The River City Rivalry is returning to Pittsburgh’s North Shore, and a broadcast crew for the Pitt-Cincinnati matchup has been revealed.
It is Pitt’s (and the ACC as a whole) first game broadcast on The CW Network, which is now an affiliate of WPNT-TV, and Tom Werme will handle play-by-play duties while James Bates will serve as his color commentator. Treavor Scales will serve as the sideline reporter.
The Pitt radio broadcast remains unchanged, with the legendary Bill Hillgrove as the play-by-play announcer and Pat Bostick as his analyst. Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson will once again provide sideline reporting.
Cincinnati, in the first season of new head coach Scott Satterfield’s tenure, is coming off a season-opening throttle of Eastern Kentucky. New quarterback Emory Jones, who has spent time at Florida and Arizona State, threw for 345 yards and five touchdowns, ran for two more scores and the Bearcats held EKU to just over 300 yards of total offense.
But Cincinnati, in its first season of Power Five football, was still projected to finish 13th in the Big 12. Ahead of only West Virginia.
Pitt and Cincinnati have played 12 times over the last 101 years, but the series has laid dormant since a 34-10 Bearcats win in 2012.
Pitt won the first seven meetings, including a debut 21-14 win in Pittsburgh in 1921, from 1921 until 2007. But Cincinnati took four of the next five from 2008-12.
The final 2012 matchup came in Pitt’s final Big East season, a season in which Tino Sunseri started at quarterback.
Kickoff Saturday night at Acrisure Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m., with The CW carrying the local broadcast on 22 The Point, and it will serve as Pitt’s first true test of the season.
Television — The CW Network (WPNT-TV, 22 The Point)
Tom Werme (play-by-play)
James Bates (analyst)
Treavor Scales (reporter)
Radio — 93.7 The Fan, Pitt Panthers Radio NetworkÂ
Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play)
Pat Bostick (analyst)
Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson (reporters)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Channels 103 or 207 or on the SiriusXM app
WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) — 92.1 FM
Hopefully PITT DEs do not over rush the edge and break contain. Jeff Simms, Drake Maye, and Malik Cunningham exploited that last year. We need to take the Alabama versus Arkansas approach last season. No DL deeper than 3-yds into backfield, keep the QB in the pocket and let him come to you.