Pitt, Penn State to renew basketball rivalry
The Pitt and Penn State rivalry has been a much-discussed and debated topic for years across Pennsylvania.
Though the schools’ administrators have not been able to renew the longtime matchup on the football field, they were able to find a spot in the schedule for the men’s basketball teams to square off in the upcoming season.
Pitt and Penn State will play a nonconference game Dec. 21 on a neutral court at Giant Center in Hershey.
“Pitt and Penn State is a natural rivalry that makes a great deal of sense to play in the current collegiate landscape,” Pitt coach Jeff Capel said in a statement. “The trip to Hershey in December will give Pitt fans across the state an opportunity to see the team in action and will be a great way to tip off the holiday season.”
The Pitt-Penn State series dates to 1906 and is among the most played in each program’s history, despite just nine matchups since the 2000-01 season. The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series 76-72.
It will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2017, an 85-54 win for the Nittany Lions at the Legends Classic in Brooklyn.
Tickets information, as well as game time and TV designation, will be announced at a later date.
Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.
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