Pat Narduzzi: Pitt, Penn State Meeting ‘Might Be the Last’

PITTSBURGH — Pitt and Penn State will meet in Happy Valley on Saturday for the 100th meeting in the great history of the two programs.

This will be the final matchup in the four-year scheduling agreement that dates back to 2016, when Pitt upset the  Nittany Lions, 42-39. With no further games scheduled both teams filling dates through the late 2020s, this year could possibly be the final meeting between the two schools for quite some time.

“I’m going to emphasize to our kids, ‘You might be the last team to ever play this game,'” Narduzzi said on Monday. “I’m going to be in a coffin or retired, probably.”

Both previous Pitt athletic director Scott Barnes and current AD Heather Lyke have made public statements about Pitt’s desire to continue the series. Penn State has not reciprocated those overtures.

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Narduzzi said. “We all want to play this game. The in-state rivalry plays a big role in this game. We are going to jump on a bus on Friday. We don’t have to go to an airport or go through customs. … We get on a bus and go.”

Penn State fans hold a sign saying “Dominate the State” September 8, 2018 — DAVID HAGUE

Penn State has won two of the first three since the rivalry was renewed in 2016 and is 52-43-4 all-time against Pitt. This will be Pitt’s last regularly scheduled meeting against a Big Ten opponent until 2026, a home-and-home agreement with Wisconsin in the 2026-27 seasons. Pitt currently holds a losing record against all current Big Ten schools except for Nebraska, Rutgers, and Wisconsin.

Narduzzi made it known that he feels his team is ready for the challenge in State College on Saturday.

“It’s a big game,” he said. “It’s another game for us, but it’s a big game because it’s a rivalry game  in state.”