Behavior needs to be perfect this weekend

While most West Virginia students were nothing but excited to hear that ESPN's College Football GameDay was coming to Morgantown for the first time, I was nervous.

I hope I'm wrong, but my fear is that the historic foul-mouthed, ill-tasted West Virginia students are going to show up in full force.

And unlike most games when students have just the three hours during the game to shed a negative light on the University, they now have three hours of on-camera time in the national spotlight during College GameDay Saturday morning.

It makes me cringe just thinking about the consequences of inappropriate student behavior.

Not only might it give College GameDay a reason to never come back, but in the midst of college realignment, with major uncertainty where WVU will end up, it's absolutely necessary to shed a positive light on the University.

So, instead of dwelling on the past, here's what not to do this weekend:

Don't wear "West F----- Virginia" shirts. Not only has Athletic Director Oliver Luck has asked students not to wear them, the shirts make the University and the state look horrible. Regardless of your intentions while wearing the shirt, there's no reason you can't leave the shirt at home and put on another one of your many WVU shirts. If you don't have on another WVU shirt, go buy some gold paint.

Let's try to stay away from the "Eat S--- Pitt" chant. I feel like it's kind of a given, but chanting foul language on national television isn't a good idea. It makes the University look trashy, and it makes the students look immature and ill-humored. It will also

guarantee College GameDay won't ever come back to town.

Everyone knows signs are one of the biggest parts of ESPN College GameDay, and nothing will be different on the Mountainlair Green Saturday morning. But if you do bring a sign, keep it classy. The best signs are the one's that are funny and appropriate.

One of the biggest things, however, that you can do as a student to protect the reputation of your school is by holding fellow students accountable.

Last weekend at the Maryland game, I saw a student tell another student in passing that he should take off his West F----- Virginia shirt. Did the guy take off the shirt? Absolutely not. But do we need more students policing students? Yes.

If someone starts an inappropriate chant, call them out. If someone is wearing one of "those" shirts, call them out. And if someone has an inappropriate sign, call them out.

It's the duty of all the students at this University to make sure we shed a positive light when we're in the national spotlight.

This weekend has a lot of potential. For the first time, Morgantown will play host to the biggest college football television show in the country, and West Virginia will go up against the No. 2 team in the country.

The atmosphere is going to be fantastic— let's just make sure it's appropriate.