From the White House to the local police department, TikTok trends are now part of the cultural conversation—for better or worse. But don’t expect to see the latest dance craze in the West Virginia football team’s locker room.
Asked whether he had a social media policy for his program, Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez didn’t mince words: “We try to have a hard edge, whatever. And you’re in there in your tights, dancing on TikTok? That ain’t quite the image of our program I want.”
Rodriguez clarified he wasn’t banning players from the platform entirely—just dancing on it. “Twenty years from now, if they want to be sitting in their pajamas in the basement eatin’ Cheetos and watching TikTok or whatever the hell, they can go at it. Smokin’ cannabis or whatever? Knock yourself out,” he said, via The Athletic‘s David Ubben. “Hopefully the focus can be on winning football games. How about we win the football game and not worry about winning the TikTok?”
While many sports fans agreed with Rodriguez’s no-nonsense stance, others felt he might be stifling his athletes’ futures. “Rich Rod is antiquated, but he isn’t obtuse,” one person posted on X. “So he delegitimizes a pathway for his athletes to carve out a brand for their own financial futures. He creates a chilling effect on self-determination and remains undoubtedly in control.”
Just cut to the root of this: Control.
— Brad Friedman (@BradFriedman713) March 12, 2025
Rich Rod is antiquated, but he isn’t obtuse.
So he delegitimizes a pathway for his athletes to carve out a brand for their own financial futures.
He creates a chilling effect on self-determination and remains undoubtedly in control. https://t.co/npoQdBAV8x
Another added, “Not only is RichRod banning his players from dancing on TikTok (a string of words I never thought I’d write together) a potential employment issue but it also likely violates the athletes’ First Amendment rights.”
Regardless of Rodriguez’s take, plenty of players seem to have no problem juggling TikTok and football. Travis Hunter, who played college ball for Jackson State and Colorado, regularly posts dance videos to his 1.9 million TikTok followers. A video from August 2024—featuring Hunter in a tiger-print onesie—has racked up 5.4 million views. It didn’t stop him from winning the Heisman Trophy, college football’s highest honor.
@_travishunter 6 more days until game day #football #travishunter #dance
♬ original sound – DjBigChris305
Even Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty is still posting. His latest dance video, uploaded this week, has already topped two million views.
@__bigduece.2x I was dancing at every family gathering😂 #fyp #viral
♬ Bad (feat. Tiara Thomas) – Wale
Turns out, you can win the football game—and win “the TikTok.”
https://www.fastcompany.com/91297871/west-virginia-football-coach-rich-rodriguez-isnt-here-for-locker-room-dances?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rssLogin to add comment
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