Pitt DT Sean FitzSimmons plans to stay with Panthers
These days, college players announcing they are not entering the transfer portal and staying put at their respective program is as newsworthy as those who do seek new surroundings. Laxed regulations on the portal have seen to that, keeping coaches everywhere on guard more so than ever before as it...
Jeff Capel acknowledges impact of injuries, limited personnel for Pitt this season
As a season that’s far from over but already has been underwhelming continues, a mid-September practice at Petersen Events Center remains fresh in the memory of Jeff Capel. It was a preseason session and Capel, for the time being, had all the pieces he’d assembled for the campaign in front...
Pitt CB Shawn Lee reverses course, announces return to program for 2026
The prospect of losing Shawn Lee, when the true freshman cornerback entered the transfer portal Jan. 1, was doubtless disappointing for Pitt. However, encapsulating the fluidity and unpredictable nature of the portal these days, Lee has reversed course. On Monday afternoon, the honorable mention All-ACC selection posted to Instagram that...
Pitt fills 4 coaching vacancies, as Pat Narduzzi rounds out staff
On top of suffering several significant player transfer portal defections over the last month, Pitt also has had to navigate losses to its staff. Defensive coordinator Randy Bates retired, linebackers coach Ryan Manalac was hired as UConn’s defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Jacob Bronowski departed for Auburn...
Pitt lands commitment from Penn transfer offensive lineman Netinho Olivieri
As disaster in the Military Bowl turned to the offseason for Pitt, the transfer portal had been nothing but unkind to the Panthers. Standouts such as linebacker Rasheem Biles, receiver Kenny Johnson and center Lyndon Cooper hit the portal, forcing coach Pat Narduzzi and his staff to brace as the...
Pitt can’t close gap late with Clemson, loses ACC home opener
Pitt’s dominant start in the ACC opener Tuesday at Miami was followed by a second-half collapse, spoiling a shot at topping one of the league’s best teams. On Saturday at Petersen Events Center, the Panthers aimed for their first conference win, with Clemson, another top ACC squad, visiting town. Pitt...
Pitt’s 2026 transfer portal tracker
Beginning at midnight Friday, the transfer portal officially opened, with players across college football free to enter their names and formally begin the process of finding new homes. At Pitt, a trickling of portal announcements began early last month, before the Panthers’ eventual loss to East Carolina in the Military...
Pitt forward Papa Amadou Kante to miss remainder of season
Pitt redshirt sophomore Papa Amadou Kante will undergo an arthroscopic right knee procedure and miss the remainder of the season, the Panthers announced Friday morning. Kante, a 6-foot-10 senior from Dakar, Senegal, had been limited to eight appearances for Pitt this season. He most recently played Nov. 28 in the...
Pitt All-ACC linebacker Rasheem Biles plans to enter transfer portal
The Pitt football team could be without one of it’s top “Sharks” next season, as linebacker Rasheem Biles plans to enter the transfer portal, he posted to his Instagram account. Biles (6-1, 220) made 101 tackles this season, including 17 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He also returned two...
Pitt men let lead slip away, lose at Miami in ACC opener
The Pitt men’s basketball team appeared ready Tuesday night to emerge from the other side of the enormous hole they had dug themselves with surprising losses during their nonconference schedule. The Watsco Center isn’t a place, however, where the Panthers have ever been able to get themselves right. Pitt led...
2025 in Pittsburgh college sports: Penn State football tries to recover from implosion
The 2025 year in local college sports featured a blend of results on the scoreboard on top of major administrative maneuvering, as athletic directors adjusted to a new revenue-sharing ecosystem. Pitt football, behind a surprise change at quarterback, looks like a team potentially ready to be a legitimate contender in...
Report: Pitt receiver Kenny Johnson plans to enter transfer portal
The Pitt football team will have to plan for life without its top two wide receivers next season. Leading pass catcher Poppi Williams exhausted his eligibility and second-leading receiver Kenny Johnson plans to enter the transfer portal, according a report from CBS Sports. Pitt standout wide receiver and return specialist...
Pitt turns in-house for new defensive coordinator, promotes safeties coach Cory Sanders
Immediately following defensive coordinator Randy Bates’ retirement, Pitt forewent a national search and instead turned in-house in naming his successor. Cory Sanders, on staff since 2018 as safeties coach, will be calling the defensive shots for the Panthers. Sanders, 40, was named assistant head coach in 2024 by Pat Narduzzi,...
Pitt fumbles away chances, suffers upset loss to East Carolina in Military BowlVideo
For the second straight year, the Pitt football team ended its season with a bowl-game loss that puts a sour mark on an otherwise positive year. The Panthers put together a strong defensive performance that limited East Carolina to 1.7 yards per rush and less than 250 yards of total...
Pitt defensive coordinator Randy Bates to retire following Military Bowl
As Pitt’s offseason approaches, coach Pat Narduzzi will have a major hire to make, as the eight-year tenure of defensive coordinator Randy Bates has reached a conclusion. Bates, 65, announced he’ll be retiring from coaching after Pitt’s Military Bowl appearance Saturday against East Carolina. Overseeing Pitt’s defense since 2018, Bates’...
East Carolina hit harder by transfers, staff defections than Pitt leading into Military Bowl
The current landscape of college sports, with the fluidity of movement for coaches and players alike, breeds tumultuous offseasons. Unfortunately for teams and their fan bases across the nation, the tumult is increasingly encroaching upon the calendar. Look no further than Lane Kiffin’s pre-College Football Playoff departure from Ole Miss...
