The Friends of Coal Bowl is an annual college football game played between the West Virginia University MountaineersMarshall University Thundering Herd. The game is sponsored by the Friends of Coal, a coal industry trade group. The FOC Bowl is planned to be a seven year series, the Friends of Coal Bowl was organized by the West Virginia Coal Association at the urging of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin. and the
The first game of the series was played in Morgantown, West Virginia at Mountaineer Field on September 2, 2006 and was won by the Mountaineers 42-10. The location for the game will alternate every year between Morgantown and Huntington, West Virginia where Marshall plays at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
The first trophy awarded to the winning team is called the Governor's Cup. It was presented by the West Virginia Governor and housed at the university which won the first annual matchup. The first trophy made completely in West Virginia, is made of a carbon base, a glass pedestal, and football-shaped piece of coal enclosed in glass. It was designed by Rick Mogielski.
