Inside The Panthers

Pitt Basketball to Play in Legends Classic

The Pitt Panthers basketball team will play two nonconference opponents in the Legends Classic.
Owen Lenson|
Mar 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Mar 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Panthers

Pitt Panthers basketball has announced it will take place in the Legends Classic, playing the UCF Knights and the Quinnipiac Bobcats.

The Panthers will fly down to Daytona Beach to play UCF at the Ocean Center on Nov. 20. Three days later, they will host Quinnipiac at the Peterson Event Center. UCF will also host Quinnipiac at some point.

Pitt has played UCF in basketball just one time before. The matchup came in the 2004 NCAA tournament when the No. 3 Panthers took down the No. 14 Knights by a final score of 53-44.

Last season, UCF finished with a 20-17 record, landing No. 12 in the Big 12 conference. They lost to Kansas in the second round of the Big 12 Championship Tournament. After that, they participated in the College Basketball Crown tournament, losing to Nebraska in the championship game.

Pitt and UCF both participated in the 2024 Greenbrier Tip-Off last season, but didn't match up.

Pitt head coach Jeff Capel
Feb 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel talks to guard Brandin Cummings (3) and guard Jaland Lowe (right) against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

This is the first time in program history Pitt will play Quinnipiac in basketball.

While Quinnipiac being a team in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference may make them not seem like a huge threat, the Bobcats didn't have a bad 2024-25 season. They had a 20-13 overall record and a 15-5 conference record.

Quinnipiac and UCF add to a long list of nonconference opponents for Pitt. The list now includes the likes of a West Virginia, Villanova, Ohio State, Texas A&M and a Penn State matchup being played in Hershey, PA.

The Legends Classic has been held annually in November since 2007. It is usually a tournament, but it seems to be just a showcase for this season. Pitt has participated in Legends Classic four times, winning in 2008 and 2013. The last time Pitt participated was in 2022 when it was held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

As Pitt looks to improve from last basketball season, facing tough nonconference opponents like UCF and Quinnipiac will be a good way to indicate whether they've truly grown.

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Owen Lenson
OWEN LENSON

Owen Lenson is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in media and professional communications and minoring in political science. He has a passion for making stories out of journalism and reporting.

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