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Governor Manchin Hopes Coal Bowl Will Continue

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Posted: 1:32 PM Dec 12, 2007
Last Updated: 2:02 PM Dec 12, 2007
Reporter: Anna Baxter
Email Address: anna.baxter@wsaz.com

23 comments

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WVU's new President told a local newspaper he is not in favor of continuing the coal bowl football series between the Mountaineers and Marshall, but he has an opponent in that opinion: West Virginia's Governor.

Governor Joe Manchin pushed the two sides to agree to a series of football games. The rivalry started up again two years ago.

West Virginia University has won both games.

Now, WVU's President Mike Garrison told the Charleston Daily Mail he can't think of a way to make it financially feasible to do a home and home series with Marshall past the commitment to 2012.

Governor Joe Manchin told us that he hopes Garrison reconsiders. He says the two may have a difference of opinion, but it's a great series for the state and he would like to see it continue indefinitely.

The Governor says the game showcases what West Virginia football teams have to offer and we still have several years to go before the Coal Bowl is back on the bargaining table.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: ella on Dec 17, 2007 at 08:28 AM
to Dave - for someone who doesn't care you sure write a lot of trash.

Posted by: Joe on Dec 16, 2007 at 10:44 PM
Maybe WVU should try and schedule Michigan, oh wait, that must be a real program. I bet they look down their noses at WVU just like you do at Marshall.

Posted by: Ella on Dec 15, 2007 at 10:50 AM
It's a money thing people - and it's still just a game. WVU loses money when it plays in Huntington - fact. Get over yourselves - all of you.

Posted by: Wal Mart Honker on Dec 14, 2007 at 10:48 AM
WVU doesn't need to play Marshall to look bad, they look bad enough losing to Pitt!!!

Posted by: Football Fan on Dec 14, 2007 at 10:28 AM
It can't be good for either team because someone has to lose. We West Virginians actual dream of both teams having perfect seasons.

Posted by: Mike on Dec 14, 2007 at 09:23 AM
Why does it really matter neither team is that great. Marshall has been rotten for quite a while and WVU gets close to the title game and they choke as always. I would rather watch paint dry then watch this two teams play each other I mean its like WVU is going to do anything when White and company leave and as far as the Herd they need to get some players before they do anything.

Posted by: dave on Dec 14, 2007 at 08:59 AM
Get the facts WVU people, There were way more MU fans than you. WVU fans didn't buy up "all the tickets", there's only a certain amount alloted to WVU. Who cares about your school anyways? Did any of you so-called "eer fans" even go to college? No. So why you guys all upset over Marshall? You're only WVU fans because the schools named after the state you live in. I love how all the eer fans come out of the hollars during a winning season, and act like they been there the whole time. I haven't seen many blue and gold shirts since the loss to Pitt.... Can you say fair weather fans?? If WVU doesn't play Marshall, who will they get? Appalachian State? Oh wait, they're too good for your weak schedule. Here's an idea: If you didn't go to WVU, don't act like you know everything about college football. Pull out the old high school trophys, and relive your "glory days."

Posted by: Daryl on Dec 14, 2007 at 08:51 AM
How many times will we have to play the blundering herd and listen to them cry and moan after we stomp them into the ground, we hear them say: WVU fans are some mean and they "booed us" well if you don't like it, stay home with your green, we do not like being forced to play a team who we can't stand. Don't be seen wearing any green!

Posted by: Bob on Dec 14, 2007 at 12:44 AM
Wait, who are they? MARSHALL!!! Most teams play at least two totally terrible teams in a year, Marshall isn't so bad. Give people a reason to wear green sweatshirts to Bob Evans on the weekend, being Marshall fans, they don't have anything else.

Posted by: ok on Dec 13, 2007 at 11:40 PM
wvu thinks they can play with oklahoma? oklahoma will score 56 pts. against that defense

Posted by: Anonymous on Dec 13, 2007 at 11:36 PM
oklahoma will beat the Shi* out of wvu. wvu is overrated, it shows everytime they play a "top team"

Posted by: Justin on Dec 13, 2007 at 10:02 PM
Lets think about this for a minute, Marshall filled their stadium only one time this year(even heard fans complaining that there were too many WVU fans there) and WVU was packed all but one game...Go to ebay and see how many season ticket packages from MU were on sale without the WVU game, I dont think it is suprising that not many sold!! sorry herd fans but i think this game needs to be ended.

