Photos by Derek Redd West Virginia University Athletic Director Wren Baker, right, speaks to the crowd at the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Kickoff Luncheon on Wednesday. With him is WVU play-by-play voice Tony Caridi. The two were the featured speakers at the event.

The landscape of college athletics has undergone massive changes in just the last couple of years, but officials from West Virginia University’s athletic department told guests Wednesday that WVU is ready to roll with whatever punches come its way.

WVU play-by-play voice Tony Caridi and athletic director Wren Baker were the guest speakers at the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Kickoff Luncheon on Wednesday at Wheeling Park’s White Palace.

The luncheon celebrated the start of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle season, which will begin Saturday with bell ringers and red kettles to be found throughout the Ohio Valley.

Salvation Army Lt. John Lawrence said he loves heading out into the community and ringing those bells himself, seeing it as a way to offer support to his neighbors.

“You get to talk to people and you get to give them hope,” he said. “You get to meet the community that has supported us throughout the year.”

Lawrence told the White Palace crowd that that help is needed more than ever these days. Prices have gone up in stores across the board in recent months, and that problem was only made worse with the federal government shutdown and the suspension of SNAP benefits, leaving those in need in even more dire straits.

“I mentioned two weeks ago that our numbers had quadrupled,” Lawrence said. “Even if the government were to reopen today, it’s going to take weeks before their benefits are restored, before they’re made whole.”

Before talking about WVU athletics, Baker made it a point to mention the community’s benevolent spirit.

“When I come here, this community is making an effort to make life better for those that are the least among us that need help,” he said. “I think of all the communities we visit – and there are a lot of great communities across the state – but this is one that just seems like it’s always doing something to help people in the community.”

Baker then discussed the ever-evolving landscape of college athletics, where recent court decisions have allowed student-athletes to gain more income through name, image and likeness funds and revenue sharing through the universities. Yet, as those income opportunities grow, so must universities’ ability to fund them.

Baker said WVU is trying to stay ahead of the curve, mentioning the recent agreement with Hope Gas to buy the naming rights to what is now Hope Coliseum, as well as the multiple capital projects at the Coliseum and Milan Puskar Stadium. At both sites, the university is remodeling to add more premium seating and increase ticket revenue. That money, he said, will go back into the athletic program.

“We have found a way not just to survive, but to improvise, adapt and overcome,” Baker said. “And I think we’re going to thrive in the coming years in this new world.”

Baker also believes he has coaches in his top two revenue sports – Rich Rodriguez in football and Ross Hodge in basketball – that will help the athletic program thrive. Rodriguez is in his second stint at WVU after his first led to some of WVU’s most successful football seasons. The Mountaineers are 4-6, but have won their last two, including a road win over nationally ranked Houston.

Baker believes the future is bright with Rodriguez and the football program.

“I think you’ll see us take a giant leap forward in the league,” Baker said. “There is reason to believe that year two is going to be a lot better. You’re seeing our team over the last three weeks, they’ve gotten a lot better. They’re taking big steps forward.”

The men’s basketball team is 3-0 heading into Thursday’s rivalry game against Pitt. Baker has a history with Hodge, as both were at the University of North Texas at the same time. He feels Hodge is the type of person that WVU fans will appreciate.

“He’s just a genuine guy,” Baker said. “There’s no switch that he flips when he’s on stage. What you see is what you get, which I think people in this state really identify with and resonate with. I think they can see authenticity and genuineness.”