Top Five Games for Mountaineer Athletics in December

NCAA Tournament action and nonconference matchups against ranked opponents headline this month’s biggest games for West Virginia athletics. The WVU football team is also heading to a bowl game, so let’s take a look at December’s top games.

Honorable Mention: Women’s Basketball at #16 Kentucky (December 1st)

The West Virginia women’s basketball team is starting December off with a matchup against #16 Kentucky in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Both teams are 4-1 coming into this game in Lexington and it will be shown on ESPN’s SEC Network+.

5. Women’s Basketball vs #13 South Florida (December 20th)

The WVU women’s basketball team has another intriguing nonconference game later this month when it travels to the West Palm Beach Invitational to face #13 South Florida. The Mountaineers will definitely rely on their experience and depth in this game. WVU will also face Michigan State at this invitational event.

4. Volleyball vs Illinois (December 3rd)

The West Virginia volleyball team is heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Fifth-year seniors and First-Team All-Big 12 honorees Briana Lynch and Adrian Ell led WVU to a third-place finish in the conference this season after going 19-9 overall and 8-8 in league play. The Mountaineers received at at-large bid for the tournament and will play Illinois in their first-round matchup in Lexington, Kentucky.

3. Men’s Basketball vs #17 Connecticut (December 8th)

The Big East-Big 12 Battle is back and that means another opportunity for the West Virginia men’s basketball team to face a former conference foe. The Mountaineers are 1-1 in the event and this year they will be hosting #17 Connecticut. WVU and UConn are both 6-1 coming into this matchup. The Huskies lead the all-time series 16-6, but the Mountaineers have the last win, which came during the 2014 Puerto Rico Tip-Off. This rivalry renewal will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images

2. Football at Bowl Game (TBD)

The West Virginia football team has qualified for a bowl game, after winning its last two games to go 6-6 this season with a 4-5 Big 12 record. Which bowl game the Mountaineers will be invited to is yet to be determined, but Director of Athletics Shane Lyons believes that they will be heading to the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona. The Guaranteed Rate Bowl has tie-ins with the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences, so some of WVU’s potential opponents include Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue, or a rematch with Maryland. Stay tuned to see where the Mountaineers end up playing and who they will face.

1. #11 Men’s Soccer at #3 Georgetown (December 4th)

The biggest game of the month is the #11 West Virginia soccer team’s NCAA Tournament match at #3 Georgetown. The Mountaineers defeated Virginia Tech in penalty kicks in the Second Round and then knocked off #6 Tulsa on the road in a double-overtime thriller, so now they head to Washington, D.C., for an Elite Eight match. WVU has seen instant success under head coach Dan Stratford, and this tournament run shows that he is making WVU an elite soccer program. The Mountaineers will have their work cut out for them in this game, as the Hoyas are 18-2 this season with a 12-0 record at home. This match will be streamed on ESPN+.

Be sure to tune in to support WVU for these games and let us know what other matchups you’re looking forward to this month!