MAC postponement could have lasting effects on West Virginia

Following closely behind numerous FCS conferences, the Mid-American Conference became the first FBS league to suspend fall sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision, announced Saturday, was not one that commissioner Jon Steinbrecher made in haste, but it is one that he knows could have a lasting impact.

“It is a decision that affects roughly 2,500 student-athletes who live for the moment to compete,” Steinbrecher said in a statement. “Those opportunities and moments are fleeting, and our student-athletes have a limited window in which to showcase their talent, passion, and drive for excellence.”

So, where does West Virginia stand in all of this? Well, start with the roster.

With 12 MAC teams currently sidelined in the fall, that leaves hundreds of football players alone that are weighing the pros and cons of taking their talents elsewhere. Plenty of them could step in and contribute for a Power 5 program — just ask Jarret Doege, who transferred to WVU from Bowling Green last year and was taking snaps under center by season’s end.

Head coach Neal Brown might not even have to go that far to scour talent. Dontae Wright, hired this offseason as a defensive assistant, spent the last two seasons on the coaching staff at Western Michigan.

While the postponement could benefit the depth charts of many programs, there is also the notion that schedules may be harmed. The domino effect of conferences suspending fall sports didn’t start with the MAC, and it very well may continue in the coming weeks.

As it currently stands, West Virginia is holding firm in taking on nine Big 12 foes with non-conference opponent Eastern Kentucky rounding out the 10-game schedule. However, EKU is one of the few remaining FCS programs that is left standing as eight of the 13 FCS conferences have decided to move their seasons to the spring.

If the FCS, or at least Eastern Kentucky and the Ohio Valley Conference, were to be shut out entirely from fall competition, the MAC’s decision would severely limit West Virginia’s ability to fill that lone non-conference spot in its schedule.

The Big 12 announced the details of this year’s scheduling earlier this week, declaring that member schools must host a non-conference opponent on their home field. Scheduling rules have essentially made any P5 opponent for WVU out of the question, leaving the school to pick from a host of Group of 5 programs if the FCS opts out. No other G5 programs have suspended fall sports yet, but it is entirely possible that the field of potential opponents could drastically shrink.

Along with most of the NCAA, West Virginia is expected to open its football season in the coming weeks. Yet, it is still not really clear what that season will look like. While the MAC’s decision to opt out of fall football may be troublesome, it also shows nothing is off the table in this time of uncertainty.

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