West Virginia and Pitt to renew college basketball version of Backyard Brawl
The Mountaineers and Panthers will revive their longstanding series in 2017
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2 min read
Bada boom: West Virginia and Pitt have decided to revive their rivalry, the Backyard Brawl.
On behalf of college hoops fans everywhere, a thank-you to both programs. It's a four-year series, per joint announcements by the schools Thursday. Next season will mark the revival. Pitt has first hosting duties. Dates for all four games are not yet known. The 2017 matchup will be revealed next summer, most likely.
"One of my first goals as athletic director was to reach out to (Pitt Director of Athletics) Scott Barnes about renewing the football and basketball series with Pitt because I knew it would be good for both schools," WVU AD Shane Lyons said. "I want to thank Scott and coach (Kevin) Stallings as well as coach (Bob) Huggins and his staff for their efforts in getting the basketball series renewed. The fans are the real winners because whether the game is in the WVU Coliseum or the Petersen Events Center, it will be great for college basketball."
Credit to the schools for not going with just a two-year series, either. At least we'll have four of these games, and hopefully the thing gets renewed into perpetuity by the time 2020 rolls around. The teams haven't met since 2012. There have been 184 games between the teams, former Big East foes, and the Mountaineers hold a 96-88 edge.
"I think this is great not only for both schools but for college basketball," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. "This has been such a great rivalry, and it is a game that fans of both schools look forward to. I have great respect for Kevin Stallings, and I have followed his teams throughout the years. Pitt has been our biggest rival since I can remember and we have been theirs. The game makes sense."
Huggins is right -- natural rivalry games are better for hoops. No reason that any programs currently on hiatus (stop the cold war, Kansas and Missouri) can't resurrect the hate.
Pitt coach Kevin Stallings will begin his first year as coach of the Panthers in 2016-17, but knows the games will be intense.
"I saw the passion and intensity of the Pitt-West Virginia series from afar and felt it was important that we work to renew the series," Stallings said. "Our goal in scheduling is to put together games that will generate great interest from our amazing fan base as well as prepare our team for conference and postseason play. Bob Huggins is an outstanding coach and competing against his program enables us to accomplish both of those things. I can't wait to witness this rivalry firsthand."
