This week, Inside Appalachia, a West Virginia man is reviving a Black coal camp through farming. Also, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage. And, the Reverend George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia, was born in the years after slavery ended. He’s remembered during Juneteenth through his poetry.
Home » September 6, 1980: Singer John Denver Helps Dedicate New Mountaineer Field
Published
September 6, 1980: Singer John Denver Helps Dedicate New Mountaineer Field
Listen
Share this Article
On September 6, 1980, singer John Denver and some 50,000 West Virginia University fans belted out a rousing rendition of “Country Roads” to dedicate new Mountaineer Field in Morgantown.
The big day also marked the first game for new football coach Don Nehlen. WVU’s 41-27 victory over Cincinnati would be the first of 149 wins at WVU for Nehlen, who was on his way to becoming the most successful coach in school history and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
New Mountaineer Field replaced the old one, built in 1924, on the downtown campus. The new stadium initially seated 50,000, but expansions increased it to 63,500. The stadium’s largest crowd—some 70,000 fans—showed up in 1993 to watch WVU beat Miami of Florida to win its first Big East Conference title, in the midst of an undefeated regular season.
In the ‘90s, luxury skyboxes were added, and the Caperton Indoor Facility was completed, allowing teams to practice regardless of weather. In 2003, the stadium was renamed in honor of benefactor Mylan Puskar, while the playing field is still known as Mountaineer Field.
The national movement, which helped organize more than 2000 demonstrations nationwide, was named in response to what organizers call authoritarian overreach by President Donal Trump’s administration.
On this week's premiere broadcast of Mountain Stage, host Kathy Mattea welcomes Jeff Tweedy, The War and Treaty, Johnnyswim, and Olivia Ellen Lloyd. Recorded live at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV.
WVPB recently hosted a pair of musicians from West Virginia University (WVU) to come perform live in-studio during Classical Music with Matt Jackfert. Albert Houde, associate horn professor at WVU and principal horn with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra (WVSO), and Sun Jung Lee, collaborative pianist at WVU, serenaded our Wednesday afternoon with a live performance of Reimaginings by Frank Gulino.