Nittany Sports Now almost made it an entire summer without publishing a story on the Pitt-Penn State rivalry.
Well, maybe next year.
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi spoke Friday at ACC Media Days in Charlotte, and was asked about the prospects of the Pitt-Penn State rivalry being renewed.
Narduzzi’s answer was exactly what anybody who has been paying attention would expect.
“We’re open,” Narduzzi said. “If they want to schedule that 13th game, we’ll play them right now.”
Of course, there will not be a 13th game on the 2026 schedule, but you get what Narduzzi meant.
Every time Narduzzi has been asked about Penn State, he’s made it clear that he wants to play PSU.
From 2025:
“That Penn State/Pitt one, which we’re still trying to figure out why we don’t play that game still,” said Narduzzi on Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan Morning Show . “We should be playing West Virginia and Penn State every single year and I’ll go on record as saying I’m ready to go right now. Let’s line it up.”
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.From 2024:
“They won’t play us.”
From 2023:
“You’d have to ask James Franklin,” Narduzzi told the 93.7 The Fan in August 2023. “My call is, ‘Let’s go.’ We’ve called, we’ve asked.”
Franklin has since been fired, and now is closer to Narduzzi than ever, coaching at Virginia Tech.
Will new Penn State boss Matt Campbell fight to get the rivalry renewed?
Time will tell, but it is worth noting that Campbell started his college football career at Pitt in 1998.
