HISTORY MADE: WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS CLAIM NATION’S NO. 1 SPOT IN BOTH AP AND COACHES POLLS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER
In a moment that will forever be etched into the history of West Virginia athletics, the Mountaineers have officially climbed to the pinnacle of college football, earning the No. 1 ranking in both the AP and Coaches Polls for the first time in program history. For a fan base that has endured decades of heartbreak, close calls, and near misses, this accomplishment feels like the breaking of dawn after a long night in the mountains.
Morgantown is alive with jubilation. Students flooded High Street the moment the announcement broke, waving blue-and-gold flags and chanting the words every Mountaineer dreams of hearing: “We’re No. 1!” The entire state of West Virginia, often overlooked on the national stage, is basking in the glow of validation — a recognition that its football program has not only entered the national conversation but now stands atop it.
Yet amid the excitement, the voices of leadership are calling for measured restraint. Head Coach Neal Brown, who has guided this program with patience, resilience, and vision, reminded reporters that the journey is far from complete. “Rankings in October don’t win championships in January,” Brown warned, urging his players and fans to keep their eyes fixed on the ultimate prize: a national championship trophy.
Quarterback Garrett Greene echoed his coach’s sentiment, reminding Mountaineer Nation that while history has been made, history is also still to be written. Greene’s poise, passion, and playmaking have been central to WVU’s meteoric rise this season, but he knows the biggest tests are still ahead.
For now, though, this moment belongs to West Virginia. It belongs to the coal miners who worked long shifts only to pack Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturdays. It belongs to alumni who carried their Mountaineer pride across the country. It belongs to every fan who believed that one day — no matter how long it took — West Virginia would rise to the top.
History has been made. The question now is: can the Mountaineers finish the climb?
