MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After a brief summer hiatus, the Gold & Blue Lunch Report returns for the debut of Mountaineers football 2016.
With a video assist from Gene Wilder, we check out the recent season-ticket numbers, which have dipped dramatically since West Virginia’s 2012 peak of 37,341. (That year provided a perfect storm for fan demand, thanks to the Orange Bowl surge and WVU entering a new league with a juiced-up offense.)
While season ticket packages may never be that hot again, the five-year slide looks a bit alarming:
2016: 27,400 ($395 for seven home games)
2015: 28,837 ($395 for seven home games)
2014: 29,553 ($365 for six home games)
2013: 33,623 ($365 for six home games)
2012: 37,341 ($395 for seven home games)
It’s risky to trace a direct line from ticket sales to the head coach, though that’s exactly the line ex-AD Oliver Luck drew while transitioning from Bill Stewart to Dana Holgorsen in December 2010.