Pat Narduzzi didn’t receive any special treatment Sunday when it came to learning of Pitt’s bowl destination and opponent.

He had breakfast with his family, celebrated the birthday of his wife, Donna, went to church and watched the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens.

Then, later in the afternoon, Narduzzi saw on social media that the Panthers (8-4, 6-2 ACC) would face East Carolina (8-4, 6-2 American) in the Military Bowl on Dec. 27 in Annapolis, Md.

“I was sitting on my couch — I figured I was going to get a phone call — and my kids start barking off who’s getting picked,” Narduzzi said. “It was on Twitter, so I was like, ‘What’s going on here?’ I found out like (everyone else).”

???? December 27???? Annapolis, Maryland pic.twitter.com/0QiwwMymbm

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) December 7, 2025

Narduzzi, who is searching for win No. 81 in 11 years at Pitt, second all-time only to Jock Sutherland (111, 1924-38), now gears up his squad to face the Pirates.

What the Panthers will look like personnel-wise remains to be seen.

After all, the current day and age of college football is rife with opt-outs for various reasons, with entire teams, such as Notre Dame, Iowa State and Kansas State all declining invitations.

That Narduzzi and the Panthers will play in the Military Bowl is a given, but it’s unclear as to if they will do so in the face of any roster defections.

NFL hopefuls such as linebacker Kyle Louis, players who walked on Senior Day like receiver Poppi Williams, safety Kavir Bains-Marquez and tailback Desmond Reid, or those eyeing the upcoming transfer portal window from Jan. 2-16 all could potentially opt-out.

Narduzzi anticipates a full roster Dec. 27, but at this early juncture, cannot say with certainty how things will develop.

“At this point, it’s whole,” Narduzzi said of his anticipated Military Bowl roster. “It’s exactly what it was when we faced up with Miami (Nov. 27). There’s been no decisions there. Will we have a couple guys go pro? I have no idea. Will they play in the bowl game before they declare? I have no idea. We’ll find out as we go, but right now, haven’t gotten any indication there.”

Narduzzi did say that he “absolutely” expects true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel to play.

Playing with a depleted postseason roster is a reality with which Narduzzi is familiar.

Heading into the 2022 Sun Bowl, the Panthers beat a ranked UCLA squad minus standout players such as tailback Israel Abanikanda, linebacker SirVocea Dennis, defensive linemen Calijah Kancey and Deslin Alexandre and offensive lineman Gabe Houy.

Quarterback Kedon Slovis also entered the transfer portal in advance of gameday.

Last year, ahead of the GameAbove Sports Bowl, Eli Holstein was injured and backups Nate Yarnell and Ty Dieffenbach transferred, leading to walk-on David Lynch starting at quarterback vs. Toledo.

“Probably one of the greatest victories we ever had was when he had nine guys opt out and we went out to the Sun Bowl and beat UCLA,” Narduzzi said. “Regardless of opt-outs, guys going to the NFL or whatever it may be, our job is to go win football games. Last year, we didn’t have our first-, second- or third-team quarterback going into the (GameAbove Sports Bowl).”

While he may not say it publicly, Narduzzi must also be wondering if Pitt got the short end of the stick regarding its bowl and opponent.

???? https://t.co/84xUDMZvWL pic.twitter.com/4lXBrkt5Rj

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) December 7, 2025

Wake Forest (8-4, 4-4) will face an SEC foe (albeit one that is only participating in the postseason as a result of team opt-outs across the nation) in Mississippi State (5-7, 1-7) in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

SMU (8-4, 6-2) takes on No. 21 Arizona in the Holiday Bowl, while No. 24 Georgia Tech, which Pitt beat in the regular season, faces No. 12 BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Regardless, Pitt will prepare for the Military Bowl with the intention of winning and earning nine victories in a campaign for only the sixth time in the last 42 years.

But Narduzzi couldn’t help but ponder where the Panthers would be playing had they handled business earlier this season vs. West Virginia and Louisville, having surrendered fourth-quarter leads in both contests.

“I think most people take a look at what your record is during the season,” Narduzzi said. “I wish it was better than what it was. We left a couple out there that we’d like to have back. We felt like we could have been a 10-2 football team but there’s no going backwards. But bowl games are bowl games. We’ll put a ton of effort into it and try to go out there and win. That’s what we do.”

East Carolina coach Blake Harrell’s group looks forward to playing Pitt.

The Pirates could tie for the third-most single-season wins dating back to the football program’s establishment in 1965.

East Carolina also knows the Military Bowl well, as Harrell led the Pirates to a win in the game vs. N.C. State a year ago.

“We’re excited about the opportunity,” Harrell said. “I think for the young men in our locker room, they’re excited for the opportunity to play a (Power Four) team. Obviously, we had two of those opponents on our schedule this year with BYU and N.C. State. The guys in our locker room, they get excited about that and it means a little bit more.

“You can’t tell them there’s a huge difference between (Group of Five and Power Four). We know there’s some financial differences, but for the guys in our locker room, they look forward to the challenge.”

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