One of Maryland football’s biggest rivalries has laid dormant for the past six years. The rivalry that evokes the passion and intensity of a true blood feud: the Mountaineers of West Virginia.

“West Virginia is one of our greatest rivalries going back decades,” Maryland head coach Michael Locksley said. “This is a great opportunity for us to not only play them but to open our season against them. I know our fans are excited about it.”

First meeting in 1919, Maryland and West Virginia met sporadically from then until 1977 with both programs taking home considerable bragging rights.

The sporadic nature of the rivalry came to an end in 1980 when the two border rivals played for 28 consecutive seasons. The two schools took a two-year hiatus in 2008 and 2009 (Maryland played California, while West Virginia scheduled Colorado).

But the two schools resumed playing against one another for six seasons from 2010-15, including memorable meetings in 2013 at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium (the first-ever regular-season neutral site game between the two) and the 2014 “Star Spangled” game at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium.

The last meeting in 2015 came in Morgantown where West Virginia took control early and cruised to a 45-6 victory, one that Terps fans were left to sit on for six long years. 

The two teams were scheduled to play on September 19th, 2020 in West Virginia but the Big Ten’s announcement that their teams would only play in-conference opponents put the series on hold for another year. 

Fast forward a year and the two teams will finally meet again with Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium at full capacity for fans.
Back in the day West Virginia was always one of the games we circled. They always brought out the best in us and I don’t expect that to change. They’re a really good team and it’s going to be a great test.

-Michael Locksley