Just saw on FBS Future Schedules that WVU has scheduled UT Martin as their 3rd and final OOC game for 2026, and VMI for their 2nd OOC game in 2027. That means that after the 4 game series from 2022-2025, That means that there will be another break between the 2 schools. I am surprised since it seemed to me that they wanted the renewal more than Pitt. Speaking for myself, it is a rough atmosphere in Morgantown for visiting fans to Morgantown. I remember that Shady McCoy talked about the Pitt football bus was stoned by some of their fans, and I remember when they were throwing coins at one of Jamie Dixon's Assistant Coaches. I do not recall the name of the coach. I am speculating, of course, as to the future of the series. Maybe WVU will be invited to the ACC for the 2026 season. Thoughts........
Pitt and WVU
- Thread starter GreatBear71
- Start date
I'd be surprised if it doesn't continue in 4 or maybe 2 game blocks (not annual).
I'm guessing Pitt's mostly ever going to play only 1 P5 a year if they can and most of them will be ND, WVU.
I'm guessing Pitt's mostly ever going to play only 1 P5 a year if they can and most of them will be ND, WVU.
I agree, Tiger-Paul. I think they will schedule in such a way to be 4-0/3-1 OOC, and 5-3/6-2 in the ACC.
I agree, Tiger-Paul. I think they will schedule in such a way to be 4-0/3-1 OOC, and 5-3/6-2 in the ACC
I also think both schools know various realignment possibilities. If these conferences expand to 16, the ACC will go to 9 games. Also, the national playoffs may expand to 8 teams, which means the regular season may go back to 11 games only, 9 in conference and 2 OOC. WVU was leaving a spot for Pitt in 2026 and 2027. They still have an opening in 2027. The tea leaves show many possibilities
With NIL right around the corner, the entire CFB world is about to be turned on its head.
The NCAA has no teeth. The new NIL laws will allow schools to "buy" the best players.
The rest of P5 will get left in the dust including Pitt.
The answer: look for the majors to break away from the NCAA, with the "have nots" banding together to form some type of governance. This will guarantee a competitive sport going forward.
The best comparison would be the disadvantaged baseball teams telling the yankees and dodgers " without us, there is no you".
When this day gets here, Pitt and WVU will play every year once again
The NCAA has no teeth. The new NIL laws will allow schools to "buy" the best players.
The rest of P5 will get left in the dust including Pitt.
The answer: look for the majors to break away from the NCAA, with the "have nots" banding together to form some type of governance. This will guarantee a competitive sport going forward.
The best comparison would be the disadvantaged baseball teams telling the yankees and dodgers " without us, there is no you".
When this day gets here, Pitt and WVU will play every year once again
The “Haves” are already dominating the college football landscape, so what difference does the new NIL laws make? The “Haves” will continue to dominate.
I look forward to the day the Backyard Brawl becomes an annual game again.
Anyone who searches FBS Future Schedules should be banned from the Lair. Nfm
I’m glad Pitt is no longer in the Big East, and has to play WVU every year.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Isn't that part of the rivalry? The fans generally don't like each other. Not having a true rival on the schedule each year sucks, especially when we're playing Syracuse in front of 28,000 fans over Thanksgiving weekend every year.
It’s a different kind of dislike. More of a lack of respect for their fans. And, two of my best friends are WVU fans, so it’s not all of them. Just the overwhelming majority.
I suppose I can't relate. I have Pitt and Steelers season tickets. For the Steelers, the two games you always circle on the schedule are the Ravens and Patriots. Neither fanbase is particularly pleasant to deal with, especially New England. Loved when they come to Pittsburgh though because the atmosphere is electric. I think you see some disdain between most of the major rivalries in college football. Michigan and Ohio State fans are ridiculous, yet you never hear them saying they don't want to play each other because they don't like the fan base.
I just want a college atmosphere at Pitt games and sitting in a stadium with 35,000 fans against a mediocre ACC team like Duke or Virginia just doesn't do it. Rivalry games against West Virginia, Notre Dame, Penn State, and even Virginia Tech to some extent are the only times we get to experience any of that.
It’s most likely an age thing, too.
When I was a kid, and Pitt was an Eastern Independent, PSU was the rival. WVU was just another game played every year in the middle of the schedule. The only thing that made it a better game than, say, Syracuse, was the proximity of the schools.
The Big East moved the game to the end of the season, and called it ‘the Backyard Brawl’. To this day, when I hear people talk about the great rivalry, I can’t help but think of Big East football.
There’s a whole generation who sees WVU as a rival, and I get it. Joe killed the PSU rivalry at about the same time, and there was a void to be filled. I just can’t help but think it was built up to be more than it was, because it was the best the Big East had to offer.
