This week, West Virginia and Pitt will face off in the Backyard Brawl for the third consecutive season — a welcomed return of the game between two bitter rivals.
After the Big East fell apart between the 2011 and 2012 seasons, there was a 10-year gap in a Backyard Brawl series that has spanned 106 games to this point. So, this weekend’s matchup, which represented the 107th meeting between the Mountaineers and Panthers, is perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the year.
However, as of now, there is no future matchup scheduled between the two programs, and WVU head coach Neal Brown is determined to change that.
“We got to get our schedule fixed and we’re in the process of kind of doing that,” Brown said. “I think it’s a series that needs to be played. I think Pitt wants to play it. We want to play it… I know it makes sense for us to play the game.”
That’s not the only part of the future schedule that Brown is hoping to “fix.” With the Big 12 playing nine conference games, there’s only room for three non-conference games per year. The Mountaineers already have their nonconference slates in the near future chock-full of high-profile matchups, including a home-and-home series with Alabama that is scheduled for 2026 (Morgantown) and 2027 (Tuscaloosa).
According to Brown, though, West Virginia could be getting itself out of that one.
“We’re in the process,” he said. “We got Alabama. That ain’t fixed.”
West Virginia fans, we want to know what you think. Should the Mountaineers keep Alabama on the schedule, or should they try to drop the game and open up space to schedule Pitt for the foreseeable future?
Hop in the member forum and let us know!
