Happy polar vortex, everyone.

As the offseason storylines continue to ebb, peak and flow with news of transfers and coaching hires, one thing that many West Virginia fans are keeping their ear to the ground for are leaks regarding a new uniform set for 2019.

As is already public knowledge, West Virginia’s contract with Nike was set to expire on June 30th of this year but was extended to run through June 2026. With loyalty to the swoosh reaffirmed, today provided a possible peak behind the curtain of what could be the next and newest look for the Mountaineers:

Assuming this is a glimpse of actual things to come, those among us who were hoping for a callback to simpler times might have reason to celebrate. This concept bears a strong resemblance to the uniforms worn during the Nehlen era and are relatively toned down in comparison to the modern, “pick-axe” script adorning West Virginia’s current game day threads.

It is certainly a season of change in Morgantown with Neal Brown just recently moving into the head coach’s office and a change up in the Mountaineers’ game day look might just be both a clever and timely PR to help ensure the yet-to-be scheduled spring game is a rousing success.

Red herring or not, these uniform concepts retain classic Mountaineer aesthetic with some modern touches. Georgia with an Appalachian twist, perhaps?

Odds are, nothing will be unveiled in-full until West Virginia takes the field for its annual spring game. Until then, your hopes for a “coal rush” design are very much alive and well.