I saw fights between players before the tipoff, between mascots and fans and
nearly head coaches at the FH for Pitt/WVU games. This in the 70s. Similar stuff for FB. That rivalry was as intense as with psu.
The reason I don't want to play Pitt is "I don't like their fans!"
Take that Raleigh.
See, we have one thing in common.
That is, other than posting on the Pitt board all the time.
I wish the ACC would arrange the schedule so PITT plays Da 'U' as the Final Game each Season, as that could build a long term New Rival. Also, when the Games are are at PITT in late November(would prefer the Friday after Thanksgiving unless the Season would end in December), the chance of Cold Temps and once in awhile possible snow, would provide a Nice Home Field Advantage. Although for Games in Miami, the Warmer Temps that time of year might have PITT Players feeling like it is a Pleasure Trip and maybe not as focused on the Game, as they should be, but that is up to the Coaches to establish the Culture of playing well in those Games.
Also, if PITT does not play in a Bowl Game or in one at a terrible location, Road Trip to Away Games in Miami is more appealing in late November or early December(and most Players headed to the NFL Draft are wise to skip meaningless Bowl Games anyways, and really, if not in the Playoffs, then not worth risking an injury by playing in any other Bowl Game(including the StepDaddy of them all-The Rose Bowl on years that place is not in the Playoffs Rotation Schedule).
Actually, if Notre Dame ever joins the ACC(doubt that will ever happen though once the Playoffs eventually expand to 8 Teams that provides ND even more of a chance to make the Playoffs), then I would love for Notre Dame to play PITT at the end of the year, but think their Final Game is usually at USC or Stanford, although if they join the ACC, not sure if they would be able to play Stanford every year, but assume the USC and Navy Games are 2 Schools that ND would always play on their OOC Schedule, if they ever did join the ACC(although again, doubt it will happen, since they did not like being a Full Time ACC Member enough this past year to consider joining permanently).
I could only see ND considering joining the ACC as a Full Time Member though, if Navy would be the 16th School added to help with ND keeping them on their Schedule without using one of their OCC Games for Navy. Then again, seeing some of the Schools ND is playing next year, hard to understand how they ended a long time scheduled game with Michigan State(think is the School who played ND the 3rd most Games after USC and Navy, then PITT maybe 4th or 5th as the most Games as an opponent for ND, but maybe someone else here can verify it, as I am not absolutely sure).
If WVU ever does get invited to join the ACC, then of course that Game already being a Rivalry, would be the best option as the Final Game each year. No idea though how many more years until Conferences can raid other Conference Teams again, and even if it happens, if the ACC would want to get WVU(Academics Reputation is no longer an excuse not to consider adding WVU, since the ACC invited Louisville, and if ND will not join, then the ACC would be best to also add Central Florida, as that School has a Large Student Population, and has developed a Strong Program with a Few Coaches over the past Decade, so if they hire another Good AD and HC, no reason for them to at least not remain competitive, especially with the Recruiting Area of the Entire State, that joining the ACC will only help UCF get some of the Better Florida Recruits, or at least the Better 3 Star Recruits).
Sorry, but playing Syracuse the end of the Season, despite the longer number of years of PITT having played them, just is not that exciting to me, but YMMV.
Also, if PITT does not play in a Bowl Game or in one at a terrible location, Road Trip to Away Games in Miami is more appealing in late November or early December(and most Players headed to the NFL Draft are wise to skip meaningless Bowl Games anyways, and really, if not in the Playoffs, then not worth risking an injury by playing in any other Bowl Game(including the StepDaddy of them all-The Rose Bowl on years that place is not in the Playoffs Rotation Schedule).
Actually, if Notre Dame ever joins the ACC(doubt that will ever happen though once the Playoffs eventually expand to 8 Teams that provides ND even more of a chance to make the Playoffs), then I would love for Notre Dame to play PITT at the end of the year, but think their Final Game is usually at USC or Stanford, although if they join the ACC, not sure if they would be able to play Stanford every year, but assume the USC and Navy Games are 2 Schools that ND would always play on their OOC Schedule, if they ever did join the ACC(although again, doubt it will happen, since they did not like being a Full Time ACC Member enough this past year to consider joining permanently).
I could only see ND considering joining the ACC as a Full Time Member though, if Navy would be the 16th School added to help with ND keeping them on their Schedule without using one of their OCC Games for Navy. Then again, seeing some of the Schools ND is playing next year, hard to understand how they ended a long time scheduled game with Michigan State(think is the School who played ND the 3rd most Games after USC and Navy, then PITT maybe 4th or 5th as the most Games as an opponent for ND, but maybe someone else here can verify it, as I am not absolutely sure).
