As of today, Penn State and Pitt have scheduled four games over the next several years that will officially renew what used to be one of the great rivalries in college football.
More games could be on the way. Speaking to ESPN during the ACC’s spring meetings, Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson said he felt “very optimistic” a series with the Nittany Lions occurring on a regular basis can happen.
“Whether it’s every single year or not, we’ll have to see how it works out,” Pederson said. “My hope is to try to make that work on a regular basis. I do feel like both sides would like to have it happen. I’m very optimistic.”
Penn State AD Dave Joyner echoed that sentiment during Big Ten meetings.
“We’d be interested in talking about that. It’s a great series,” Joyner said. “It’s been a great linchpin in Pennsylvania for everyone there. Steve and I will definitely talk about doing that. We’ve always threatened to meet halfway on the turnpike somewhere at one exit.”
The Panthers and Nittany Lions have played 96 times since 1893, including annual series from 1900-31, 1935-92 and 1997-2000. The teams are slated to play in a pair of home-and-homes from 2016-19.
Scheduling, as we say so many times on here, is a puzzle that can be difficult to put together. But if the two sides can make it work, we’d love to see them play as often as possible. However, it appears another dormant Pitt rivalry, the Backyard Brawl with West Virginia, has little signs of future life.