The cuts at West Virginia University aren’t over.

The Board of Governors gave final approval on Friday of cuts that will eliminate 28 majors, scale back others and result in cutting 143 faculty positions. WVU has said the steps to make those changes happen begin today, shaping plans to allow students in programs being discontinued to finish their degrees and starting notifications for reductions in force.

“Over the next month, we’ll be obviously following a process that we have outlined to the university community, and we hope to have this process completed by the 15th of October,” University President Gordon Gee said today on MetroNews’ “Talkline.”

University leaders have alluded to additional upcoming decisions about cuts. West Virginia Watch reported today that programs under review include the libraries, Honors College, Office of Global Affairs, LGBTQ+ Center and the Women’s Resource Center.

Gee, on “Talkline,” acknowledged additional belt tightening is still going on, although he did not elaborate on many specifics.

“Well, we are going through a whole process of looking very carefully into every one of our programs,” Gee said. “In fact, we have been directed that way by the Board of Governors, and we’re doing that as we speak. We’re taking a look at every office."

Gee answered similarly when asked about the possibility of additional cuts at a press conference that followed Friday’s Board of Governors meeting.

“We are reviewing everything,” Gee said at the Friday press conference. “So we don’t know what’s going to happen. We do know that we need to be effective and efficient in every aspect of the institution, including in the president’s office, including the vice president’s office.

“We believe that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, so we’re looking very carefully at every program at the institution, at every office, to make sure we’re getting the best results with the best people.”

WVU officials have said the university has to cut back because of the likelihood of being down $45 million this year — potentially growing to $75 million over the next five years if steps aren’t taken to control costs. Gee has also said the changes are part of a broader assessment of the institution and the mission it serves.

The changes that received final approval Friday by the Board of Governors were discussed for several months and were subject to appeals hearings and a public comment hearing that lasted for several hours.

Taunja Willis Miller, chairwoman of WVU’s Board of Governors, said on “Talkline” that board members had directed Gee and university leaders to work through the changes. She said board members have a fiduciary duty to ensure the university operates in a fiscally stable manner and to prepare the university for a bright future.

“We asked for the academic transformation,” she said. “But we did listen. We didn’t learn much of anything during the meeting on Friday or even during the hearings on Thursday. “We’ve been hearing from people for months. We’ve gotten hundreds of emails. And there were comments submitted in writing.

“So I think what we did see from a personal standpoint is the passion and commitment that the students who were present and the faculty who were present had. But the board did have a job to do.”

In recent weeks, as pressure mounted, more and more conflict surfaced. Faculty overwhelmingly voted no confidence in President Gordon Gee this month, while also pushing for a halt to the transformation process. Students gathered at Friday’s meeting with signs to protest the changes, sometimes causing the proceedings to halt.

“Well, let’s be clear that with respect to the students — the students who have participated actively are a small percentage of the student body at WVU,” Willis Miller said. “With respect to the faculty, well, the vote of no confidence was passed by a vast majority of those voting. There again, it was, I think, a third of the faculty as a whole.

“But we based our analysis on a careful analysis of student demand for the program and what students want in their education. There are some students who will be affected, and it’s heartbreaking that we can’t provide everything to everyone who wants it. But that’s just not the reality.”

I know that shocks no one here. We've got to stop spending. Stop sending money overseas and crack down on entitlements. Is anyone else tired of politicians telling us they know what we want and then spending us into unrecoverable debt?

Like I said. Getting a spot in Congress or in the Senate is like winning the lottery.

LINK: Top conservative group exposes how both parties contributed eye-popping amount to debt: 'Suffering worse': Congress added $7.5 trillion to the debt over the last 2 years

A top conservative group released a new report Thursday that the co-author tells Fox News Digital is the most comprehensive of its kind and examines the historic spending spree from both parties in Congress over the last 2 years that resulted in $7.5 trillion of new debt.

The Heritage Foundation report, which took a year to complete, outlines all the legislation passed by Congress between March 2020 and December 2022, including a 2.2 trillion COVID response in March, the America Rescue plan which cost $1.9 trillion, the $565 billion Inflation Reduction Act, the December 2020 COVID stimulus which cost $932 billion and other spending that totaled to a whopping $7.464 trillion, more than $57,400 per household.

Co-author Richard Stern, Director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that Heritage has put together the first "comprehensive" outlining all the spending programs and then "tying it together."

"When there's a supply shock, when the economy tumbles off a cliff, all the government can do is make the recovery longer and slower by trying to give you a sugar pill on the front end," Stern said when asked about the main takeaway from the study.

"That's what happened here. We are now suffering worse four years later because the government did things in the moment to make it look a little better."

