WVU names 71st Mountaineer mascot for 2025-26
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia University has officially named is 71st WVU Mountaineer Mascot for 2025-26.
According to a release from WVU Today, Cade Kincaid, a Junior accounting major from Fayetteville, was chosen to wear the buckskins and coonskin cap on Saturday evening during the men's basketball game.
Kincaid said he is proud to be carrying on his family at WVU as mother and sister are both alumni. One of his fondest WVU memories was attending the Backyard Brawl with his father at Milan Puskar Stadium in 2023 as the 'Student of the Game'.
'To be able to sit back in great seats and watch the Mountaineers beat Pitt that day with my dad — who is an alumnus — was an awesome experience.'
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Kincaid expressed his gratitude and excitement about becoming the 71st mascot, saying 'This role means so much to me. From age 4 to 20, I was a Mountaineer fan, but in the past two years, it really dawned on me that, if I were to pursue this role, I could really make a change and influence people and our state in a good way.'
Kincaid will officially accept the rifle and responsibilities of the mascot from Braden Adkins, the 2024-25 mascot, during the 'Passing of the Rifle' ceremony on April 4 at 6 p.m. in the Mountainlair. The alternate mascot will be announced at a later date.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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