Pitt Football to Decline 2020 Bowl Participation

The 2020 Pitt football season has officially come to an end.

The Pitt athletic department announced Friday evening that if extended a bowl invitation, they would decline the bid. Pitt becomes the second ACC program to make this decision as Boston College came to the same decision earlier this week.

Heather Lyke and Pat Narduzzi announced that this decision was made by the team and fully supported by the university. After earning their sixth win, Pitt was expected to receive a bid.

“Our football student-athletes’ sacrifice and commitment have been extraordinary,” said Lyke. “This season has been an especially taxing experience, physically and mentally, on and off the field. Despite this unprecedented environment, our team finished strong concluding with last night’s win at Georgia Tech. We are thankful and proud of how they handled the past six months and want them to have a well-deserved restful holiday season with their families and loved ones.”

“In my three decades as a coach, I’ve never been around a group of players who have faced greater challenges beyond the field than our team this year,” said Narduzzi. “And yet, from the time they arrived back on campus in early June, these young men never wavered— not in the face of rigorous health protocols, multiple rounds of COVID testing each week or while handling the mental and physical challenges of playing 11 games in a pandemic.

“I’ve always been proud to be Pitt’s head football coach,” said Narduzzi. “That pride was especially great in working with this 2020 team. They have my eternal gratitude and respect.”

With the season finished, the Pitt staff will now turn their attention to recruiting for both the classes of 2021 and 2022.