What dual would you like to see every year?

[Eric_Knopsnyder]

Now that football has locked up four more Backyard Brawl meetings, what rival would you like to see Pitt wrestle every year?
Penn State? It pops up on the schedule every now and then but isn't a constant. Pitt would be a big underdog almost every year for the foreseeable future, but do you want to see them tested against the best, even if it means having to listen to PSU fans?
West Virginia? A bigger rival than Penn State for many, the 'Eers have been down for a while. They're often on the schedule, but it's not a constant. Would it be good for Pitt? There are still quite a few WPIAL products in Morgantown. Is it worth giving WVU more exposure here?
Lehigh? Just going from memory, but it seems like this is the one out-of-conference constant. Good exposure for the program in District 11 against a very solid opponent and a yearly reunion with Pat Santoro, but does it excite you?
Ohio State? Not a rival, but the Buckeyes have been very good and have been killing it on the recruiting front, including in Pa. Tom Ryan probably wouldn't mind adding some more Keystone State exposure. Would you want to see them at the Field House every other year?
Edinboro, Clarion, Lock Haven? Former EWL rivals who aren't quite at the level that they used to be but still have some talented individuals. Do you want to see Pitt wrestle other Pa. schools on an annual basis?

 

[thom67]

I would like to see Iowa come to the Pitt.

 

[Silkky1982]

I would like to see a top program(Iowa, Cornell, Missouri, Oklahoma state, etc.) some top program alternating every 2 years. Penn state would be fun but that would teach us how we are not even close to recruiting good enough as whole then what we currently are. I think Cornell would be a good one

 

[Eric_Knopsnyder]

I'm sure the coaching staff would love to have a marquee home dual every year as well. Lining them up is a different story. I think the best chances of making that happen are to piggyback with a West Virginia or Penn State. Say, if Iowa is at Penn State on Friday and Pitt on Sunday or Oklahoma State is at WVU in a scenario like that. I don't see either of them making too many trips to Pittsburgh for one dual. Travel wouldn't be nearly so bad for Cornell, but they never seem to wrestle each other.

 

[Ryno53]

Lock haven is recruiting well so I think that could be interesting and of course if WVU keeps trending up that would be a great rivalry. Little off the wall but I would like to see some matches against Oregon state. I see them as a program very similar to Pitt

 

[New York Panther]

Any of those that you mention would be good, with the possible exception of Ohio State because the increased positive exposure for them in Western PA.

 

[_DBHoops]

WVU and Lock would be nice rivals during our rise. LHU won the MAC last year in kind of a surprise. Think they won the assistant coach lottery by hiring Nate Carr.

 

[pafootballguy]

I'm sure the coaching staff would love to have a marquee home dual every year as well. Lining them up is a different story. I think the best chances of making that happen are to piggyback with a West Virginia or Penn State. Say, if Iowa is at Penn State on Friday and Pitt on Sunday or Oklahoma State is at WVU in a scenario like that. I don't see either of them making too many trips to Pittsburgh for one dual. Travel wouldn't be nearly so bad for Cornell, but they never seem to wrestle each other.

The idea of piggybacking on a weekend pretty much eliminates Iowa, they haven't wrestled a dual in State College since 2018 and it is not even a lock that Penn State and Iowa wrestle every year.

 

[NAtiger112]

I’d like to see Cornell, Nebraska, or Missouri. Good schools that will bring in fans, but Pitt may still pull off a win against, or stay competitive with, much like the ASU dual.

Of course Iowa and Penn State would be nice too see, but I’d rather watch them in a more competitive matchup. Still have ways to go to be at their level.

 

[lucac]

Yearly WVU would be nice of the obvious choices. They are down but he's doing a solid job building that program back and in a couple years it will probably be more competitive. Pass on PSU because that's just a blow out lose every year for the foreseeable future and its cool to wrestle the Ediboros and Clarions of the world but I don't think anyone really he gets to excited for those matchups even though some of those PSAC schools have solid programs.

 

[Harleyst99]

Ok State was supposed to come to WVU, and meet up with Columbia as well this year, but it got canceled because of Covid protocols. But a possible piggy back with WVU for OK State or Missouri. The WVU match up might be interesting for the next few years with Sullivan and Cooley now on the other team. Although, neither spent much time here. Not sure what wt Sullivan is going either.

 

[_DBHoops]

Ok State was supposed to come to WVU, and meet up with Columbia as well this year, but it got canceled because of Covid protocols. But a possible piggy back with WVU for OK State or Missouri. The WVU match up might be interesting for the next few years with Sullivan and Cooley now on the other team. Although, neither spent much time here. Not sure what wt Sullivan is going either.

Is Sullivan still wrestling? He wasn't on anyone's roster last year.

Maryland will be much improved next year, I hope they're on the schedule again.

As part of the wrestling sim I'm building, I gave each D1 team two "protected rivals" that they'll face out of conference every year. Pitt's were WVU and Lehigh and I feel pretty good about those.

 

[Harleyst99]

I saw a post on WVU’ Facebook page back in January and Coach Flynn said that was hoping Cooley could get in by the end of the year (which didn’t happen). He said that Sullivan was in the room and should see him next year

 

[thom67]

The idea of piggybacking on a weekend pretty much eliminates Iowa, they haven't wrestled a dual in State College since 2018 and it is not even a lock that Penn State and Iowa wrestle every year.

Iowa just signed a 2 year deal with Penn. They wrestle at Penn this fall with return match next year in Iowa. Iowa has a history of traveling to states where their wrestlers were in high school. With Spencer Lee and other pa kids, Pitt would have been the perfect match.

 

[Cranberry Pantherfan]

Now that football has locked up four more Backyard Brawl meetings, what rival would you like to see Pitt wrestle every year?
Penn State? It pops up on the schedule every now and then but isn't a constant. Pitt would be a big underdog almost every year for the foreseeable future, but do you want to see them tested against the best, even if it means having to listen to PSU fans?
West Virginia? A bigger rival than Penn State for many, the 'Eers have been down for a while. They're often on the schedule, but it's not a constant. Would it be good for Pitt? There are still quite a few WPIAL products in Morgantown. Is it worth giving WVU more exposure here?
Lehigh? Just going from memory, but it seems like this is the one out-of-conference constant. Good exposure for the program in District 11 against a very solid opponent and a yearly reunion with Pat Santoro, but does it excite you?
Ohio State? Not a rival, but the Buckeyes have been very good and have been killing it on the recruiting front, including in Pa. Tom Ryan probably wouldn't mind adding some more Keystone State exposure. Would you want to see them at the Field House every other year?
Edinboro, Clarion, Lock Haven? Former EWL rivals who aren't quite at the level that they used to be but still have some talented individuals. Do you want to see Pitt wrestle other Pa. schools on an annual basis?

Bucknell, selfishly for the next 4 years