Charleston, WV 4-1-18 (AP)
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced this morning that he has signed a Gubernatorial Executive Order that will reinstate the on again, off again basketball and football series between Marshal University and West Virginia University. The order will take effect in the 2019/2020 basketball season, and due to WVU's football schedule being filled for the next few years the football portion will go into effect in the 2025 season.
Along with signing the order he also committed to building a 40,000 seat football stadium and a 12,000 seat basketball arena at the Greenbrier Resort, where all games between the two schools will be played.
Said Justice, "This game means a lot to both schools and it's BS that it isn't being played every year. It's good for the State, and I am investing nearly 80 million dollars of my own money to build neutral site facilities where the games will be played. Now there can be no reason for it not to happen, and the athletic directors at each school have agreed to make it so that it does happen."
Other details of the plan are that all tickets to the games will be sold through the respective ticket offices of both schools, and those proceeds remain with the school that sold the tickets. Not only will the Greenbrier host the annual series between Marshall and WVU, but Justice has hopes of holding a holiday basketball tournament that will feature some of the top basketball programs in the nation, and both Marshall and WVU will be invited to on a permanent basis.
On the football side Justice says he is working with several NFL teams in hopes of bringing a pre-season professional football game to the Greenbrier every weekend prior to the opening of their regular season, once the football stadium has been built.
"These facilities are going to be first class in every respect, buiIt to Greenbrier standards. I feel strongly that this is a great way to promote tourism in West Virginia and showcase the beauty our state has to offer. Not only that, but it gives the people of southern West Virginia a chance to see their two favorite teams face up against one another on the gridiron and on the hardwood.", said Justice.
Happy Easter to everyone, and don't forget that it's also April Fool's Day.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced this morning that he has signed a Gubernatorial Executive Order that will reinstate the on again, off again basketball and football series between Marshal University and West Virginia University. The order will take effect in the 2019/2020 basketball season, and due to WVU's football schedule being filled for the next few years the football portion will go into effect in the 2025 season.
Along with signing the order he also committed to building a 40,000 seat football stadium and a 12,000 seat basketball arena at the Greenbrier Resort, where all games between the two schools will be played.
Said Justice, "This game means a lot to both schools and it's BS that it isn't being played every year. It's good for the State, and I am investing nearly 80 million dollars of my own money to build neutral site facilities where the games will be played. Now there can be no reason for it not to happen, and the athletic directors at each school have agreed to make it so that it does happen."
Other details of the plan are that all tickets to the games will be sold through the respective ticket offices of both schools, and those proceeds remain with the school that sold the tickets. Not only will the Greenbrier host the annual series between Marshall and WVU, but Justice has hopes of holding a holiday basketball tournament that will feature some of the top basketball programs in the nation, and both Marshall and WVU will be invited to on a permanent basis.
On the football side Justice says he is working with several NFL teams in hopes of bringing a pre-season professional football game to the Greenbrier every weekend prior to the opening of their regular season, once the football stadium has been built.
"These facilities are going to be first class in every respect, buiIt to Greenbrier standards. I feel strongly that this is a great way to promote tourism in West Virginia and showcase the beauty our state has to offer. Not only that, but it gives the people of southern West Virginia a chance to see their two favorite teams face up against one another on the gridiron and on the hardwood.", said Justice.
Happy Easter to everyone, and don't forget that it's also April Fool's Day.
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