We’ll have at least four this year between Pitt and Penn State.
The two football teams will battle for the 100th time on Sept. 14 at Beaver Stadium in State College. The nationally volleyball teams will have a home-and-home series on Sept. 20 and 22.
Tuesday, it was announced that the Pitt women’s basketball team will take on Penn State in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge.
The Panthers and Nittany Lions will meet on Dec. 5 at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center as part of the annual intra-conference tournament. It will be the first meeting between the teams in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge.
“The ACC/Big Ten Challenge is always a highlight of the non-conference schedule for us and being matched up against Penn State this season makes it even more special for us,” Pitt head coach Lance White said in a press release. “I love that our players get to play not only for Pitt, but also feeling the responsibility of representing the best conference in the country, the ACC.”
The longtime rivals did not play in the 2018-19 season. The last meeting between the teams was on Dec. 17, 2017, when the Lions won, 58-48 at Petersen Events Center.
The Lions have won three straight meetings between the teams. Pitt’s last win over Penn State came on Nov. 24, 2008. The last time the Panthers won in Happy Valley was Nov. 30, 1998. Pitt has lost 11 consecutive road games at Penn State.
The overall series is 29-13 in favor of Penn State. The 42 games played is the most for Pitt of a non-Big East or ACC opponent.
Pitt is coming off an 11-20 season in White’s first campaign as head coach. Before his hiring, Pitt went 57-67 in five years under Penn State alumna Suzie McConnell-Serio, who was fired in 2018.
The Lady Lions finished 12–18 a year ago and after the season, longtime head coach Coquese Washington was fired and replaced by former Marquette coach Carolyn Kieger. Penn State had finished 11th or worse in the Big Ten in four of the last five season.
Pitt associate head coach Terri Mitchell was Kieger’s predecessor at Marquette. Kieger spent one year working under Mitchell as director of operations from 2007-08.
All Big Ten home games in this year’s Challenge will air on either the Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2 or Big Ten Plus, while ACC home ages will appear on ACC Network, ESPN, ESPN2 or ACC Network.
