The season has not been kind to West Virginia. Plagued by injuries and poor performance, the Mountaineers sit 15th in the Big 12 heading into a pivotal matchup against TCU. With so much already going on around the program, an unexpected problem arrived. A crisis so big that it could’ve derailed the program internally, until Pat McAfee stepped in.

During ESPN’s College GameDay, the former WVU punter and sports analyst revealed that a major donor had abruptly pulled funding from the program. Head coach Rich Rodriguez called McAfee for help, and with a net worth of $60 million, McAfee agreed to cover the shortfall himself.

“There was a Wednesday that I got a call from Rich Rodriguez that one of our biggest donors decided he was not going to give the amount of money that we thought he was potentially going to give, and they needed the money by the next day. They were like, We need this money by the next day because we got these guys that we made these promises to, and now the money isn’t coming from where we thought it was going to come through,” McAfee told the GameDay crew.

Sharing the news on X, The Voice of Morgantown wrote, “Pat McAfee reveals “one of West Virginia’s biggest donors decided to not give money to the program any longer, and that he had to step up to pay for “players who are on their way out already.””

“I said, ‘Alright, I’ll help.’ So, I sent the money over,” revealed McAfee, understanding the gravity of the situation. The West Virginia faithful would be grateful for the contribution of the former WVU punter. By stepping in, McAfee’s role goes beyond being a donor. He has become a key ally for Rodriguez, helping ensure the program doesn’t collapse under financial strain.

Now, while their financial struggles might have been sorted, it raises an important question. Why did the major donor drop out in the first place? According to McAfee, the Mountaineers’ form this season is a big reason for the donor’s withdrawal. “When you’re asking somebody for millions of dollars, there’s a chance they’re going to say, ‘What are you going to do with it?’ And when it doesn’t work out, then there’s a chance they would say, ‘I’m done giving my money to you,’ just like when you invest in a business,” said Pat, drawing comparisons to the workings of a business to the ordeal at WVU. With WVU’s disappointing performance, it’s easy to see why the donor lost confidence. And now, WVU faces TCU in what could be the season decider for them.

With four losses in a row for the Mountaineers, it looks very bleak for WVU going against the Horned Frogs.

Can WVU recover from its injury issues against TCU amidst the challenges?

While Pat McAfee might have solved the financial ordeal, Rich Rodriguez still has a job to find solutions in the performance aspect. First, he will have to work around the injury list that has hit WVU this season. They are missing out on three QBs: Nicco Marchiol, Jaylen Henderson, and Khalil Wilkins, and the list doesn’t end there. RBs Jahiem White and Tye Edwards also join the injury list.

Missing out on starters Nicco Marchiol and Jahiem White has played a hand in WVU’s weak offense this season. They rank near the bottom nationally in third-down conversions (29%) and have struggled with the run game.

Odds hugely favor TCU for the win, but TCU has the home advantage. If they can take advantage of the home crowd, then there’s a chance that WVU could win. If they lose, then Rich Rodriguez will have time to build a team for the 2026 season, now that his program has added 16 new football scholarships for the next season.