WEST VIRGINIA NAMED BEST ATHLETIC PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY IN 2025
In a year that will go down as legendary in the annals of collegiate athletics, West Virginia University (WVU) has been officially named the best overall athletic program in the country for 2025. The Mountaineers shattered expectations and rewrote record books, becoming the only school in the nation to achieve an unprecedented feat: winning a national championship, reaching the Women’s College World Series (WCWS), advancing to the Final Four in men’s basketball, playing in a bowl game, and qualifying for the NCAA baseball regional—all in the same academic year.
The crown jewel of WVU’s 2025 athletic campaign was its football national championship. Under head coach Neal Brown, the Mountaineers completed a dream season, finishing 14-1 after a dramatic 34-31 overtime victory over Michigan in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Quarterback Garrett Greene delivered a performance for the ages, throwing for 310 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the game-winning strike to freshman phenom Jaheim Wilson in the first possession of OT. WVU’s swarming defense, led by linebacker Lee Kpogba and All-American safety Aubrey Burks, sealed the win with a fourth-down stop that sent Mountaineer Nation into euphoria.
On the softball diamond, the Mountaineer women stormed through the postseason to secure a place in the Women’s College World Series for the first time in program history. Coach Amanda Lehotak’s squad, anchored by ace pitcher Sadie Martin (who threw four complete games in the tournament), stunned SEC powers LSU and Florida on their path to Oklahoma City. WVU’s gritty, small-ball approach and relentless baserunning made them one of the most exciting teams to watch during the WCWS.
Meanwhile, men’s basketball under coach Bob Huggins—returning from retirement for a celebrated final run—surprised the college hoops world. The Mountaineers clawed their way to the Final Four, powered by the sharpshooting of senior guard Erik Stevenson II and the rebounding dominance of sophomore forward Malik Ajayi. The buzzer-beating win over Kansas in the Elite Eight sparked celebrations across Morgantown, with Huggins calling the win “the proudest moment of my coaching career.”
Not to be outdone, the baseball team punched its ticket to the NCAA regional tournament, marking its third straight postseason appearance. Led by head coach Randy Mazey in his final season before retirement, WVU finished 39-18 and took down ranked teams like Texas and Oklahoma State during the regular season. Sophomore slugger Carter Young led the Big 12 in home runs and was named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award.
Capping the year, WVU’s football team also appeared in the Sugar Bowl before the playoff, making them the only program to participate in both a New Year’s Six bowl and the national title game in the same season since the CFP era began.
From the turf to the hardwood to the diamond, West Virginia became a symbol of grit, heart, and determination. Morgantown was no longer just a college town—it became the epicenter of American collegiate sports. The chant “Let’s Go… Mountaineers!” echoed across the nation in 2025—and rightly so.
