Pitt to Play Penn State in Philadelphia

For the second year in a row, the Pitt Panthers will face the Penn State Nittany Lions on a neutral site.

Dec 21, 2025; Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Josh Reed (10) holds the ball as Pittsburgh Panthers guard/forward Barry Dunning Jr (22) defends during the second half at Giant Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Pitt Panthers add another non-conference game to the 2026-27 basketball schedule, announcing they will play Penn State at the Palestra on Nov 8. The Palestra, which is celebrating it's 100th anniversary, is a historic gym in Philadelphia that is currently home to the University of Pennsylvania's Quakers indoor sports.

Panthers 🆚 Nittany Lions at the Cathedral of College Basketball

Read More: https://t.co/MSmWIZZRWg pic.twitter.com/KrefyTrbu4

— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) July 9, 2026

This game marks another stop in the Panthers' and Nitanny Lions' tour around Pennsylvania. Last season, the two teams played in the GIANT Center in Hershey, a game which Pitt ended up dominating. It was a rare blowout win over another Power 4 conference team for the Panthers, and one that was led by players who are now on different teams.

Both Penn State and Pitt have taken advantage of the transfer portal after disappointing seasons, with Penn State bringing in six transfers and Pitt bringing in eleven. Penn State finished the 2025-26 season dead last in the Big 10, while Pitt finished 15 in the ACC.

While Penn State hasn't been a formidable challenger in basketball for awhile, having a game this early in the season against a Big Ten team can be a good test for the Panthers squad. It's undeniable the talent Pitt has on it's roster, but finding chemistry between a group of new players can be difficult.

Dec 21, 2025; Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard Melih Tunca (9) defends as Pittsburgh Panthers guard Nojus Indrusaitis (25) shoots a three-point shot during the first half at Giant Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Series History

The Nov 8 match will mark the big 150th game between Penn State and Pitt men's basketball. Penn State leads the all-time series just by a 76-73 record. Pitt can continue to make a dent in that margin the more they play, as the Panthers are 6-1 in their last seven matchups against the Nittany Lions.

This will be Pitt's 23rd appearance in the Palestra. The Panthers have just a 7-15 record in the historic gym, but they did win their last game there with a 78-58 win over Penn.

Other Non-Conference Games

Another non-conference game for Pitt is the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia, which will now be played at PPG Paints Arena. It might be disappointing for these two rivarly games to be played at neutral locations, but at least the Backyard Brawl will be close in Pittsburgh.

Pitt will host former Big East rival Villanova at the Petersen Event Center, hoping to redeem themselves after last year's matchup.

Other notable non-conference games include Missouri in the ACC/SEC Challenge and Oklahoma and DePaul in the Fort Meyers Tip-Off.

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