The report is broken into three parts: Part 1 reviews all the federal spending and how "legislators in both parties used the pandemic as an opportunity to ignore any pretense of fiscal responsibility and use deficit spending to enact a panoply of new programs that would have been difficult to pass had they been coupled with equally sized tax increases."

In Part 2, Heritage Foundation examined how the Federal Reserve contributed to the spending spree and looked at how it managed the aftermath. In Part 3, the study considers how the rapid growth of debt will affect the economy and what Congress can do to stop the bleeding.

"The Federal Reserve ended up printing basically as much money as the above baseline spending," Stern told Fox News Digital.

"Which is to say there were going to be deficits anyway. That was already the CBO trajectory. But all of the extra spending, all of the extra deficits that were created during the pandemic period essentially were pretty close to 100% backed by the federal government printing money."

"You have this notion that when the government runs a deficit, people invest, people buy bonds, they make interest back on it. That we're taking existing resources and offering it for the government to use for some crisis and that is almost exclusively not what happened."

The study, which was co-authored by Heritage Senior Policy Analyst in the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget David A. Ditch, points out that it took 215 years for the national debt in the United States to hit $7 trillion and yet the U.S. added $7 trillion over the course of 2020-2022.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts told Fox News Digital that Ditch and Stern's findings "explain how we got here and provide recommendations for extinguishing the fire so that we can change course and reduce the severe economic pain facing everyday Americans across the country."

"Inflation doesn’t just happen; it is a direct result of overbearing, clumsy, dysfunctional government policies," Roberts said. "While everyday Americans suffer under the hidden tax of Pedo-Joe's crippling inflation – at the gas pump and checkout counters, in utility bills, rents, and car payments – Congress and the President have an unending appetite for more spending, regulation, and subsidies."

The study concludes that "most of the spending during the pandemic was unnecessary" as were the lockdown measures which "meant imposing high costs on all members of society, including damage to mental and physical health, as well as severe educational and economic costs, for marginal public health benefit."

"The COVID-19 pandemic unleashed unprecedented federal fiscal and monetary actions that wasted trillions of dollars," the Heritage experts explained.

According to the report's authors, the U.S. Congress failed to couple any justifiable pandemic spending with measures that would reduce future deficits.

"A looming fiscal crisis has shifted from a long-term concern to a current event. Congress must return to responsible governance for America to avoid further economic calamity," the report concluded.

In addition to the coronavirus spending, the report examines how the Inflation Reduction Act "a complete misnomer" that only exacerbated inflation rather than address it.

"This reckless and politically opportunistic spending spree has left the U.S. with a weakened economy, an inflation crisis, and a looming debt crisis. The volume and nature of the spending spree helped to create skyrocketing inflation and interest rates and created a labor shortage, reducing real household incomes and leaving store shelves bare and supply chains broken."

In terms of the future, the report addresses the question of whether the worst is yet to come and explained why fiscal responsibility is more important than ever given that the country's financial situation was already dire before the explosion of new debt.

"The amount of damage caused by the federal spending spree is immense, and the size and scope of the long-term fiscal problem can be overwhelming," the report's final paragraph summarizes. "Policymakers must address this reality in a sober fashion, neither pretending that easy fixes exist nor ignoring the problem altogether. This will require controlling spending, returning to meaningful budgeting, and fixing problems at the Federal Reserve."

"There is a genuine opportunity for leadership if elected officials have the courage and foresight to do the right thing, both for America’s near-term battle against inflation and its long term economic prospects."

This is the beginning of the end for the ACC and it saddens me to admit that….



But how long will it take now?

The ACC got NC State to break away from UNC on the vote, creating an unprecedented fracture between the two.

And UNC made it clear (both for effect and legal interests later) on their feelings…

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It is being reported that the ACC is readying for the “negotiated departure” of FSU, Clemson and UNC within the next 5 years. I doubt it takes that long.

SMU is reportedly foregoing NINE YEARS of TV revenue for this move. NINE.

My hope for the ACC castoffs for the Big 12 to get is Pitt, Virginia Tech, Louisville and NC State but I’m expecting Pitt, Louisville, Syracuse and UConn. Time will tell.

Dysfunctional Congressional Repubs are taking the country on a ride in their clown car that leads to a government shutdown while their party leader and frontrunner for the Repub POTUS nomination who attempted to overthrow the gov't has 91 felony indictments pending against him. shew

The 2-4 2003 Mountaineers against the #3 ranked vpi gobblers, who had a national title thoughts going into this game. A sellout night game in Morgantown. Our fans stood and yelled the whole game long. Our defense never broke. vpi only scored on a fumble return that should have been called down at midfield. Our offense lead by Quincy Wilson and Rasheed Marshall pounded and banged their way to a win. Add in the fantastic 93 yd td pass from Rasheed to Garvin, they did what was necessary to keep the ball away from the tech offense, and score enough to to keep tech trying to play catch up. vpi committed so many penalties of frustration that night, Their offense and defense were over powered and confused all game long.

