Big News out of Pitt today. The school announced the Pitt – Penn State rivalry will return in 2016.
The universities signed a home and home agreement for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Pitt will host the initial game at Heinz Field on September 10, 2016. The Panthers will play at Penn State on September 16, 2017.
“This is an exciting day for college football fans,” Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson said in a released statement. “The tremendous history of this rivalry is well documented and the passion that fans have for this game is enormous. We are very pleased that this two-game series is now in place and a new generation of fans can experience the excitement of a Pitt-Penn State football game beginning in 2016.”
“As a young football fan in Texas, I used to love watching Pitt and Penn State play every November,” first-year Pitt head coach Todd Graham said. “The games were intense and featured some of the greatest players in the history of college football. The resumption of this series is great for the two schools and football fans everywhere.”
Pitt and Penn State last played on September 16, 2000, when the Panthers blanked the Nittany Lions, 12-0, at Three Rivers Stadium.
Penn State holds a 50-42-4 advantage in the all-time series that began in 1893. The schools played every season from 1900-31 and 1935-92. Following a four-year break, the series resumed for four games from 1997-2000 before its current hiatus.
Penn State coach Joe Paterno has been the main reason for the schools not playing each other since 2000.