There is something about fall at WVU that brings us back to the traditions that connect generations of Mountaineers. Students are back, football season is underway, and alumni are making plans to return to Morgantown. Year after year, these traditions remind us that while WVU continues to change, some things remain at the heart of what it means to be a Mountaineer.
Marmaduke Dent Benefit | September 25
The Marmaduke Dent Benefit is one of those traditions, and this year we are celebrating a pretty significant milestone: 30 years. We will mark the occasion next Friday, Sept. 25, at the Erickson Alumni Center with a trip back to the 1980s. Totally 80s will bring the music, while the WVU Drumline will open the evening with a special performance, followed by dinner, drinks, dancing, an appearance by our 72nd Mountaineer Mascot Reese Allen, and a silent auction featuring signed memorabilia, premier experiences, and much more. If you still have a Members Only jacket tucked away somewhere, I would say this is your moment to bring it back out.
The silent auction is already open, so you can browse and bid whether or not you can attend.
Get your tickets and check out the silent auction
For three decades, the benefit has brought Mountaineers together while supporting student scholarships and alumni programming. It is named for Marmaduke H. Dent, WVU’s first graduate and the first president of the WVU Alumni Association. Dent graduated in 1870 and helped establish the Alumni Association soon afterward. More than 150 years later, his connection to WVU continues through a tradition that brings people together and invests in the future of the University.
That is what makes traditions worth keeping. They carry something forward. The people, places, and circumstances may change, but the reason we come together remains.
Homecoming 2026 | October 12-18
Homecoming carries that same sense of connection. From Oct. 11-17, we will welcome alumni back to Morgantown for a week of activities, including the parade, alumni events, award celebrations, and, of course, game day. One of my favorite parts of Homecoming is seeing how many generations of Mountaineers return. Some come back every year, while others return after being away for a long time. Either way, there is something meaningful about seeing familiar faces and watching old memories come back to life.
We will share more Homecoming information as we get closer. In the meantime, keep an eye on the WVU calendar for the latest updates.
The best traditions do more than take us back. They give us a reason to keep showing up. They create new memories for the next generation while keeping us connected to the ones who came before us. That is what I see every fall when alumni return to campus.
That same spirit carries beyond Homecoming and into the ways Mountaineers support one another throughout the year. Our Bears & Blankets campaign is a great example. This year, the campaign has raised more than $13,000 and collected more than 200 items for patients at WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital. Thank you to everyone who has donated or helped spread the word.
There is still plenty of time to take part by donating new, store-bought stuffed animals, blankets, and other comfort items, making a financial contribution, or organizing a collection through your alumni chapter or community.
Learn more about Bears & Blankets and donate
If it has been a while since you have been back to Morgantown, I hope you will make the trip this fall. Come back to the places you remember, see what has changed, and experience the traditions that are still bringing Mountaineers together.
Let’s Go!
Kevin Berry (’94, ’95)
WVU Vice President of Alumni Relations
CEO of the WVU Alumni Association, Inc.