If WVU ever does get invited to join the ACC, then of course that Game already being a Rivalry, would be the best option as the Final Game each year. No idea though how many more years until Conferences can raid other Conference Teams again, and even if it happens, if the ACC would want to get WVU(Academics Reputation is no longer an excuse not to consider adding WVU, since the ACC invited Louisville, and if ND will not join, then the ACC would be best to also add Central Florida, as that School has a Large Student Population, and has developed a Strong Program with a Few Coaches over the past Decade, so if they hire another Good AD and HC, no reason for them to at least not remain competitive, especially with the Recruiting Area of the Entire State, that joining the ACC will only help UCF get some of the Better Florida Recruits, or at least the Better 3 Star Recruits).
Sorry, but playing Syracuse the end of the Season, despite the longer number of years of PITT having played them, just is not that exciting to me, but YMMV.
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Final games so far
Miami
Miami
Miami
Cuse
Miami
Miami
BC
Covid
Cuse
I remember Swofford or somebody saying the plan was mostly Miami or Cuse for Pitt.
Miami
Miami
Miami
Cuse
Miami
Miami
BC
Covid
Cuse
I remember Swofford or somebody saying the plan was mostly Miami or Cuse for Pitt.
Lousy time being at a game with WVU fans. They lose their minds when they see a PITT fan. Too many PITT fans have said they would never go back to Morgantown to see a game.
Tiger Paul and I are the schedule people on this site. Rivalry games at the end of the season is NO PROBLEM for the ACC. Clemson, Louisville, Georgia Tech, and Florida State all play their state rivals from the SEC the last game of the season. (South Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida.) The question is whether the Big 12 would go along with that for West Virginia and Pitt for the end of the season, as the Big 12 schedules all of its teams that day. One Big 12 team would have to be okay to end their regular season 1 game in advance.
As for Miami, before Pitt, Syracuse , Notre Dame (partially), and Louisville entered the ACC, Mithami and South Florida had a series the last game of the season like the above mentioned schools. I believe it was 5 years. Tiger Paul showed you that Pitt and Miami had a number of games since 2013, when we started play in the ACC. Having Miami , Cuse, and BC at the end of the season, is like PSU having Michigan State, Rutgers, or Maryland at the end. BC for us in the current scheduling would be once every 6 years, as they are in the Atlantic Division. If the ACC goes to the proposed 3, 5, 5 model of scheduling, with BC, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech being permanent rivals, that would help having them at the end from the league. WVU would be the first choice if they remain in the Big 12. I saw that they are now fully scheduled for 2026, so at the moment, they can only play us from 2022-2025. We have Wisconsin for 2026 and 2027. I think Pitt is trying to have 1 power 5 per season out of conference. We have Tennessee this year, but WVU and Tennessee in 2022, WVU and ND in 2023 and 2025, and at the moment, just WVU in 2024 as power 5 opponents. If things stay the same with ND, we next play ND in 2023 and 2028 to end the decade with ND. 2029 is fully open at the moment. Of course, conference realignment would change this, as well as a possible 8 team college football playoff.
As for Miami, before Pitt, Syracuse , Notre Dame (partially), and Louisville entered the ACC, Mithami and South Florida had a series the last game of the season like the above mentioned schools. I believe it was 5 years. Tiger Paul showed you that Pitt and Miami had a number of games since 2013, when we started play in the ACC. Having Miami , Cuse, and BC at the end of the season, is like PSU having Michigan State, Rutgers, or Maryland at the end. BC for us in the current scheduling would be once every 6 years, as they are in the Atlantic Division. If the ACC goes to the proposed 3, 5, 5 model of scheduling, with BC, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech being permanent rivals, that would help having them at the end from the league. WVU would be the first choice if they remain in the Big 12. I saw that they are now fully scheduled for 2026, so at the moment, they can only play us from 2022-2025. We have Wisconsin for 2026 and 2027. I think Pitt is trying to have 1 power 5 per season out of conference. We have Tennessee this year, but WVU and Tennessee in 2022, WVU and ND in 2023 and 2025, and at the moment, just WVU in 2024 as power 5 opponents. If things stay the same with ND, we next play ND in 2023 and 2028 to end the decade with ND. 2029 is fully open at the moment. Of course, conference realignment would change this, as well as a possible 8 team college football playoff.
I'm not as hung up on rivalries as I used to be. The reason WVU and PSU were big games was because you played them annually and the games mattered. If Pitt gets to the point where it is challenging for the Coastal title every year, a new rivalry will emerge.