Yes, that was a great night to be a mountaineer fan where ever you might be.

I pray and hope we can get that type of attitude from our fb team and our fans again. Soon.

Neal was on Sirius/XM College Sports Channel 84 this morning at around the 735 time-frame if anyone is interested. Gave a good interview and really pushing needing the fans to show up and be loud Saturday. He's such a likable dude so let's go beat Tech and get on a roll. It's best for everyone if he turns this thing around and we get on a roll.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University will begin the 2023-24 men's basketball season with a new tip-off event, Mountaineer Madness, presented by Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, on Friday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m., at the WVU Coliseum.

Admission to the event is free with gates opening at 6 p.m.

The new tip-off event will feature a live emcee, 3-point contest, dunk contest, live interview with Coach Eilert, post-event autographs, performances from the Mountaineer pep band, cheerleaders and dance team and much more. Fans will also get to see and interact with the new WVU coaching staff as part of select competitions.

Coliseum parking lots will be open free of charge.

Season tickets are on sale at the Mountaineer Ticket Office in the Coliseum. To order, visit WVUGAME.com or call 1-800-WVU GAME.

Women's volleyball, I can't imagine why. 🤔

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University will begin the 2023-24 men's basketball season with a new tip-off event, Mountaineer Madness, presented by Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, on Friday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m., at the WVU Coliseum.

Admission to the event is free with gates opening at 6 p.m.

The new tip-off event will feature a live emcee, 3-point contest, dunk contest, live interview with Coach Eilert, post-event autographs, performances from the Mountaineer pep band, cheerleaders and dance team and much more. Fans will also get to see and interact with the new WVU coaching staff as part of select competitions.

Coliseum parking lots will be open free of charge.

Season tickets are on sale at the Mountaineer Ticket Office in the Coliseum. To order, visit WVUGAME.com or call 1-800-WVU GAME.

One of my inconsiderate friends decided to get married on gameday. So I have 2 tickets for sale for this Saturday. Section 108 row 6 if you’re interested text me 540-974-3910.

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Like always, no one is held responsible for their actions.
I have never seen such a corrupt administration.
He can't remember having any dialogue with Biden.

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When Democrats watch horror movies, do they root for the insane killer?

"When I was 8 I wanted to be a pirate, but I'm really glad my parents didn't poke out one of my eyes and schedule me for peg-leg surgery." ~ Bill Maher

"This will go down as one of the most progressive administrations in American history." - Joe Biden

Imagine living in a society where child abuse is required.

Any insight on him? Seen he’s putting up huge numbers

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Sept. 20, 2023) – The West Virginia University women’s soccer team prepares to open its Big 12 Conference home slate against Iowa State on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. ET, inside Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown.



Thursday’s contest against the Cyclones is the Mountaineers Diversity and Inclusion Game, in conjunction with WVU’s Campus Diversity Week. Special t-shirts celebrating diversity and inclusion will be given out to the first 300 fans in attendance. It also is Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night, with free admission granted to WVU faculty and staff with a WVU employee ID.

Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance by visiting WVUGAME.com or calling 1-800-WVU GAME. When purchasing online, tickets are $5 each. Any remaining tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors at the stadium ticket window on match day.

WVU student tickets also will be made available at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The office, as well as the stadium gates, opens at 6 p.m., on game day. WVU students are admitted for free with a valid WVU Student I.D.

Andrew Caridi and Nick Farrell will have the call of Thursday's contest on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. For more information, or to sign up for the digital platform, visit WVUsports.com/Big12Now. The game also can be heard on 91.7 FM (WWVU) in Morgantown, and live stats are available at WVUsports.com.



Last time out, WVU suffered a 4-2 loss to league newcomer UCF in its Big 12 Conference opener in Orlando, Florida, on Sept. 14. Even though the Mountaineers scored the first goal with senior midfielder Isabel Loza’s first tally of the season, UCF score three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead. Fifth-year senior forward/defender Julianne Vallerand put WVU one score closer with a penalty kick goal in the 61st minute, but the Knights added a fourth score to solidify the win.



Sophomore forward Taylor White leads the team with four goals and 10 points, while junior forward Dilary Heredia-Beltran holds the team lead in assists (3) and shots (20).



