West Virginia unveils new coal mining-inspired uniforms for 2024 season

The West Virginia equipment room certainly knows how to get fans fired up heading into the 2024 campaign. The Mountaineers unveiled some new football uniforms on Thursday evening, designed to pay homage to the state’s rich coal tradition.

They’re also made to “honor miners who work underground daily to supply energy around the world,” according to a press release issued on the West Virginia website.

There’s plenty more information and details on the uniforms in the pictures and press release below.

“Our staff did a great job with the design and rollout of our traditional complement of uniforms last week. But we wanted to have an alternate that our student-athletes would enjoy and would connect with West Virginians,” WVU Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said in the press release.

“If our football team was going to have a black alternate uniform, we wanted it to tell a story and it mean something to our fans. Every design element of the uniform has been researched, carefully thought out and implemented based on what our designers observed on their visit to the mine. Coal mining has a deep history in West Virginia, and the work ethic of coal miners is woven into the fabric of our culture. Our football team looks forward to honoring the rich tradition and history of West Virginia’s coal mining industry, and we are thankful to all our staff members who contributed to the design and implementation of these uniforms.”

West Virginia will open up their 2024 season with the Penn State Nittany Lions. That one will take place on Saturday, August 31st.

The Mountaineers had an impressive season this year, rolling out to a 9-4 overall record, including a 6-3 record in the Big 12. They capped the season off with a 30-10 thrashing of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 27th.

They had a big win over their rivals, the Pittsburgh Panthers, in the 2023 version of the Backyard Brawl. West Virginia pulled that one out 17-6. Running back C.J. Donaldson carried the rock for 102 yards to propel them to victory. He finished with 798 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, letting everyone know he’s one of the best tailbacks in the Big 12.