As sports media’s resident West Virginia alum, Pat McAfee was ready to chime in Monday after the Mountaineers were snubbed from the men’s NCAA tournament.
As theories fly about whether WVU star Tucker DeVries’ injury held the program back from a bid and how much North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham’s input in the selection committee affected the Tar Heels’ surprise entry into the field, McAfee went to bat for his alma mater.
McAfee gave an initial reaction on X late Sunday, arguing that WVU was “screwed,” but expanded on his frustration throughout Monday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show.
According to McAfee, the small-market school was overlooked in favor of the Blue Blood, a tale as old as time for WVU.
“(With) the men’s basketball, men’s football, there hasn’t been the national moment for a while,” he said. “And I think that was held against us.”
West Virginia got screwed #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/fUcLDEAV2i
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 17, 2025
West Virginia finished the season 19-13 and was unlikely to make a deep run without DeVries, so McAfee kept his cool about the situation. It’s hard to imagine one of the busiest people in the industry keeping close tabs on his old school’s mediocre men’s basketball program, but he still wants respect for the Mountaineer name.
“Wouldn’t have been a high seeding, obviously. We should have played a lot better throughout the season and certainly had a little bit of a setback, and we didn’t do well in the Big 12 tournament either,” McAfee acknowledged. “So obviously, they are holding something against West Virginia; that is just another chip on the shoulder. Obviously, it’s bulls***. We don’t love it, we don’t like it. Play better, and you’re in, definitely, but nonetheless, West Virginia will be back.”
Later in the program, McAfee addressed the governor’s press conference announcing an investigation into the NCAA’s selection process.
“Good luck over there; I don’t know if they’ll be able to overturn it in a few days,” McAfee chuckled. “I do like that the state is like, ‘Nope, we’re going to need some answers.'”
West Virginia politicians plan to announce action against the NCAA and Tournament Selection Committee..
Governor Patrick Morrisey is looking for some answers #PMSLive https://t.co/CTq6bt3BrJ pic.twitter.com/0w29VOMIwJ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 17, 2025
While McAfee’s heart may not have been fully into West Virginia’s case for an 8 or 9 seed in the tourney, he is a dyed-in-the-wool Mountaineer. McAfee, who was a placekicker in college, is second all-time in the Big East in total points and helped lead the program to a win in the Fiesta Bowl as a junior.
When his college coach, Rich Rodriguez, was rehired by the program last year, McAfee hosted a live edition of his show from the Morgantown campus.
The Mountaineers won’t have representation in March Madness this spring, but they do have a very big voice in the media talking them up every chance he gets.
