West Virginia footballers won’t show off their Tiktok dance moves this season after head coach Rich Rodriguez banned this practice, citing the image and concentration of the team.
Rodriguez told reporters this week that he believes the image of “soft” shooting and posting dance videos on popular social media platforms contradicts the difficult mentality he hopes his team will embody.
“Like, look, we’re trying to have hard edges or anything, and the tights you dance on Tiktok aren’t the image of the plan I wanted,” he said.
In addition to image concerns, Rodriguez also said the trend promotes individualism and he hopes to keep his team away.
“I can do that,” he said. “I can make rules. Twenty years from now on, if they want to sit in their pajamas in the basement, eat chitos, look at tiktok or any other hell, they can go, smoke, anyway.”
He added: “I hope our focus can win football. Let’s win football without worrying about winning tiktok?”
Rodriguez’s stance may be unpopular among modern players, as many top athletes are actively involved in the Tiktok trend. Last year’s Heisman Trophy champion Travis Hunter and finalist Ashton Jeanty frequently posted dance videos.
Nonetheless, Rodriguez’s decision seemed unwavering, making it clear that if fans wanted to see footballers dancing on Tiktok, they would have to watch outside the climber’s locker room.
