MORGANTOWN —
West Virginia University Press has published “The Backyard Brawl: Stories from One of the Weirdest, Wildest, Longest Running and Most Intense Rivalries in College Football History” by John Antonik.
With the University of Pittsburgh announcing its departure from the Big East Conference to join the Atlantic Coast Conference and West Virginia becoming a member of the Big 12 Conference, the intense rivalry known as the “Backyard Brawl” has come to an abrupt end.
Thousands of players and dozens of coaches — some among the very best to ever play the game — have been a part of this famous series. With fantastic tales about this feud’s star-studded rosters, including White, Slaton, Harris, Luck, Huff, Nehlen, and Rodriguez for West Virginia and Fitzgerald, Marino, Dorsett, Green, Majors, and Sherrill for Pitt, “The Backyard Brawl” celebrates the tradition, heritage, and pride of two outstanding universities.
With unparalleled access, Antonik, a 20-year WVU athletic administrator and alumnus, unearths the fascinating and humorous stories that make up this revered, colorful, and cherished football game — and more importantly, the great passion and pride these schools exhibit every time they take the field.
Antonik is director of new media for intercollegiate athletics at WVU and author of “West Virginia University Football Vault: The History of the Mountaineers” and “Roll Out the Carpet: 101 Seasons of West Virginia University Basketball.”
“The Backyard Brawl” is available for purchase at the Team Shop at the Milan Puskar Stadium and the WVU Coliseum, as well as local and national bookstores and gift shops and the WVU Press website. To learn more about this book or any WVU Press title, visit www.wvupress.com or phone 800-621-2736.
Sports
WVU Press book details ‘The Backyard Brawl’
- Sports
-
-
Pirates, ‘Hounds to begin region play
Two Fayette County baseball teams have advanced deeper into postseason play and will begin Region 3 tournament action on Tuesday.
-
Gore’s state long jump title paces Fayette showing
Fayetteville senior Jonathan Gore finally garnered the state meet gold he’d so long desired.
-
Terri’s Tribute golf event set
For the fourth summer in a row, C. Adam Toney’s Discount Tires is sponsoring the annual Terri’s Tribute Golf Tournament at Bridge Haven Golf Course in Fayetteville.
-
OH Rotary plans golf tourney June 8
The Oak Hill Rotary Club will hold its annual golf tournament at the White Oak Country Club on June 8.
-
Elsie Pruett scholarship event set at White Oak
The third annual Elsie Pruett Scholarship Golf Tournament and Auction will be held June 6 and 7 at White Oak Country Club.
Elsie Pruett is the wife of former Marshall University head coach Bob Pruett, a Beckley native. -
Local athletes headed to states
Fayette County athletes will be among those competing this weekend in the annual West Virginia high school track and field championships in Charleston.
-
Terri’s Tribute Golf Tournament enters fourth summer
For the fourth summer in a row, C. Adam Toney’s Discount Tires is sponsoring the annual Terri’s Tribute Golf Tournament at Bridge Haven Golf Course in Fayetteville.
-
Homer K. Ball golf tournament set June 14 at Pipestem
The 24th annual Homer K. Ball Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament will be held Friday, June 14 at Pipestem Resort State Park. Proceeds from the tournament are used to fund scholarships for Concord University students.
-
Coalfield Conference honors finest athletes
Over the last 20 years, names like Independence’s Ashley Jackson, Woodrow Wilson’s Doug Legursky, Shady Spring’s Whitney Humphreys, Wyoming East’s Tank Tunstalle and the late Benny Bowles of Oceana have been enshrined forever as Coalfield Conference Impact Athletes of the Year. On Tuesday evening, four more well-deserving prep athletes joined the illustrious ranks.
-
Tech in fifth-place game in USCAA
The WVU Tech women’s softball team remained in contention on the second day of the 2013 USCAA Softball National Championships at Firestone Stadium.
- More Sports Headlines
-

