3 days ago
West Virginia athletic department agrees to partnership with local mulch company
On the same day Kansas received a record-breaking $300 million donation, one of the Jayhawks' Big 12 counterparts secured a deal of its own.
West Virginia has agreed to a multi-year partnership with Grant County Mulch that makes the company the official mulch supplier of the Mountaineers' athletic department, the university announced August 13.
Based in Petersburg, West Virginia, about 90 miles southeast of West Virginia's Morgantown campus, Grant County Mulch is the largest bulk mulch supplier in the country, according to the Mountaineers' release.
As part of the newly inked and undeniably unique agreement — after all, how many colleges have an official mulch supplier? — Grant County Mulch will be racing a West Virginia-themed truck in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at the Richmond Raceway in Virginia on August 15. The truck is owned by CR7 Motorsports and will be driven by Grant Enfinger.
Beyond the company's logo being displayed on LED boards at football and basketball games, as well as on the outfield wall at baseball games, the Mountaineers' post-game radio show for football and men's basketball will award a 'Tough as Mulch' player of the game.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Both of us — and our parents — were born and raised in West Virginia, so this partnership means more than business to us," Larry and Janie Berg, founders of Grant County Mulch, said in a statement. "It's about honoring our roots, supporting our home state, and being part of something that represents the pride and spirit of West Virginians everywhere."
