Commemorative Football Celebrates WVU's Inaugural Big 12 Season - WVU Football, WVU Basketball, News - Mountaineer Sports

Saturday afternoon will be a special day for West Virginia University and its fans. No matter how much the players tell themselves this is "just another game" it clearly is not.

When WVU meets Baylor on Saturday the stands will be striped in gold and blue by fans wearing the respective color shirts. Country music star Trace Adkins will sing the National Anthem and Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby will be in attendance. That is hardly a "normal" game.

The Big 12 currently features six teams in the top 25. That is not a "normal" schedule by past standards. That has changed and this is the new normal. The level of competition is greater. The stage is bigger and the lights are brighter.

It is a special season for WVU and that is being celebrated through a commemorative football. Fans can get their hands on the football pictured above.

Nikco Sports is making a total of 2,012 of these commemorative footballs to celebrate West Virginia's inaugural Big 12 season. Fans can order by calling 1-800-345-2868 or visiting www.nikcosports.com.

Each football features several white panels with printed historic information about West Virginia football. One panels lists conference crowns and bowl game appearances, all set off around the official school logo. West Virginia has compiled 15 conference titles, including 8 when they played in the Southern Conference and another 7 in the Big East Conference.

A 2nd panel of the football features a color, panoramic photo of Mountaineer Field on a sun-drenched autumn football afternoon. This section of the football really adds to the beauty of the entire product. A 3rd white panel contains the official Big 12 logo, centered between the conference's 10 teams. In addition to hosting Baylor on September 29, other Big 12 home games this season include Kansas State, Oklahoma and Kansas. Road games in the conference are Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma State and Iowa State.

Proceeds from the sale of the commemorative footballs will stay in the state of West Virginia. Those proceeds will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northern West Virginia.