Pitt and Virginia Tech’s battle for first place in the ACC Coastal Division will kick off at 3:30 p.m. at Heinz Field on Saturday, Nov. 10.
The game had been placed on a six-day hold by ESPN, which will broadcast it nationally on ESPNU.
The Panthers (5-4, 4-1 in ACC) sit alone in first place, but a loss to the Hokies (4-4, 3-2) would draw those two teams and the Virginia Cavaliers (6-3, 4-2) into a three-way tie. Virginia faces non-conference opponent Liberty on Saturday.
If the history between the teams is a guide, the national TV audience will be in for a treat. In Blacksburg, Virginia last fall, then-freshman quarterback Kenny Pickett led Pitt on a furious comeback bid, only to be stuffed at the one yard line by the Virginia Tech defense and lose, 20-14.
The teams have been evenly matched since becoming conference opponents for the second time when Pitt joined the ACC in 2013. They are 3-3 in that span and the last four games have been decided by one score or less.
The loss a year ago was Pitt’s seventh of the 2017 season, sealing Pitt’s fate as the Panthers missed a bowl for the first time since 2007. This season, the Panthers would be come bowl eligible with a victory over the Hokies.