That’s my point, too.
PSU mattered when we were both Eastern Independents.
WVU mattered when we were both Big East members.
The ACC will provide a rival so long as Pitt holds up it’s end of the bargain, and wins enough to matter.
Personally, I would love to be in the position where Miami and/or UNC are the "big" games every year that determine who wins the Coastal. TV, big attendance. That's what starts rivalries.
WVU and Pitt won’t play every year, for now, but they could play 2 times a decade for sure (maybe 4). Conference expansion is silly talk. The next movement will be away from conference structure and the other sports. Teams like Wake Forest, Vandy, etc will be very much screwed.
I DO think there’s a greater likelihood that this move will increase the probability that WVU will play Pitt and VPI on a more regular basis. It will be fascinating to see how it shakes out. Have no idea what the structure looks like but would be willing to guarantee it involves the heavyweights playing each other VERY frequently. Too much money involved and the loss of viewership throughout the regular season is because of the lack of competitive games. The other benefit is that it’ll keep more people tuned in for the entirety of the season and not just the big boys. I don’t think it’s reasonable to level playing field by bringing big boys down.
A different structure would likely involve multiple “tiers” of leagues that will definitely be geographically focused and based on number of eyeballs watching....not an area’s cable subscription coverage. The B1G wishes they could’ve landed other schools I bet. And they probably could’ve done so.
I DO think there’s a greater likelihood that this move will increase the probability that WVU will play Pitt and VPI on a more regular basis. It will be fascinating to see how it shakes out. Have no idea what the structure looks like but would be willing to guarantee it involves the heavyweights playing each other VERY frequently. Too much money involved and the loss of viewership throughout the regular season is because of the lack of competitive games. The other benefit is that it’ll keep more people tuned in for the entirety of the season and not just the big boys. I don’t think it’s reasonable to level playing field by bringing big boys down.
A different structure would likely involve multiple “tiers” of leagues that will definitely be geographically focused and based on number of eyeballs watching....not an area’s cable subscription coverage. The B1G wishes they could’ve landed other schools I bet. And they probably could’ve done so.
I'd like to know if Miami considers Pitt anything close to a rival. Pitt beats Miami once a decade. Miami has beaten Pitt handily on days when the temps were in the deep freeze and often when the Canes had the inferior team on paper. Pitt needs to win a larger chunk of these games -- and North Carolina -- to be relevant in the division.
I don't know if Miami would ever view Pitt as a rival, but it is the best outcome for the final week of the season. Here's what I'd do if I were the ACC scheduler:
GT- UGA
FSU - Florida
Clemson - SCAR
Louisville- Kentucky
Are all inviolable. So from there you have 5 games to make and in theory it should be easy:
VT-UVA
Duke-Wake Forest
UNC- NCSU
Cuse- Boston College
This leaves Pitt-Miami the easy best pairing, since they do have history, are schools in urban markets, Big East schools, etc... even if Miami wins most all of those games.
I think in years BC plays Miami you could definitely put Pitt - Cuse and have them play last- it would be novel for sure and there's some history for BC and Miami too.
I am the world's biggest fan of the annual Pitt - Syracuse game but I don't think it needs hate week if the alternative is putting on Duke vs. Miami in the final game.
I would also love to see Pitt - WVU in hate week, but it leaves an uneven number of teams. ND will be playing their last game of the season in California in perpetuity, so you would need another team to pick up a hate week opponent for this to work- basically, Wake and Vanderbilt would have to go ahead and try again to give us the option.
GT- UGA
FSU - Florida
Clemson - SCAR
Louisville- Kentucky
Are all inviolable. So from there you have 5 games to make and in theory it should be easy:
VT-UVA
Duke-Wake Forest
UNC- NCSU
Cuse- Boston College
This leaves Pitt-Miami the easy best pairing, since they do have history, are schools in urban markets, Big East schools, etc... even if Miami wins most all of those games.
I think in years BC plays Miami you could definitely put Pitt - Cuse and have them play last- it would be novel for sure and there's some history for BC and Miami too.
I am the world's biggest fan of the annual Pitt - Syracuse game but I don't think it needs hate week if the alternative is putting on Duke vs. Miami in the final game.
I would also love to see Pitt - WVU in hate week, but it leaves an uneven number of teams. ND will be playing their last game of the season in California in perpetuity, so you would need another team to pick up a hate week opponent for this to work- basically, Wake and Vanderbilt would have to go ahead and try again to give us the option.