Posted by: DANNY on Dec 13, 2007 at 08:44 PM
WHY WOULD WVU WANT TO PLAY A TOUGHER SCHEDULE? THEN THEY COULDN'T PRETEND THEY WERE A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM LIKE THEY USUALLY DO. FACE IT IF THEY WANTED TO PLAY BETTER TEAMS THEY WOULD. THEY KNOW IF MARSHALL WINS THEN THEY CAN'T PRETEND TO BE CONTENDERS AND SELL OUT THEIR STADIUM. FOR YEARS THE KNOCK ON MARSHALL WAS THEY DIDN'T PLAY ANYBODY. NOW THEY HAVE A TOUGHER SCHEDULE THAN WVU AND THAT BOTHERS PEOPLE. WVU DID WHAT IT DOES EVERY OTHER YEAR THEY ARE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP PICTURE THEY CHOKE. THEN THEY GO TO A BOWL GAME AND GET KILLED. IF THEY WERE IN THE SEC THEY WOULD BE A 6-6 TEAM AND SLATON WOULD HAVE MISSED 6 GAMES BECAUSE IF HE IS LOSING HE IS HURT. THANK GOD FOR PAT WHITE WHO HAS HEART AND CLASS. YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT ONE THING THOUGH THE JOE SHOULD BE WORKING ON OTHER THINGS THAN FOOTBALL. HE SHOULD BE WORKING ON GETTING MARSHALL THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT HE GIVES TO WVU SINCE THEY HAVE MORE WV STUDENTS THAN WVU.

Posted by: Randy Hunt on Dec 13, 2007 at 01:49 PM
Football man: "Both schools benefit from this game..." Really??? You're trying to tell us that both schools need each other to sell out a game? You're kidding? So why did WVU pack the stadium every week this year? Because we play Marshall? I don't think so. WVU practically sells out every game because of how we play, not who we play. We do not "need" to play Marshall to sell out our stadium. But Marshall "needs" WVU to sell out theirs. Let's be honest - Marshall season tickets hit records sales for the past two years. Why? Because they played WVU. And Marshall made sure that you had to buy season tickets last year in order to purchase them this past year. A lot of WVU fans bought Marshall SEASON TICKETS for the past two years! So, WVU has help fund Marshall's program. Don't try to sell this game as benefiting both teams equally. That's an enormous misstatement. Governor, we beg you to stay out of this game. You're punishing WVU by pushing this match up.

Posted by: Paul on Dec 13, 2007 at 08:33 AM
You'd think the Governor of the Nation's poorest state would have other things about which to concern himself than finding photo ops and interfering with the workings of colleges. West Virginia's athletic program is self supporting, and they have to do what is best for themselves. They have no responsibility to support Marshall athletics. In a classic case of give an inch and they demand a mile, Marshall is now pushing for even more concessions. The game, if played at all, should not be played in Huntington. At any event, whether or not it is played should be up to those who run West Virginia University.

Posted by: Randy Hunt on Dec 12, 2007 at 10:43 PM
PLEASE, Governor! Please stay out of the football business at WVU. Why do you want to try and force the hand for this coal bowl. If you're a Mountaineer fan, you must realize that this is a loose-loose situation for WVU.

Posted by: tyler on Dec 12, 2007 at 10:29 PM
why don't WVU just agree to this deal, just think about Marshall and WVU playing every year with a home and home series it would be cool if the do it

Posted by: Football man on Dec 12, 2007 at 09:06 PM
If I were Marshall, I would not renew the series unless it was a home and home schedule like it should have been this time. That is the ONLY fair way to do it. The only reason Garrison does not want to continue this is ALL the games ARE NOT played up there. They ( WVU ) always wants to make sure they have the advantage, as if 10,000 more students, more support from state funds, and millions of $$ more in athletic budget to work with, isn't enough already. I got news for you, MU is only a year or two away from catching back up to WVU in talent as MU was in the late 90's and early 2000's. You think this years Pitt loss was embarrassing, just wait cause it's gonna happen. Both schools benefit from this game, it is and will always be a sellout no matter where it is played. I don't think ticket demand would be so much if WVU scheduled another MAC team or 1-AA team in the place of MU, think about that!

Posted by: Mike on Dec 12, 2007 at 08:36 PM
Way to go Mr. Garrison. This series does nothing for WVU. And to Joe Manchin,you need to keep your nose in things that matter,what a sorry Gov.

Posted by: Jon on Dec 12, 2007 at 03:44 PM
WVU says weak games like these make them look bad, but in reality what makes them look bad is getting their butts kicked in these "weak games." Marshall almost beat them when they were at their peak, what would the excuse have been then? White didn't hurt is thumb in that game! OH WHAT NOW!?!

Posted by: JD on Dec 12, 2007 at 03:15 PM
Thank God Garrison has some sense. This MU series is ridiculous and only benefits Marshall. We could get any other opponent in DI and it would enhance our schedule better than Marshall would. If MU had a decent program right now then it might be ok but they won't and especially as long as Snyder is there. They are still WVU's little brother and always will be. Go 'Eers in the bowl game. Good luck in your too Marshall, oh wait if they take the Coal Bowl away you all will never go to a bowl again. Have fun at home watching us in Glendale.

Posted by: dave on Dec 12, 2007 at 02:20 PM
I guess WVU will have to put another I-AA school on there schedule, or another weak Big Least team........ Since most of WVU students are from out of state anyways, why play a game that benefits WV as a state?

Posted by: john on Dec 12, 2007 at 01:44 PM
Hey Joe, you put you buddy Ted Mattern on the WVU's Board, maybe he can pull a few strings. He is good at it, that is all he has ever done.........

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