One of the things on many new students’ minds when arriving at college for the first time is, “How will I make friends?” But luckily, when you attend a school that takes sports as seriously as Pitt does, one of the easiest ways to make new friends is by having a mutual enemy… or two.
Even though you likely haven’t received your syllabi for your courses yet, class is in session. Consider this a bit of required reading if you want to be well-versed in all things rivalry-related in Pitt sports. Welcome to Hating 101 — where rivalries aren’t learned, but inherited.
Penn State
The Pennsylvania State University — the place where all the kids you couldn’t stand in high school somehow ended up. The Panthers’ rivalry with Penn State isn’t exactly headline material anymore, mostly because the two teams haven’t faced off in years, but there’s no love lost.
The main issue with Penn State is that Nittany Lions fans are under the impression that football was invented in Happy Valley. But for all of their white-outs — lame — and “We Are” chants — also lame — Penn State’s actual Big Ten resume is pretty underwhelming. Since joining the conference, they’ve only managed four titles — none since 2016 — and have spent more time getting abused by Michigan and Ohio State than building any real legacy.
Unfortunately, the cross-state rivalry between the Panthers and the Nittany Lions has lost some of its momentum due to the two teams not facing off in football since 2019. But don’t worry — this feud still runs deep in other sports, namely volleyball.
Early in their season last year, No. 1 Pitt volleyball beat No. 3 Penn State in straight sets in their first face-off since 2021. The Panthers and the Nittany Lions made it to the NCAA Volleyball Final Four last year, alongside Louisville and Nebraska.
Even though Penn State went on to win the National Championship, fans conveniently ignore that the Nittany Lions couldn’t break 20 points in a set in their loss to Pitt. How quickly we forget! With Pitt volleyball bringing more and more attention to Oakland every year, the Penn State matchup has understandably become one of the team’s most anticipated games of the season.
West Virginia
Last and certainly least are our neighbors down in Morgantown, West Virginia. West Virginia University is much closer than you may think — separated only by 75 miles and only a couple thousand brain cells. Don’t beat yourself up if you never fully understand what a Mountaineer is. The jury’s been out on that one since 1895.
The Pitt-WVU rivalry, affectionately known as the “Backyard Brawl” by Panthers and Mountaineers alike, is a rivalry that transcends the football field. It’s not just a game — it’s a generational, geographical dispute disguised as a sporting event.
As a Pitt Panther, it is your moral obligation to hate WVU. It’s tradition. It’s your duty. It’s personal. Pitt and WVU have been attempting to ruin each other’s Saturdays for more than 100 years, so this beef has withstood the test of time. Last year, Pitt beat West Virginia 38-34 in the 107th Backyard Brawl, with the Panthers leading the series of Brawl matchups 63-41 over the Mountaineers.
But please, don’t reserve your Mountaineer hatred only for football game days. You can — and should — hate West Virginia year-round. Panther domination over the Mountaineers extends to other major sports, including basketball, swimming and wrestling.
If you ever have the unfortunate occurrence of running into a Mountaineer fan — thoughts and prayers — be sure to use the opportunity to simply say, “13-9” and watch them break into a cold sweat.
The infamous 13-9 game is arguably one of the most sacred and satisfying wins in Pitt football history, where WVU, ranked No. 2 in the nation, lost in front of a home crowd to the 4-7 Panthers, eliminating all hopes for their first National Championship victory. And with this year’s Backyard Brawl scheduled to take place back in Morgantown on Sept. 13 (9/13), West Virginia is practically begging for a repeat.
Ironically, hatred has a funny way of bringing people together. Students can enjoy Pitt sporting events throughout the year, not just rivalry games. Be sure to hate responsibly!
The post Hating 101: A crash course in Pitt’s sports rivalries appeared first on The Pitt News.