Varian Cunningham: Carrying WVSU’s Homecoming Traditions Into the Next Generation

For West Virginia State University Hall of Famer Varian Cunningham, Homecoming is more than a football game. It is the sound of the step show, the energy of the tailgate and the familiar faces that return to Institute year after year.

It is also a reminder of how the traditions built at WVSU continue to shape his work with young athletes today.

Cunningham played both football and basketball for the Yellow Jackets after beginning his collegiate career at Bethune-Cookman University. Returning to West Virginia gave the local standout an opportunity to compete near home and reconnect with family.

“That move to State was a blessing,” Cunningham said. “Things just fell in place.”

His memories of WVSU Homecoming stretch well beyond the field. Cunningham remembers the Dusk-to-Dawn parties and concerts that brought major artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Foxy Brown and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to the area.

“It was really culture,” Cunningham said. “People were coming to Charleston. State had a lot to do with it.”

The step show remains another essential part of that culture. Cunningham recalled it as one of the events everyone wanted to attend—a gathering where music, movement and Black Greek traditions took center stage. He also credited the W Club and longtime supporters who have worked to preserve the university’s athletic history.

“Homecoming is nothing without the W Club,” he said.

On the field, Cunningham proudly remembers that the Yellow Jackets never lost a Homecoming game during his playing career. But one game remains especially vivid for a more difficult reason. While having one of his best performances, he injured his knee before halftime and could not return.

The injury forced him to think about who he was beyond athletics.

“It humbled me,” Cunningham said. “It made me think more about life without sports.”

That lesson now follows Cunningham into every gym and onto every field where he coaches. In addition to supporting youth basketball programs in the community, he coaches high school football and serves as an assistant basketball coach at West Side Middle School.

He often tells young players about being benched during his sophomore season. Cunningham considered quitting, but his mother would not allow him to give up. He continued practicing until his opportunity came during the playoffs. He entered the game in the second half, helped his team win and regained his starting position.

“You’re only one play away,” he tells his players. “Be ready when your number is called.”

That message—wait your turn, learn from those ahead of you and remain prepared—connects Cunningham’s generation of athletes to the young people he coaches today. He believes players should know the history of their sport and the athletes who created opportunities before them.

Despite his records and Hall of Fame recognition, Cunningham is quick to share the credit with his former teammates.

“We all are in the Hall of Fame,” he said. “If I made it, they made it.”

That sense of shared accomplishment is also what brings WVSU alumni home. Cunningham said former students return because of the bonds they created and the good times they still hope to experience together.

“You know it’s Homecoming” when the W Club raffle tickets arrive in the mail, Cunningham joked. But the deeper sign is the gathering itself: old teammates embracing, generations exchanging stories and the WVSU family showing up—rain or shine.

For Cunningham, coming home is not simply about remembering the past. It is about passing its lessons forward.

“We are all in the Hall of Fame. If I made it, they made it.”

– Varian Cunningham