2012 Football Schedule Announced; First As Big 12 Member

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – (February 14, 2012) – West Virginia’s 2012 football schedule, announced today by Director of Athletics Oliver Luck, is highlighted by a new slate of conference opponents as the Mountaineers begin competition as a member of the Big 12 Conference.

“I know our fans will be looking forward to having the Big 12 schools visit Milan Puskar Stadium this fall,” Luck said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our department, and the challenges ahead are certainly exciting.”

Seven home dates, one neutral contest at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., and four road games comprise the upcoming schedule.

“I am excited about this year’s schedule, especially since we will be competing in the Big 12,” second-year head coach Dana Holgorsen said. “I am familiar with the conference and know the challenges that are ahead of us. Mixing our conference schedule with Maryland, Marshall and James Madison, the offseason becomes even more important to our preparation.”

West Virginia’s conference home dates include Baylor (Sept. 29), Kansas State (Oct. 20), TCU (Nov. 3), Oklahoma (Nov. 17) and Kansas (Dec. 1). Road conference dates include Texas (Oct. 6), Texas Tech (Oct. 13), Oklahoma State (Nov. 10) and Iowa State (Nov. 24).

The Mountaineers have posted an 8-4 all-time series record against 2012 Big 12 schools including: Kansas (1-0), Kansas State (1-1), Oklahoma (2-2), Oklahoma State (2-1), Texas (1-0) and Texas Tech (1-0).

In WVU’s non-conference schedule, West Virginia will open its season at Milan Puskar Stadium with Marshall on Sept. 1. The Mountaineers face the Herd in the “Friends of Coal Bowl” for the seventh straight year. After an open week, WVU will face FCS opponent James Madison at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., on Saturday, Sept. 15. This marks the first time that the Mountaineers have played a game at FedEx Field and is the second meeting with the Dukes, as the previous meeting took place in 2004 at Milan Puskar Stadium.

WVU then plays host to Maryland on Saturday, Sept. 22. This is the third straight year the two border rivals have faced one another and 46th time overall in a series that dates back to 1919.

The Mountaineers close out September with their first-ever game as a member of the Big 12 against Baylor on Sept. 29. The game will also serve as Homecoming.

West Virginia then travels for two straight weeks to open the month of October. It will play at Texas on Oct. 6, and Oct. 13 at Texas Tech, before coming home to face Kansas State on Oct. 20. WVU will have its second open week on Oct. 27.

The Mountaineers will celebrate Mountaineer Week as they open the month of November, playing host to TCU on Nov. 3. For the next two weeks, West Virginia will face both Oklahoma schools, first traveling to Stillwater, Okla., for a Nov. 10 meeting with Oklahoma State, before coming home to host Oklahoma on Nov. 17.

West Virginia closes out its regular season with a trip to Ames, Iowa, for a first-ever meeting with Iowa State on Saturday, Nov. 24, before playing host to Kansas in a first-ever meeting on Saturday, Dec. 1, for Senior Day.

2012 Football Schedule

Sept. 1- Marshall
Sept. 8- Open
Sept. 15- vs. James Madison (in Baltimore)
Sept. 22- Maryland
Sept. 29- Baylor #
Oct. 6- at Texas
Oct. 13- at Texas Tech
Oct. 20- Kansas State
Oct. 27- Open
Nov. 3- TCU ^
Nov. 10- at Oklahoma State
Nov. 17- Oklahoma
Nov. 24- at Iowa State
Dec. 1 Kansas