Pitt Moves Backyard Brawl to PPG Paints

The Pitt Panthers will play West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl at PPG Paints Arena this season.

Mar 7, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel III looks on during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

The Backyard Brawl lives on, at least in men's basketball for the Pitt Panthers.

Pitt announced on social media that their 193rd matchup with West Virginia will be held at PPG Paints Arena on Dec 9. The "Backyard Brawl Classic" will be the second game of a double-header, with the first game yet to be announced.

Heading down Fifth Ave. for the Backyard Basketball Classic at @PPGPaintsArena 👊

Read More: https://t.co/jgB4mtD2ff pic.twitter.com/cJSuenLDDf

— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) June 18, 2026

PPG Paints Arena is located on Fifth Avenue and closer to downtown Pittsburgh. As home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the arena can fit up to 19,000 fans and has been used for March Madness games. The last time Pitt played in PPG Paints Arena was its last "The City Game" against neighboring Duquesne in 2018.

In Pitt Athletic's official statement, it was made clear that the matchup was moved to PPG Paints for possible revenue oppurtunities, with AD Allen Greene saying, "while we'd prefer to play every game at The Pete, taking this rivalry to PPG Paints Arena creates a revenue opportunity that goes well beyond a typical home game, and those dollars matter for our student-athletes...we look forward to giving Pittsburgh a great event in December that drives meaningful, above-the-cap NIL revenue for our program."

This comes days after the announcement of H2PNIL, a new program made to help the university keep up with retaining and picking up players to make the school's sports programs competent. The Backyard Brawl in any sport always gets some of the most attendance for both Pitt and West Virginia. Now, Pitt is banking on possibly filling out a pro-sports arena to drive revenue.

All one can ask for is the energy to be the same as it would be in the Petersen Event Center. The student section is a key part of college basketball and rivalries, so hopefully they find a place for the Oakland Zoo in PPG Paints Arena.

Nov 15, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Brandin Cummings (left) handles the ball as West Virginia Mountaineers guard Javon Small (7) defends during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Recent History with WVU

In the school's biggest sports, last season wasn't the Panthers' best in the Backyard Brawl. The last football matchup for some time saw the Panthers collapse in the final quarter, and in basketball West Virginia handed Pitt one of their many blowout losses of the season. Not to mention Pitt losing out on a top WPIAL prospect to West Virginia.

West Virginia holds a 102-90 lead in the all-time men's basketball matchup against Pitt. With a whole new roster incoming for the Panthers, hopefully they can make a dent in that record on a bigger stage than ever.

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