Pitt Football Adds Nonconference Opponent for 2026 Schedule

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers have added an in-state FCS school to their 2026 schedule.

Pitt will face the Bucknell Bison in a game that will take place in early September 2026, Abby Schnable of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

According to the report, a source close to the program said that Pitt and Bucknell agreed to play one another several years ago, but it was never formally announced.

BREAKING: Despite recent speculation, Pitt football was never searching for a 2026 opponent. A previously unannounced contract with Bucknell fills the final nonconference slot, a source tells @PGSportsNow. https://t.co/mJ8AV2lJTJ
— Abby Schnable (@AbbySchnable) December 9, 2025

Bucknell finished the 2025 regular season with a record of 5-7 and 2-5 in the Patriot League, finishing seventh out of eight schools. The Bison faced one FBS opponent in Air Force this season and lost 49-13.

This game fills a needed nonconference slot on the Panthers' 2026 schedule. Last week, Pitt and Wisconsin mutually agreed to cancel the 2026 meeting in Madison.

As the schedule currently stands, Pitt's nonconference slate consists of home games against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 5 and UCF on Sept. 12, and now Bucknell.

Pitt's Updated 2026 Schedule

There are still a few pieces to fall until Pitt's 2026 is officially complete. The biggest is determining who will be the 12th opponent.

Bucknell is now the 11th opponent on Pitt's 2026 schedule, but a 12th game still needs to be added. The ACC decided in September that it would move to a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026 and would require all conference teams to face at least one Power 4 nonconference opponent. For Pitt, that will be UCF.

However, one ACC team each season will play the traditional eight conference games schedule, but will be required to face two Power 4 nonconference teams instead. That part of the schedule has not been announced by the ACC yet, and every ACC team, except NC State and Virginia, only has eight conference opponents scheduled at this time.

Those eight ACC games for Pitt will consist of home contests against Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Syracuse, and away games against Boston College, Louisville, Miami and Virginia Tech, according to FBSchedules.com.

Nov 29, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal (left) and Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi (right) shake hands after their game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

It was also reported in September that Pitt and Ole Miss agreed to a home-and-home series starting in 2026. However, there has been no formal announcement of the agreement yet. This reported agreement took place prior to the ACC's nine-game schedule announcement.

It's possible that both teams are waiting for the new nine-game ACC schedule to be announced to see if Pitt will be the lone ACC team to schedule a second Power 4 nonconference opponent. This would also be a mutually beneficial agreement.

The SEC also decided to expand its conference schedule to nine games in August and now also requires each team to schedule a Power 4 nonconference opponent, which the Rebels do not currently have.

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