Major college football rivalry gets four-game extension
One of college football’s most intense rivalries will be continuing well into next decade.
The day before they’re set to meet in the latest chapter of the Backyard Brawl, Pitt and West Virginia have agreed to a four-game series that will run from 2033-36, the schools announced Sept. 12.
With the latest contract, the Panthers and Mountaineers will be playing each other every year from 2029-36, as a four-game series from 2029-32 had already been on the books.
Each of those eight games have assigned dates in September:
- Sept. 8, 2029 (Pittsburgh)
- Sept. 7, 2030 (Morgantown, West Virginia)
- Sept. 6, 2031 (Pittsburgh)
- Sept. 11, 2032 (Morgantown)
- Sept. 10, 2033 (Pittsburgh)
- Sept. 9, 2034 (Morgantown)
- Sept. 8, 2035 (Pittsburgh)
- Sept. 13, 2036 (Morgantown)
Separated by only about 75 miles, Pitt and West Virginia first met in 1895 and played every year from 1943-2011. But they went 11 years without playing each other after both programs left the Big East, with the Panthers going to the ACC and the Mountaineers to the Big 12. They resumed their rivalry in 2022 with the first game of a four-game series. Saturday’s game will be their last meeting until 2029.
‘I think it’s one of the greatest rivalries in sports,’ West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said in a statement. ‘Obviously, the location between the two are close. There’s a lot of intensity with it, and there never seems to be any love lost between the fanbases. It’s always, to me, the biggest game on your schedule when you’re at West Virginia.’
Pitt has won two of the last three matchups and leads the all-time series 63-41-3.
‘The Backyard Brawl is more than a game: it’s history, passion, and pride passed down through generations,’ Pitt athletic director Allen Greene said in a statement. ‘Extending this rivalry ensures that student-athletes and fans alike continue to experience one of college football’s greatest traditions, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.’
