Pitt men’s basketball announced on Thursday that they have extended the Backyard Brawl with West Virginia through the next four seasons, keeping the rivalry going.
The two teams have faced off 190 times in men’s basketball, with the Mountaineers holding a 101-89 advantage. The Panthers and Mountaineers have faced off in the Backyard Brawl six of the past seven seasons, with the COVID-19 impacted 2020-21 year the only one that they didn’t play against each other. The extension will make it seven straight seasons that the two programs have battled it out on the court, giving each set of fans the opportunity to increase the rivalry over that time period.
The Backyard Brawl occurred annually from 1918 to 2012, when West Virginia left the Big East for the Big 12 and Pitt basketball would do so for the ACC in 2013.
West Virginia has won six of the seven games the two teams have played since they resumed the series in 2017, including six straight from 2017-22. Pitt finally won this season with an 80-63 victory at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, W.Va. on Dec. 6. Senior forward Blake Hinson scored 29 points, shooting 9-for-15 from behind the arc, while first-year guard Carlton Carrington scored 16 points and dished out nine assists.
The Panthers will host the Backyard Brawl in 2024 and 2026, while the Mountaineers will do so in 2025 and 2027, keeping the home-and-away structure for every year.
“The Backyard Brawl game is one of the most anticipated matchups on the schedule each year for the two fan bases,” Pitt basketball head coach Jeff Capel said in a statement on the rivalry. “These kinds of games are what makes college athletics so special. We are excited to extend the series and look forward to four more matchups that will have both fan bases eagerly awaiting the day tickets go on sale.”
