Bring It! Mountaineer Maniacs embrace the spirit of WVU

As a sea of gold erupts with cheers and chants at Milan Puskar Stadium, inside the WVU Coliseum and other athletic venues across the WVU Morgantown campus, the ripple effect from that roaring tide spreads throughout each game and match to a fever pitch until everyone is caught in the wave of Mountaineer spirit.

At the center of that wave, the Mountaineer Maniacs make their presence known through a multitude of well-known cheers and chants, from “Let’s Go, Mountaineers!” to the “First Down!” chant that vibrates inside Milan Puskar Stadium after a big play. More than 6,000 strong, the Mountaineer Maniacs is the largest official student group on campus and is the official student section of WVU Athletics.

More than 6,000 strong, the Mountaineer Maniacs is the largest official student group on campus and is the official student section of WVU Athletics.

“The Maniacs make our sports venues come alive,” Braden Adkins, the 2024-25 Mountaineer Mascot, said. “It is a great way for younger students to learn chants and cheers from older students who have been around longer.”

For Adkins, whose job it is to always represent the Old Gold and Blue, having that core group of fired-up students in the stands is invaluable. At a Division 1 school like WVU that competes at the highest level in most sports, the student involvement at athletic events is one of the University’s most visible aspects to outsiders. Members of the Maniacs are often shown more than any other section during televised games because of the energy and the passion they bring to each event.

When the Mountaineer spirit sea disperses from those energetic places, it spreads that energy to volunteer efforts in the community. What the Maniacs do behind the scenes around campus exemplifies what is means to be a Mountaineer.

Sabrina Cave, executive director of the WVU Office of Student Enrichment, has been the co-adviser for the Maniacs for the last seven years and has seen the efforts the group has made to be more involved in community engagement.

“I have enjoyed watching the Mountaineer Maniacs evolve over the years from primarily a cheering section at athletic contests to a robust, vibrant organization that connects students to the University,” Cave said. “Prospective students want to be part of the Maniacs, and memberships sell out fast.”

Cave said the Maniacs plan fun events for students that range from Mountaineer Fridays, held at the Mountainlair and featuring a visit by Head Football Coach Neal Brown, to community service projects. The Maniacs participate in fall and spring recruitment weekends and also at all New Student Orientation sessions.

Kaitlyn Hadley, a Martinsburg native and senior social studies/secondary education major, is the Maniacs’ community service director. She said the Maniacs provide many opportunities to make a difference at WVU and the surrounding areas.

“WVU and Morgantown are extremely supportive of what we do with the student section and attendance at sporting events, so we strive to give back that support in any way we can,” Hadley said.

“WVU and Morgantown are extremely supportive of what we do with the student section and attendance at sporting events, so we strive to give back that support in any way we can.”

-Kaitlyn Hadley

Members have volunteered to clean up after events around town, written cards to assisted living facilities residents in Monongalia County and handed out candy at trunk-or-treat for the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia.

Wheeling native Tyler Faulstick, a senior advertising and public relations major, is the executive director of the Maniacs. He believes the scale of the organization is what puts the Maniacs in a unique position at the University.

“We bring University spirit to people who may have no other connections,” Faulstick said. “I have met many people who say the Maniacs are a true representation of the University and the people of West Virginia. Students are bound by their love of sports, but I think we connect with people in ways other groups don’t. The Maniacs provide a home for people who love their state, their University and their fellow Mountaineers.”

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More than 6,000 strong, the Mountaineer Maniacs is the largest official student group on campus and is the official student section of WVU Athletics.

“WVU and Morgantown are extremely supportive of what we do with the student section and attendance at sporting events, so we strive to give back that support in any way we can.”

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Bring It! Mountaineer Maniacs embrace the spirit of WVU

More than 6,000 strong, the Mountaineer Maniacs is the largest official student group on campus and is the official student section of WVU Athletics.

“WVU and Morgantown are extremely supportive of what we do with the student section and attendance at sporting events, so we strive to give back that support in any way we can.”

Keep Reading

Frank Vitale: Building the fortitude

The Last Word: The Commuter Student

Moments Notice

From our Archive

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