Thursday, March 13, 2025 - West Virginia football players won’t be showcasing their TikTok dance moves this season after head coach Rich Rodriguez banned the practice, citing concerns over the team's image and focus.
Rodriguez told reporters this week that he believes filming and posting
dance videos on the popular social media platform projects an image of
"softness," which contradicts the tough mindset he wants his team to
embody.
"It's like, look," he said, "we try to have a hard edge
or whatever, and you're in there in your tights dancing on TikTok ain't quite
the image of our program that I want."
Beyond image concerns, Rodriguez also expressed that such trends promote
individualism, something he hopes to steer his team away from.
"I'm allowed to do that," he said. "I can have rules.
Twenty years from now, if they want to be sitting in their pajamas in the
basement eating Cheetos and watching TikTok or whatever the hell, they can go
at it, smoking cannabis, whatever. Knock yourself out."
He added, "I hope our focus can be on winning football games. How
about let's win the football game and not worry about winning the TikTok?"
Rodriguez’s stance could prove unpopular among modern players, as many
top athletes actively engage with TikTok trends. Last year’s Heisman Trophy
winner, Travis Hunter, frequently posted dance videos, as did finalist Ashton
Jeanty.
Still, Rodriguez appears unwavering in his decision, making it clear that if fans want to see football players dancing on TikTok, they’ll have to look outside the Mountaineers’ locker room.
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