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.
