MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As the calendar turns to 2024, here are 11 questions in the WVU, Marshall and West Virginia High School sports scenes.
Can the Morgantown basketball teams sweep state titles once again? Will there be three-peats in Charleston?
Boys and girls basketball state title sweeps are rare and “double repeats” are even more infrequent. In March, Morgantown High School has a chance to secure back-to-back state titles for their boys and girls teams.
The MHS boys are seeking a third consecutive title. The Mohigans began their latest championship defense with six consecutive victories before suffering their first loss to an in-state opponent since 2021, with a defeat at Spring Mills on December 30.
Under second year head coach Doug Goodwin, the Morgantown girls are off to a 7-0 start. That record includes a 72-63 win over last year’s Class AAAA runner-up Wheeling Park. Those two teams will meet again in Wheeling on January 23.
The Fairmont Senior boys, James Monroe boys and Cameron girls are all seeking three-peats. FSHS is off to a 7-0 start. James Monroe is 3-2 with a younger roster. Cameron (4-4) has challenged themselves against some of the best Class AAA & AAAA teams in the state in December.
 
Can Neal Brown and the Mountaineers keep momentum from a 9-win season?
What began with a 14th place prediction in the Big 12 preseason media poll ended with excessive amounts of mayo poured on top of Neal Brown. The WVU football team concluded the most successful season under Brown with a 9-4 record, a 30-10 victory over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, and a fourth place finish in the Big 12.
As the Mountaineers pivot to 2024, West Virginia will play seven home games (one more than in 2023). Two of their road games will be short road trips to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Five of their nine Big 12 opponents (Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech) are coming off bowl victories.
Although roster changes can still happen before the season opener against Penn State, Brown is set to welcome back his leading passer (Garrett Greene), top two rushers (CJ Donaldson and Jahiem White), and four of their top five receivers (Hudson Clement, Kole Taylor, Preston Fox and Traylon Ray).
Expectations will be elevated within the program and among the WVU fanbase in 2024.
 
Can Jack Cook Field provide a boost for the Marshall baseball program?
As Greg Beals enters his second season leading the Marshall baseball program, the Thundering Herd will have a brand new park in Huntington to call their own. After years of trekking to Charleston to play their Conference USA and Sun Belt Conference games, Jack Cook Field is set to host the home opener for the Herd on March 1 against Manhattan.
Marshall went 16-37 last season.
 
What will the new high school football playoff setup look like?
On December 20, the WVSSAC officially approved installation of a fourth class for baseball, cheer, football, softball and volleyball starting in the 2024-2025 academic year.
The 2024 football playoffs will feature 64 playoff teams. 112 schools are expected to field football teams next fall. The newest classification — Class AAAA — contains 25 teams. The new configuration, coupled with the recent changes to the playoff formula that rewards teams that play tougher schedules, could create some unique opening-round matchups.
Of note, Capital went 3-7 in 2023. Playing a difficult MSAC schedule, the Cougars finished 19th in the final ratings. It is not unprecedented for teams with losing records to qualify for the playoffs. The number could be greater this year in the largest classification.
In the “new” Class AAA, state runner-up Princeton and semifinalist Bridgeport will no longer compete in the largest football classification. Two-time Class A defending champion Williamstown is moving up to Class AA. Of the 28 football schools set to compete in the “new” Class AA, only 11 qualified for the playoffs in 2023. Just nine of the new “Class A” schools were postseason teams last fall.
 
Where is the ceiling for the WVU women’s basketball team?
12 wins in 12 games have led to a spot in the AP Top 25, a Top 25 ranking in the NCAA NET and a surge of interest for the WVU women’s basketball team. First-year head coach Mark Kellogg has blended a mix of veterans and incoming transfers to a 12-0 start, which includes a Big 12-opening win at Kansas and a win over No. 25 Penn State.
A dynamic backcourt that features All-Big 12 guard JJ Quinerly and Stephen F. Austin transfer Jordan Harrison has paced an offense that is 16th in the NCAA in scoring average at 82.9 points per game.
 
Can a city outbid Wheeling for the WVSSAC Football Championships?
With the addition of a fourth class for the 2024 season, the WVSSAC Football Championships will no longer be called the Super Six. It remains to be seen if the games will be on the move.
The WVSSAC is accepting bids through the first two weeks of January to host the championships from 2024-2026. Wheeling Island Stadium has hosted the title games for the last three decades.
Bluefield presented a proposal to host when the games were last up for bid. Wheeling could be considered a strong favorite to retain the hosting rights. With a required seating capacity of 10,000, Morgantown, Huntington and Charleston are other cities with venues large enough to host.
 
When will Josh Eilert have a full roster of players available?
The answer to the above question figures to be mid-January. That is when Jesse Edwards is expected to return from a four-week absence after suffering a broken wrist in the December 16 game against UMass.
In WVU’s 5-8 start, head coach Josh Eilert has navigated around:
Eilert has remained steady and composed while his roster has been in a constant state of flux. In a pleasant surprise, Battle’s legal victory has also led to Noah Farrakhan’s addition to the lineup. In limited action, the duo has combined to average 43 points per game.
 
Will the state legislature revisit the one-time transfer policy?
Recently, Governor Jim Justice has stated that the one-time transfer rule, which allows student-athletes to change schools once during their prep careers, will be revisited in 2024. Justice allowed that bill to become law in 2023 by not vetoing it on the final day of the legislative session.
Data released from the WVSSAC states that the number of transfers has increased since the bill passed last spring. Any change to the rule would likely not be implemented until the 2024-2025 academic year.
 
Where will Zach Frazier land in the NFL Draft?
2023 was a banner year for West Virginia natives breaking into lineups on NFL rosters. Huntington’s Darnell Wright (Chicago), Parkersburg’s Brenton Strange (Jacksonville) and Fairmont Senior’s Dante Stills (Arizona) were selected in the draft. Martinsburg’s Tyson Bagent signed with the Chicago Bears shortly after.
Fairmont Senior graduate and WVU center Zach Frazier will leave Morgantown as one of the top offensive linemen in school history. He was a four-year starter with the Mountaineers and he should be one of the top centers taken in April. Several draft boards project Frazier as a Top 100 player, making him a possible Day 2 (second or third round) selection.
 
Will Randy Mazey’s “Last Dance” include a Big 12 title defense?
Coming off one of the best seasons in program history, the WVU baseball team will enter the final season under head coach Randy Mazey with elevated expectations. The Mountaineers went 40-20 in 2023, securing a share of their first Big 12 Conference regular season championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
In July, Mazey announced that the 2024 season would be his last as head coach before he transitions into an administrative role in 2025. Steve Sabins is set to take control of the program for that season.
The Mountaineers welcome back national player of the year candidate JJ Wetherholt and several quality bats in their lineup. WVU must replace their top two starting pitchers and closer Carlson Reed.
 
Can the State of West Virginia remain a men’s college soccer juggernaut?
Marshall University spent most of the 2023 season ranked atop the national coaches poll and the Thundering Herd claimed Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament titles.
West Virginia advanced to the NCAA College Cup (semifinals) for the first time and finished third in the final coaches poll.
Chris Grassie and Dan Stratford have built programs that have been highly-successful on the national stage and attracted sellout crowds with high-level matches. Both meetings between the Herd and the Mountaineers this season were played in front of capacity crowds, and at WVU, a record-setting crowd.
Looking ahead to 2024, the Mountaineers must replace three players selected in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft (Marcus Caldeira, Yutaro Tsukada and Jackson Lee). For Marshall, Matthew Bell became the highest MLS draft pick in program history (No. 16) and Morris Duggan was selected in the third round.

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