Who is our biggest ACC rival?

[HailToPitt725]

We're one of the few unlucky schools that have all our major rivals outside of our conference. That meant when we joined the ACC in 2013, we were going to have to create some new ones. Who is our biggest in-conference rival, in your opinion?

A couple nominations:

- Virginia Tech: Almost every game we play is a close one, dating back to the Big East. This is my choice.

- North Carolina: Have not beaten them yet in the ACC, but every game has been extremely close (some going down to the last second), and we did beat them in 2009/10 bowl game in their home state.

- Syracuse: Joined the ACC with us in 2013. Lots of history between us, but we've had their number lately. A lot of the games have been closer than they should be; this would be my pick if they had more success in football.

- Miami: Haven't had much success with them in dating back to the 1990's, but the games are usually hyped up and anticipated.

Any others? What say you?

 

[Swervin27]

good question. I hate va tech the most, history there and some recent cheap shots by fuentes and a lot of recruiting competition. Not sure they are rivals though. Does any opposing fanbase hate us besides wvu and psu? I doubt it..

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

good question. I hate va tech the most, history there and some recent cheap shots by fuentes and a lot of recruiting competition. Not sure they are rivals though. Does any opposing fanbase hate us besides wvu and psu? I doubt it..

Syracuse maybe. And that is mostly from owning them in basketball the last almost 2 decades.

 

[kma0043]

The other side has to some dislike for us too to make it a rival, so I'd say VT. But if we can beat UNC a couple times and Duzz and Fedora stay put, then I could see Tar Heels becoming a rival.

 

[Swervin27]

Syracuse maybe. And that is mostly from owning them in basketball the last almost 2 decades.

I think Syracuse hoops rival I think g'town and UConn.. Some epic games over the last few decades but I just don't think of us as rivals..

 

[CaptainMurphy]

I think it would have to be one of the few schools that doesn't have a natural ACC rival. VTech has UVA, FSU has Miami, the NC schools all have each other. The schools without natural ACC rivals would be us, Louisville, GTech, BC, Syracuse, and Louisville, right? Syracuse makes the most sense but it hopefully something develops organically.

 

[ratking17]

I would like to say Clemson, but until they actually beat us, you can't claim they are a rival

 

[vegasgreed]

We need to develop a conference rivalry, it would go a long way. But also keep in mind, GT plays Georgia every year. Same for Clemson playing SC. FSU playing florida. UVA played VT every year when VT was in the Big East. These games are big as well, there is a reason why these games are played.

 

[HailToPitt725]

I think it would have to be one of the few schools that doesn't have a natural ACC rival. VTech has UVA, FSU has Miami, the NC schools all have each other. The schools without natural ACC rivals would be us, Louisville, GTech, BC, Syracuse, and Louisville, right? Syracuse makes the most sense but it hopefully something develops organically.

That's a good way of looking at it. I'd think schools could have two rivalries in conference (FSU has Clemson and Miami) but if you use that approach I'd say Cuse, but again it'd be better if they had more success.

 

[Deer Head]

Cuse is an odd series with total ownership on both sides for extended periods. On paper it looks like it should be more so but it just isnt.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I would like to say Clemson, but until they actually beat us, you can't claim they are a rival

That's true. We have beat Clemson every time we have played them for the last 35 years. There is no rivalry, it is one sided.

 

[DiehardPanther]

VT - We had some good, intense games in the BE. NOVA has a lot of VT alums and is only 4 hours away. Pitt has some alums in that area as well. We are in the same division. This game has the most potential for a rivalry if both teams are good.

 

[Cathedral Lawn Frisbee]

I vote VT

 

[HailToPitt725]

That's true. We have beat Clemson every time we have played them for the last 35 years. There is no rivalry, it is one sided.

In all seriousness, how cool would it be if we played Clemson on Labor Day night like that FSU game in 2013 to kick off the season when they finally make the trip up here? There could be some cool headlines coming into that game about the last time they played.

Too bad most of those games are the out-of-conference neutral site games now.

 

[cbpitt2]

Even though going to the ACC was a good thing, losing old rivals is at times the cost. For us to be a rival the other school has to consider us their rival doesn't it?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for Virginia Tech, to them I would think Miami and Virginia are considered their rivals.
For Georgia Tech, Georgia.
For Miami, Florida State is their rival game.
For North Carolina, North Carolina State is their rival game.

Until we're in the league for a while we're unrivaled. We do have a history with Syracuse but we own them on the football field. The games with Virginia Tech have been good ones and usually close and we've upset them when they were ranked, so I guess VT would be the closest thing to a rival.

 

[HailToPitt725]

Even though going to the ACC was a good thing, losing old rivals is at times the cost. For us to be a rival the other school has to consider us their rival doesn't it?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for Virginia Tech, to them I would think Miami and Virginia are considered their rivals.
For Georgia Tech, Georgia.
For Miami, Florida State is their rival game.
For North Carolina, North Carolina State is their rival game.

