let me start with I am very much a WVU Fan
A report from WVU in 2010 was extremely pessimistic on the future of the state. It projected a 19,000 person decline between 2010 and 2020 and mentioned the fear that the decline in population might be long enough to be self sustaining and irreversable.
WVU completely missed the boat. The state lost 140,000+ people from 2010 to 2014. They lost 28,000 in just 2014.
During the same year, Beckley and Jefferson Co added 3,000 people, meaning everyone else lost 31,000 people.
The current projection is that WVA will only have 1.6 million by 2020, and may drop below 1.3 million by 2030 (by the way Maine is loosing a trickle of people itself, but that would mean that by then they will have less people than Maine).
To maximize this problem, both Jefferson and Beckly counties are seriously talking about session, and rejoining Virginia. Should that happen, the state will loose another 100,000 plus people in just 1 day.
While I pretty much believe WVU should be on the ACC short list, I no longer can justify why.
The only states with less people than WVA are New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Delaware, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Alaska. Of these states, they are supporting just 2 BCS level schools, and no P5 schools.
Academically, as the population continues in free fall, WVU will either have to shrink or become less selective, if that is even possible.
Think, in 2030 if West Virginia can deliver 40,000 people to a bowl game, that will be 3% of the entire state.
just food for thought on ACC expansion candidates. Also note that Connecticut is also loosing people, but at a lower rate and they have a lot farther to fall than West Va does.
|
)