MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — The men’s basketball series between West Virginia and Pitt will live on for an additional two seasons.
Both schools announced the continuation on Thursday. It will carry through the 2022-23 season.
“We are certainly pleased to extend the men’s basketball series between West Virginia and Pitt,” WVU athletic director Shane Lyons said in a statement. “I’ve said numerous times that one of my first goals as athletic director was to renew the football and basketball series with Pitt because it is good for both schools. I want to thank Heather Lyke (Pitt Director of Athletics), coach (Bob) Huggins and coach (Jeff) Capel for their efforts in extending the basketball series. The fans are the real winners because this series is great for college basketball.”
The two schools will complete the original four-year series this season, with the WVU Coliseum hosting the game on Nov. 13.
WVU will host next season’s game, too, before traveling to the Petersen Events Center the following year.
Specific game dates for each game in the continuation will be determined prior to each season.
“The Pitt game has been our biggest rival,” Huggins said. “We are thrilled to add another two games to the series. During the last three months or so, I’ve seen numerous WVU-Pitt games being replayed on ESPN. In addition to both fan bases, there is always a national interest in the Backyard Brawl.”
Going back to 2012, when both schools were in the Big East, WVU has won four straight in the series that dates back to 1906.
The Mountaineers won last season’s meeting, 68-53. A victory this season would be the first five-game winning streak for the Mountaineers against the Panthers since winning nine consecutive from 1964-68.
“The Pitt-West Virginia rivalry is one of the best in the country,” said Capel, who is 30-36 in his first two seasons at Pitt. “Backyard Brawl says all you need to know about the intensity and energy around these games. Coach Huggins is an outstanding coach and has built a terrific program in Morgantown. We look forward to continuing the rivalry and building on the great tradition of the Backyard Brawl.”
The series breakdown
* WVU leads the all-time series, 99-88.
* At the WVU Coliseum, the Mountaineers are 26-10 against the Panthers.
* At the Petersen Events Center, WVU is 4-7 against Pitt.
* In true road games in the series, WVU is 35-56. In true home games, WVU is 62-30.
* The teams are 2-2 against each other on neutral courts.
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