Until we're in the league for a while we're unrivaled. We do have a history with Syracuse but we own them on the football field. The games with Virginia Tech have been good ones and usually close and we've upset them when they were ranked, so I guess VT would be the closest thing to a rival.

Unrivaled, you say. Does that mean we "Dominate the State?"

 

[Pizzaboy1]

This sounds like the Wvu board,no rival in sight for either team!

 

[Saboteur]

We didn't lose rivals with the ACC. Penn State won't play anymore and we elected to keep WVU off.
CUSE is not a rival.
UNC could be.

 

[Pizzaboy1]

Oliver Luck didn't help keep the Wvu-Pitt series going.It was both sides not just Pitt why the series was discontinued.Luck did get WVU into the Big 12 but his mouth didn't help with Pitt.

 

[KiwiJeff]

Pitt

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

One thing about college football that we all got to love is the adherence and celebration of its traditions.

Oh, I forgot, which is the sarcasm font color?

 

[pittdan77]

Oliver Luck didn't help keep the Wvu-Pitt series going.It was both sides not just Pitt why the series was discontinued.Luck did get WVU into the Big 12 but his mouth didn't help with Pitt.

Biggest reason I'd be on board with WVU jumping to the ACC is to get that rivalry back.

To be honest, Pitt won't have a "rivalry" game in conference until they are good enough to compete for the title every year.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

We need to come to grips with the fact that other than Syracuse, or maybe Miami, Pitt won't have a rivalry game in the ACC.

Every other school that we would like to develop a rivalry game with already has one that we won't surpass.

Va. Tech won't look past UVA for any rivalry. Period.

UNC can choose from NCSU or Duke.

The River City Rivalry never existed in the Big East as a true Rivalry, and I don't see things changing in the ACC.

I guess Ga. Tech could be someone on the radar. I just don't see that happening.

 

[NNFAN]

In football, I would say that we don't have a rival in the ACC. It's just that way. Maybe down the road a few years- if we start winning consistently.

 

[DiehardPanther]

Biggest reason I'd be on board with WVU jumping to the ACC is to get that rivalry back.

To be honest, Pitt won't have a "rivalry" game in conference until they are good enough to compete for the title every year.

We can still play them as it is, and still be a rivalry game. They don't have to become a conference member. GT vs UGA for example.

 

[pittdan77]

We can still play them as it is, and still be a rivalry game. They don't have to become a conference member. GT vs UGA for example.

Perhaps. Game would mean so much more if it meant a division championship in the last week of the season.

 

[Burgh15]

If you have to ask the question it probably means you don't have a big rival, but I'd say VT is the game I get most excited for.

 

[hhead020309]

In my house ---- Wake Forest. Son wants to go there --- at $70K per year. That's a lot of dislike.

 

[Panther Holla]

In basketball, Syracuse. Although Pitt may not be #1 in the minds of Orange fans.

In football we do not have one outside of Cuse. I doubt we're on the Hokies' radar. Miami? Need to beat them more than once a decade to get their attention. When conference foes start talking about "circling the Pitt game" you'll know Pitt has arrived.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

1. North Carolina
2. VT
3. Cuse

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

WVU, once the b12 breaks up and we take em ... with Texas of course

 

[PantherO]

If we are having this discussion, I think that means we don't have one. Negative effect from the conference realignment.

 

[Pitt4Life34]

That's true. We have beat Clemson every time we have played them for the last 35 years. There is no rivalry, it is one sided.

I laffed

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

If we are having this discussion, I think that means we don't have one. Negative effect from the conference realignment.

It's true. I'm glad about the ACC but about the only good thing to say is that we escaped from Big East or AAC or whatever football purgatory thanks to it. In fact it's not been helpful for basketball at all, although the chancellors and trustees bear the blame for the death of the hoops program.

That setup didn't help in the least, that we don't play the two best programs at home more than once each 14 years, or whatever it is. And that we had to sacrifice near-annual ND games for it. That's really watered down the appeal.

Our current regular ACC game opponents are a little better than what was left of the BE, only marginally however. Give Cincy or UConn or Rutgers the gravitas of the ACC membership and they'd be about as appealing as Virginia, Duke or Cuse in football (and yes, that'd be true for us in place of them as well...i hold no delusions there).

 

[cbpitt2]

If we are having this discussion, I think that means we don't have one. Negative effect from the conference realignment.

^^^^^^Word.

 

[Delpanther]

As of today, there is no rivalry with any ACC team...gonna take time.

 

[burnie1105]

Surprised I'm the first one to suggest Duke; our last two meetings were rather lopsided, but the first two were pretty damn close/entertaining (not to mention that Conner stiff-arm in 2014 has entered Pitt lore). If Cutcliff and his successor can keep Duke competitive, I can see that developing.