, but WVU has traversed some of the geography of the state en route to gridiron glory. The notion that West Virginia hasn't played in the state outside of Morgantown since that ‘15 trip to Huntington is wrong.
WVU's last in-state games outside Nehlenville came in 1953-55 at Bluefield (Virginia Tech once, VMI twice), and 1949 in Charleston, a victory over Washington & Lee. WVU often played the Generals at Laidley Field.
West Virginia's last outing on another in-state campus came in the 1937 opener in Buckhannon, a victory over West Virginia Wesleyan. That 8-1-1 WVU team made it to the Sun Bowl and beat Texas Tech.
In 1935, WVU blanked Davis & Elkins in Elkins. The Mountaineers also have played in Wheeling, Parkersburg, Clarksburg and Fairmont (neutral sites against various foes) prior to ‘35.
Against state collegiate opponents, WVU is 57-6-4 all time -- four losses to Wesleyan and two to D&E. The Mountaineers haven't lost to a state foe since a 13-6 home setback to D&E on Sept. 28, 1929.
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MANY FOLKS who already have taken a Mountain State dirt nap would probably remember this, but it might be news to plenty who are still standing:
WVU and Marshall were in the same conference the last time the teams played in River City.
The West Virginia Athletic Association originated in 1913. It was a 12-team conference, and a forerunner of today's West Virginia Conference. Marshall and WVU were in the league, as was New River State (now WVU Tech) and Morris Harvey (now the University of Charleston) among others.
The WVAA didn't last past World War I -- the war to end all wars, and obviously at least one college conference, too.
