Sports news is as fluid as spring rain in West Virginia.
On Monday, for instance, there was yet another twist in the ongoing Big 12 expansion story. Oklahoma board of regents chairman Max Weitzenhoffer surprisingly came out against the expansion push that's been led by Sooners president Dave Boren. ("I can tell you," he added of others on the board, "I'm not alone.") Weitzenhoffer and Boren would then issue a joint statement late Monday evening with Weitzenhoffer pledging his support to Boren.
Crazy and, as I wrote, always evolving. Yet there's one constant, at least in these parts. There's death. There's taxes. And there are complaints about the cost of WVU season football tickets.
If you live within the craggy state lines of West Virginia, I ask this: Is there anyone who hasn't heard at least one complaint at one time? Anyone?
I thought not. And, once again, I've heard grumbling. So I contacted West Virginia's associate athletic director Matt Wells about the topic.
WVU is 26-25 over the last four seasons. No media outlet is predicting much from the Mountaineers in 2016. I asked: Could there really be a price increase?
The answer: Yes and no.
"Overall, for the vast majority, the cost is the same," Wells said. "There's no increase per seat gift or season ticket cost in regard to the general stands seats."
He said the basic seven-game ticket price (before donation) remains $395.
"Where there is a price increase is for the field box seats," Wells said. "That's part of our stadium improvements. We're adding heaters, cushion seats, etc.
"So, depending on the location, you could pay $1,300 up to $1,500 per seat for the premium sections, near the 50-yard line. There's also a [Mountaineer Athletic Club] component."
Those who delve into the process know it's incredibly complicated. If you wish to park in the Blue Lot and get decent seats, though, expect to first cough up $3,500.
"There's no change there," Wells said. "The only substantial increase is with the field box seats. There are approximately 2,700 of those. Last year, they were $900 per seat."
So the increase is from $400 to $600. Then I asked Wells about overall season ticket sales. When WVU announced it was extending the priority ticket deadline, some eyebrows were raised. Was it because of sluggish sales?
"No," he said. "We did that because the Coliseum was shut down. We wanted to be fair to those wanting to get tickets through the ticket office."
Wells confirmed, however, sales numbers have been "flat" in recent years.
"We're good," he said. "As of Friday, we were approaching 21,500 in [season ticket sales for 2016]. We're very much on the same track as last year. Last year at this time we were at 21,700. It's a good pace compared to last year."
It isn't, however, a great pace. Wells and his staff have shown creativity and flexibility with mini-packages and single-game promotions, etc. A recent report generated by the school, though, showed a steady decline in attendance per game over a 10-year period. There was a severe dip during the 4-8 2013 season.
Aside from that, WVU sold 27,948 season tickets last year, according to Wells. It marked the sixth straight drop.
That's significant. WVU can sell 39,000 season tickets. Since 2004, the high mark is 38,191 for the 2008 season. In 2007, it was 38,037.
Of course, the lack of success on the field is one reason for the down tick. The economy is another.
But also keep in mind what I've previously pointed out. Even though West Virginia is in a Power 5 conference, the school is not among the big-boy attendance leaders. Odds are, it will never be with such a small state populace.
Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama and Texas all average near or above 100,000. Last season, WVU drew an average of 54,826 at home. Actually, that's impressive. It does not, however, crack the Top 30 among FBS schools. BYU was at No. 30 by drawing an average of 58,532. (Something to mull: Kentucky was No. 27 at 61,295. Kentucky.)
Once again, the only two Big 12 schools to crack the Top 30 were Texas and Oklahoma. That's six percent.
The league, however, was third in average attendance only to the SEC and Big Ten.
WVU's down tick, though, can't just be attributed to a lack of success on the field. It is also a trend nationally.
For the fifth straight season, FBS attendance has seen a drop. Of the 127 teams, the 2015 average crowd was 43,933, according to the NCAA. That was a drop of 670 per game.
So, yes, WVU has seen a decline, but so have a lot of other schools. And, yes, some Mountaineers fans have been out-priced. But they too are not alone.
The numbers show they have plenty of company across the nation.