Thursday’s match marks the 12th all-time meeting between West Virginia and Iowa State. The Mountaineers are undefeated in the series, going 11-0 over the Cyclones since their first match in 2012 when West Virginia joined the Big 12. In last season’s contest, Lauren Segalla recorded a brace to lift the Mountaineers to a 2-0 win in Ames on Sept. 25.



Matt Fannon is in his fourth season at the helm of the ISU women’s soccer team, leading the Cyclones to their first win over a ranked team since 2016 during the 2022 campaign. Iowa State arrives in Morgantown 3-5-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play after falling, 4-1, to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 opener on Sept. 14. Senior Mira Emma paces the Cyclone offensive attack, leading the squad in goals (4), assists (2), points (10) and shots (19). Goalkeeper Avery Gillihan has notched 21 saves on the year.



For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

We need to stop comprimising with these kids' future, damn it!

LINK: University of Wisconsin-Madison students hold up signs protesting racism on campus. (Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File)

Now ranked No. 2, WVU looks to develop a “borderline arrogance” to stay there consistently​

Now ranked No. 2, WVU looks to develop a “borderline arrogance” to stay there consistently© Provided by DC News Now

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Dan Stratford’s team has been on a collision course with program history over the last four weeks. The club that started the season unranked is suddenly one of the two best teams in the nation.

Over the past few weeks, the Mountaineers have claimed. First to Number 16. Then to No. 4. And most recently up to No. 2.


When the United Soccer Coaches rankings were released Tuesday, the Mountaineers didn’t have much time, if any, to celebrate. All their hard work through the first six matches of the year could have evaporated if they allowed their focus to slip away from the task at hand — remaining unbeaten, and taking care of business at home against a scrappy Dayton team.

West Virginia did take care of business, securing a 1-0 win on the strength of Sergio Ors Navarro’s second goal of the season in the 18th minute. Marcus Caldeira was held scoreless for the first time in a match this year.

“There’s an aspect of how the rankings have transpired over the last two weeks, in particular, where, yeah, we’re reminded that we’re human,” Stratford said Tuesday night.

This isn’t the first time Stratford has had the Mountaineers ranked among the nation’s best clubs. In 2021, West Virginia achieved its highest-ever placement in the United Soccer Coaches poll when it was slotted third in the country. That team advanced all the way to the NCAA Quarterfinals, where it ultimately fell on the road to Georgetown in penalty kicks.

West Virginia was ranked No. 6 in the initial 2022 poll, but didn’t live up to the preseason ranking.

A year later, Stratford and co. are once again achieving new heights in terms of national perception — their No. 2 rankings in the United Soccer Coaches poll and Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 are the best in program history. This time around, though, things feel a little different.

“I think with this ranking and what we’ve done this season, it feels a little more authentic,” he said. “We’re number one in the RPI, or at least we were before today. And we’ve earned it. We’ve played some really, really tough opponents and got fantastic results.”

Now comes the hard part for the players. They, of course, have to keep winning (or, at least, not losing) in order to maintain a top-two national ranking. Maybe equally as important, in the eyes of their head coach, they also have to own their newfound and regained national spotlight.

The former-Mountaineer-midfielder-turned-head-coach acknowledged it’s still early in the season. West Virginia has nearly 60 percent of its matches left to play. Among the remaining opponents are No. 12 James Madison (H, Oct. 8), and No. 1 Marshall (H, Oct. 18), along with the majority of this season’s Sun Belt Conference slate.

But WVU has already taken down the then-No. 3 ranked Portland Pilots and played to a 2-2 draw at No. 5 UCF. The Mountaineers are certainly battle-tested.

Stratford has won a pair of Division II national championships as a head coach. He was also part of the Mountaineer men’s soccer team in 2006, the last time the program made it this deep into a season without a loss.

The London, England native may be in just his fourth year as the Mountaineer head coach, but he has a good understanding of the personality, from a player’s perspective, it will take to maintain this level of success.

“There’s an edge. I said borderline arrogance,” Stratford said with a smile. “It’s a confidence and a belief in what we do, and the way that they do it, and understanding that we have to earn it every time — but that we will.”

West Virginia’s next contest is this Friday, at home against a Georgia Southern team that has won just two matches dating back to the start of last season. The contest is part of a five-match stretch during which WVU will face only one team that currently has a record above .500.

The schedule gets significantly more challenging after that. Only time will tell how high West Virginia is ranked when the Mountaineers welcome a nationally ranked JMU team into Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in early October, or the top-ranked Thundering Herd 10 days after that.

Aside from more tallies in the win column, Stratford hopes to see that “borderline arrogance” come to the surface within his players. He wants his team to own the spotlight and, ultimately, the top spot in the nation.