Pitt and WVU could happen every year if both were in the ACC. I do not think Pitt would want to play them EVERY year if they are in the Big 12, as we want just 1 Power 5 OOC except when ND is on the schedule. But with the tv contracts up for the BIG 10, PAC 12, the BIG 12, and Notre Dame between 2023-2025, there is the potential for SO MUCH to happen, you really cannot concentrate on the realistic possibilities. The ACC and the SEC have contracts running out in the mid 2030's.
Miami-Pitt isn’t going to become a rivalry game, and I’m not sure why the ACC would have any interest in artificially making it a rivalry game?
Miami-UNC will be the ACC Coastal rivalry they try to force before Miami-Pitt.
Miami-UNC will be the ACC Coastal rivalry they try to force before Miami-Pitt.
UNC's got NC State and Duke and Virginia and in a blue moon Wake Forest already.
Pitt-Miami will never be the Backyard Brawl. It will never be Miami-FSU. It will never even be Pitt-Cuse.
But it is an annual game and it does make the most sense to play it last.
Pitt-Miami will never be the Backyard Brawl. It will never be Miami-FSU. It will never even be Pitt-Cuse.
But it is an annual game and it does make the most sense to play it last.
We have played Miami in November quite a few times over the years. Name me one time, just once, where the weather in Pittsburgh played a factor.
Every time we get them up here in November some Pitt fans talk about how big an advantage the weather is going to be for us. And then it never, literally never, ends up being anything of the sort.
Pitt is actually Miami's most played opponent outside the state of Florida, making Pitt their third most played opponent. The University of Miami was actually founded by a bunch of Pitt faculty, including Miami's founding president who was a Pitt alumni, faculty member, and administrator.
If Pitt could make the series more interesting, there are a lot of ties there, including a sizable Pitt alumni base in South Florida.
If Pitt could make the series more interesting, there are a lot of ties there, including a sizable Pitt alumni base in South Florida.
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BTW, here are Pitt's most played opponents:
West Virginia 104 (Pitt is WVU's most played opponent by 44 games)
Penn State 100 (Pitt is PSU's most played opponent by 29 games)
Syracuse 76 (Pitt is SU's most played opponent by 5 games)
Notre Dame 72 (Pitt is ND's 5th most played opponent after Navy, USC, Purdue, and MSU; next closest is Army with 51)
Miami (FL) 40 (Pitt is UM's 3rd most played opponent after FSU and UF)
Navy 40 (Pitt is tied with Duke and UVA as Navy's 6th most played opponent)
Washington & Jefferson 33 (now Division III)
Boston College 32 (Pitt is BC's 8th most played opponent)
(I wonder if Pitt the only school to be the most played opponent for three different schools from three different conferences?)
On the basketball side, it looks like this:
WVU 188 (Pitt is WVU's most-played opponent)
Penn State 148 (Pitt is PSU's most-played opponent)
Carnegie Tech/Mellon 124 (now Division III)
Syracuse 120 (Pitt is SU's 3rd most played opponent after Colgate and Cornell)
Duquesne 87 (Pitt is Duquesne's third most played opponent, only one game behind WVU)
Westminster 81 (now Division III, Pitt is Westminster's 9th most played opponent)
Georgetown 77 (Pitt is GU's 6th most played opponent)
Notre Dame 67 (Pitt is ND's 7th most played opponent)
West Virginia 104 (Pitt is WVU's most played opponent by 44 games)
Penn State 100 (Pitt is PSU's most played opponent by 29 games)
Syracuse 76 (Pitt is SU's most played opponent by 5 games)
Notre Dame 72 (Pitt is ND's 5th most played opponent after Navy, USC, Purdue, and MSU; next closest is Army with 51)
Miami (FL) 40 (Pitt is UM's 3rd most played opponent after FSU and UF)
Navy 40 (Pitt is tied with Duke and UVA as Navy's 6th most played opponent)
Washington & Jefferson 33 (now Division III)
Boston College 32 (Pitt is BC's 8th most played opponent)
(I wonder if Pitt the only school to be the most played opponent for three different schools from three different conferences?)
On the basketball side, it looks like this:
WVU 188 (Pitt is WVU's most-played opponent)
Penn State 148 (Pitt is PSU's most-played opponent)
Carnegie Tech/Mellon 124 (now Division III)
Syracuse 120 (Pitt is SU's 3rd most played opponent after Colgate and Cornell)
Duquesne 87 (Pitt is Duquesne's third most played opponent, only one game behind WVU)
Westminster 81 (now Division III, Pitt is Westminster's 9th most played opponent)
Georgetown 77 (Pitt is GU's 6th most played opponent)
Notre Dame 67 (Pitt is ND's 7th most played opponent)
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