The lights will be on at Yankee Stadium Saturday afternoon, but there won’t be any baseball being played.
Pitt and Syracuse will square off at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, with a 3:30 p.m. kickoff in the works, and it will be a battle between Pat Narduzzi and Dino Babers, two friends looking to end their seasons on a high note in the midst of unsuccessful seasons.
“We’re moving on to New York City and Yankee Stadium and Syracuse which is always a close game, and Dino Babers, good friend of mine that we always look forward to playing each other, and again, a good football team,” Pat Narduzzi said Monday. “They started off 4-0 and they’ve had straight losses here in the ACC and it’s not easy.”
“It’ll be a battle, period. It’ll be a battle. I think it’ll be a heck of a game in New York City.”
Pitt will wear gold helmets with the blue Cathedral stripe, white jerseys with blue numbers and blue pants. And while it will just be during warmups, the warmup gear will include the famous pinstripes worn by the New York Yankees.
Pitt opened as a very slim favorite at the start of the week, less than a field goal separating the Panthers and the Orange, and the line has not shifted much — with DraftKings holding Pitt as a 3-point favorite.
The matchup will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first football game at Yankee Stadium — which was also played by Pitt and Syracuse.
“We look forward to celebrating this significant anniversary involving Pitt, Syracuse and the Yankees,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in the release. “This is an incredible milestone in college football, and we appreciate the cooperation of our tremendous partners to make this a special opportunity for our student-athletes, programs and fans. Yankee Stadium has a rich history of hosting college football games and we’re proud to add this game to its tradition.”
It will be Pitt’s fourth trip to Yankee Stadium for a football game, with the first being a 3-0 loss to the Orange in 1923. The most recent was Pitt’s Pinstripe Bowl appearance against Northwestern — a 31-24 loss — in 2016.
Pitt and Syracuse have met every season for the last 55 years, and with the new ACC scheduling format, the matchup will continue for the foreseeable future.
Pitt has played Syracuse 78 times in program history, dating back to a 30-0 inaugural win in the 1916 season. With a 43-32-3 all-time record against the Orange, Pitt has gotten the best of Syracuse of late.
A 19-9 win over a then-ranked Syracuse last November extended Pitt’s win streak to five games. Pitt has won 18 of the last 21 games played dating back to 2002.
And while Pitt is 0-4 on the road this season, with just two wins at home, ‘Cuse is winless in the ACC to start the season — and lost by a combined score of 167-44. It’s not looking good for head coach Dino Babers or his team.
LeQuint Allen has been a successful running back for the Orange this season, but inconsistent quarterback play has held the team back in conference play this season.
Television — ACC Network
Chris Cotter (play-by-play)
Mark Herzlich (analyst)
Sherree Burruss (reporter)
Radio — 93.7 The Fan, Pitt Panthers Radio Network
Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play)
Pat Bostick (analyst)
Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson (reporters)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Channels 383 or on the SiriusXM app
WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) — 92.1 FM
