Pitt Basketball to Play UCF at Neutral Site

The Pitt Panthers will take on UCF at a netural site during the upcoming season.

Feb 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel yells to his team during the first half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Pitt Panthers and UCF Knights will reportedly meet for a neutral site basketball game in Daytona Beach, Florida at some point during the 2025-26 season, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.

There has been no official announcement or known exact date of when the game will take place yet.

Both Pitt and UCF had less than inspiring 2024-25 seasons. UCF finished with a 20-17 record, finishing No. 12 in the Big 12 conference. They lost to Kansas in the second round of the Big 12 Championship Tournament. However, they were able to make it to the final game of the College Basketball Crown tournament, falling to Nebraska in the championship game.

Pitt finished with a 17-15 record in the 2024-25 season, finishing in the No. 13 spot in the ACC. The Panthers lost to Notre Dame in the first round of the conference tournament. The team then declined any other postseason opportunities, ending their season.

Unsurprisingly with the current college basketball landscape, both Pitt and UCF have lost and gained players due to the transfer portal. While Pitt currently sees four incoming transfers, UCF is expected to add an astonishing 11 to their team.

While Pitt has added several interesting freshman to the team, UCF has only had one freshman commit so far.

A matchup between the two teams was possbile in the 2024 Greenbier Tip-Off championship game, but UCF wasn't able to make the final game as they lost to Wisconsin.

Pitt and UCF have played each other in basketball a single time before. They met in the 2004 NCAA Tournament, and in that game, the No. 3 Panthers took down the No. 14 Knights by a final score of 53-44.

Both teams look to improve this upcoming season. This matchup will be important for each team to end the season with a stronger record and higher seeds in their respective conferences. Hopefully these high stakes lead to a little more scoring than the last time these teams went head-to-head.

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