As the 2025 season approaches, West Virginia football finds itself carrying one of the longest active AP Top 25 droughts among Power Four programs. The Mountaineers have not appeared in the poll since the 2019 season, a span that now stretches over five full years.
According to data from Matchup Tracker, only a handful of Power Four programs have gone longer without a ranking. West Virginia’s absence reflects a challenging stretch marked by inconsistency in conference play, frequent roster turnover, and the difficulty of competing in a deep Big 12.
The last time the Mountaineers cracked the Top 25 came in Week 6 of 2019, when they briefly entered at No. 24 under then-head coach Neal Brown. That appearance followed a 4-1 start but quickly faded after a string of midseason losses. Since then, West Virginia has produced moments of promise, including a nine-win season in 2024, but has yet to earn the national recognition that comes with a ranking.
The drought underscores the importance of consistency against ranked opponents — something the Mountaineers have struggled to sustain. In recent years, WVU has managed big wins, including upsets over higher-ranked Big 12 rivals, but follow-up losses have prevented the group from building the momentum needed to reenter the poll.
New head coach Rich Rodriguez will look to change that narrative in 2025. With new faces all over the roster, a strong start in nonconference play could position West Virginia for an early breakthrough. Still, the Big 12 schedule offers little margin for error, and cracking the Top 25 will require stacking wins against quality opponents.
Whether the Mountaineers can finally end their AP Poll absence will be one of the storylines to watch this fall as they push for their first ranking in half a decade.
