Penn State–Pittsburgh football rivalry

The Penn State–Pittsburgh football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Penn State Nittany Lions football team of Pennsylvania State University and Pittsburgh Panthers football team of the University of Pittsburgh. It has been dormant since 2000, but will be renewed with an alternating home-and-home series from 2016 to 2019.

Series history


Once considered one of the most important college football rivalries north of the Mason–Dixon line, this intrastate rivalry was deemed the biggest annual game for both schools for a large part of their histories. The game often had regional and national implications with the winner often claiming Eastern college football supremacy and its respective Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy. The rivalry began a slow death in the 1990s when the schools left the ranks of college football independents and chose to join different conferences. Penn State accepted an invitation to join the Big Ten Conference while Pitt's football program joined the Big East Conference where the majority of the school's athletic programs already participated. The conference affiliations of the two previously independent football programs resulted in fewer scheduling opportunities.

The last game in the series was played at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA, on September 16, 2000 when Pitt shutout Penn State 12–0. The desire of the Penn State athletic department to host an unbalanced number of home games (proposing 2–1 and 3–2 series) at Beaver Stadium was a significant factor in the non-renewal of the series. To date, the Pitt administration has rejected such demands, and discussions aimed at renewing this rivalry have so far yielded no solution satisfactory to both schools.

The rivalry can be viewed as the tale of two eras in college football. Prior to 1950, Pitt dominated the series (29–17–2), in one span defeating Penn State in fourteen straight meetings. Pitt coach Jock Sutherland never lost to Penn State (1924–38). From 1950 on, Penn State dominated the series winning 33 while losing 13 with 2 ties. Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno holds the best record against Pitt at 23–7–1 (1966–2000).

Several games are of historic note:

The first game between these instate rivals was played on November 6, 1893, in State College, PA, with Penn State prevailing 32–0. Penn State won the first six meetings.

Pitt's first victory in the series occurred on November 24, 1904 in Pittsburgh, 22–5.

The 1963 game was originally scheduled for Saturday, November 23, but was postponed to December 7 following the assassination of President Kennedy on Friday, November 22. The once-beaten Panthers were being touted as a possible Cotton Bowl participant, but the bowl representatives expressed desire to invite Pitt only if the Panthers had but one loss. With the game postponed until December 7, the Cotton Bowl could not wait. Pitt went on to defeat Penn State, 22–21, finishing the season at 9–1, with no bowl.

The 1976 game pitted undefeated Pitt, ranked number one in the nation, against Penn State at Three Rivers Stadium on the day after Thanksgiving, November 26. The score was tied 7–7 at the half. Pitt's coach Johnny Majors moved Tony Dorsett to fullback for the second half, and the Panthers went on to defeat Penn State, 24–7, finishing the regular season 11–0, on their way to a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia and their first National Championship in 39 years.



The 1981 game was one for the ages. Pitt was once again undefeated at 10–0 and number one in the nation, ready to claim the title, "Beast of the East." The Nittany Lions had other ideas when they came to Pitt Stadium on November 28. The game featured two junior quarterbacks, Danny Marino for Pitt and Todd Blackledge for Penn State. Pitt went up 14–0 in the first quarter; Penn State tied it at 14 at the half. The second half belonged to the Nittany Lions, scoring 34 second-half points while holding the Panthers scoreless. The 48–14 final cost Pitt a chance for its second national championship in five years.

The 1982 game again featured two of the nation's best teams. Pitt had been ranked preseason number one, but had lost to Notre Dame to enter the game at 9–1. Penn State also entered the game at 9–1, having lost only to Alabama. Again, it would be Marino vs. Blackledge in their last regular season game at a windswept Beaver Stadium. Penn State prevailed 19–10 on the strength of one Blackledge touchdown pass to Kenny Jackson, four field goals and a tenacious defense, and was on its way to a Sugar Bowl upset of Georgia, earning its first National Championship.

After a hiatus since 2000, the rivalry is scheduled to resume in 2016 with a home-and-home series. The series will resume at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for a meeting on September 10, 2016. The teams will then meet at Beaver Stadium on September 16, 2017, followed by a return to Heinz Field on September 8, 2018 before wrapping up at Beaver Stadium on September 14, 2019.

Game results
''Pittsburgh victories shaded in ██ gold. Penn State victories are shaded ██ blue. Years with a tie are in white. Vacated victories appear in grey. ''