The Good Outweighs the Bad in WVU’s 2025-26 Big 12 Schedule Reveal A pretty fair shake for Ross Hodge in his first year as the Mountaineer head coach….

The Good Outweighs the Bad in WVU’s 2025-26 Big 12 Schedule Reveal

A pretty fair shake for Ross Hodge in his first year as the Mountaineer head coach

 

The Big 12’s 2025-26 basketball schedule reveal brought its usual share of buzz, speculation, and groans. But for West Virginia fans, there’s more optimism than concern. In what marks Ross Hodge’s first season at the helm of the Mountaineers, the schedule offers a manageable path forward that could help ease the program’s transition under its new leadership.

Hodge inherits a roster in flux but with promising talent and a renewed sense of energy. The former North Texas head coach is known for his defensive tenacity and culture-building acumen—qualities that could resonate well in a league where grit is often the difference between a middle-of-the-pack finish and an NCAA Tournament berth. Fortunately, the league schedule doesn’t stack the deck unfairly against him.

The first bit of good news: WVU avoids a brutal opening stretch. Unlike past seasons where the Mountaineers have opened with back-to-back road games at perennial powerhouses like Kansas or Baylor, the 2025-26 slate starts with a balanced mix of home and away matchups. That early rhythm is critical for a team breaking in a new system and likely developing on-court chemistry in real time.

The home-and-away pairings also offer a favorable draw. WVU will play home-and-homes with new conference additions like Arizona State and Utah—both talented programs but not yet dominant forces in the Big 12 hierarchy. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers avoid a double dose of Kansas, receiving only a single contest against the Jayhawks, which comes at the Coliseum. Playing them just once—and at home—could be a small scheduling gift with big implications.

Another positive: travel logistics are more forgiving than expected. With the expanded Big 12 footprint, there was reasonable concern about long road trips and tight turnarounds. However, WVU’s longer trips to BYU and Arizona are spaced out, avoiding back-to-back West Coast swings. For a team relying on energy and preparation, avoiding those brutal travel weeks could prove invaluable.

Of course, the schedule isn’t all sunshine. WVU will still face traditional Big 12 stalwarts like Baylor and Texas Tech on the road, and Hodge’s squad will be tested in unfamiliar environments like Cincinnati and UCF. But even these challenges come with a silver lining—great opportunities for growth and measuring the program’s trajectory under new leadership.

Perhaps most important, the schedule gives Hodge and the Mountaineers a fighting chance. It’s not soft, but it’s fair. For a coach looking to establish credibility and build momentum, that’s all you can ask for. With a few early wins and the home crowd behind them, WVU could surprise some of the conference elite.

In a league that rarely grants favors, West Virginia’s 2025-26 slate might be as close as it gets. And with Ross Hodge aiming to reestablish the Mountaineers as a force in the Big 12, this schedule might be the launchpad he needs.