West Virginia Football Team Returns to Campus with Phased Plan

Welcome, By-Godders, to The Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU’s best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor, and daily distractions.

Football

WVU Football Set for Phased Return

With the country and state starting to reopen from the COVID-19 pandemic, the West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has initiated a phased approach to bringing its football staff and student-athletes back to campus. Protocols for screening, distancing, cleaning, and sanitation have been set for Phase 1, which will occur June 8-22 for coaches and staff and June 15-29 for Mountaineer football players.

Lyons Optimistic That Fall Return Is On The Right Track

West Virginia University director of athletics Shane Lyons is a bit reluctant to make concrete statements about the likelihood of a college football season this fall. But Lyons will say that he is very optimistic that games will be played this season, and most others are agreeing with him as multiple leagues prepare to restart across the sports world.

WVU creative teams collect honors for video, schedule poster

The West Virginia football creative teams have collected a pair of honors for their introduction video and schedule poster. The poster took home the Bronze award in the Division 1 Promotional Schedule Poster category at the 2019-20 National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators “Best Of” Awards. The football intro video also was voted among the top five in the “Best Of” Division I Intro Video category.

Mountaineer Memories: Brady’s Two Legs Better Than One in 2006 Sugar Bowl

The Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College is playing classic West Virginia football radio broadcasts from recent history. Today’s replay is WVU’s 38-35 victory over eighth-ranked Georgia in the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl played in the Georgia Dome.

Graduate transfer kicker/punter announces commitment to West Virginia

Tyler Sumpter, a kicker and punter at Troy, announced Sunday that he has committed to transfer to West Virginia. Sumpter, who will be listed as a senior this fall, made the announcement with a great video on Twitter to declare his commitment.

Huge Georgia DL Commits to Mountaineers

West Virginia has secured its ninth pledge in the 2021 class with Georgia defensive lineman Brayden Dudley. Dudley is a 6’3”, 250-pound defensive end who shows great burst off the ball and the ability to bring down the running back.

Basketball

West Virginia Women’s Basketball to Host Tennessee in 2020 Big 12/SEC Women’s Challenge

The Big 12 and SEC have revealed the matchups for the 2020 Big 12/SEC Women’s Challenge. The West Virginia women’s basketball team will host Tennessee at WVU Coliseum during the 2020-21 season. This is one of the most prominent non-conference matchups ever for the Mountaineers.

West Virginia Athletics

Outfield transfer from Wofford commits to West Virginia

Hudson Byorick, an outfielder from Wofford, has announced that he is committed to transfer to West Virginia. Byorick, who was a senior this spring, will have one year of eligibility remaining. During the past two seasons at Wofford, Byorick also started in 77 games.

2020 Class Ranks No. 29 Nationally by TRN

The West Virginia tennis team’s 2020 signing class ranks #29 nationally, according to Tennis Recruiting Network. The class ranking at #29 marks the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history. This year’s class is also the third best in the Big 12 Conference.

Abdalah, Hill Earn Academic All-District Recognition

Redshirt senior Olivia Hill and redshirt sophomore Marianne Abdalah of the West Virginia cross country and track and field teams have been named to the 2019-20 Academic All-District II Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team.

Butts Welcomes Muhammad Back to West Virginia

West Virginia gymnastics coach Jason Butts has announced the hiring of former Mountaineer NCAA All-American Zaakira Muhammad as an assistant coach. Muhammad was as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan last season.

Best Virginia gains Butler, loses Williams as TBT squad falls into place

Da’Sean Butler has announced that he will be participating in TBT with the WVU men’s basketball alumni team, Best Virginia. Butler played with Best Virginia in 2019, averaging 6.5 points and 1 rebound in both of the team’s contests. Devin Williams also announced that he will be abandoning the Best Virginia team to compete with another team in TBT.

Around the Big 12

OU’s Nichols and Hurts Selected as Big 12 Athletes of the Year

Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts and gymnast Maggie Nichols were named the 2019-20 Big 12 Athletes of the Year. Hurts, who was the Heisman Trophy runner-up this past football season, is the fourth OU male athlete in the last five seasons to earn this award. This is also the third time the Sooners have swept the awards in the last five years.

Big 12 Announces 2019-20 Sportspersons of the Year

Andrew Jones of the Texas men’s basketball team and Jaci Jones from the Oklahoma State women’s soccer team have been selected as the 2019-20 Big 12 Sportspersons of the Year. The award recognizes student-athletes who displayed an extraordinary degree of sportsmanship, community service, and academic achievement.

Big 12 announces updated student-athlete activities policy

The Big 12 Conference has announced its new student-athlete activities policy which replaces the guidelines put in place through May 31. Virtual and in-person institutional camps and clinics with individuals are prohibited through August 31.

Big 12 revenue distribution decreases by about $1 million

The Big 12 Conference has announced its final revenue distribution numbers for the fiscal year, and that revenue distribution has decreased by about $1 million. Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said the Big 12 has distributed an average of $37.7 million to its 10 member institutions over the course of the fiscal year.

Around the NCAA

NCAA council votes to extend recruiting dead period through July 31 for all sports

It is going to be a while until coaches can speak with prospective recruits. The NCAA Division I Council Coordination Committee has once again voted to extend the recruiting dead period for all sports, this time through July 31.

Every SEC East team’s worst loss

Every fan can recall the times their team was on the wrong end of an upset or a heartbreaking loss. Here are the worst losses since 1980 for every SEC East team. The games were evaluated based on the stakes, the opponent quality, and other qualities.

What to expect from the Premier League’s restart

The Premier League is set to return on June 17 after suspending its season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Every team has played either 28 or 29 of the 38 matches on their schedule and there is a lot riding on the remaining matches.

Have any tips, suggestions or requests for what you want to see in The Shotgun/Throwdown? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or contact us on social media.

Follow us!

Twitter: @smokingmusket

Facebook: The Smoking Musket