Pitt Announces Sell-Out Crowd vs. Notre Dame

PITTSBURGH - It's shaping up to be one of the biggest weekends for the Pitt Panthers in quite some time.

The University of Pittsburgh announced today that the key non-conference matchup between No. 22 Pitt and No. 9 Notre Dame at Acrisure Stadium is officially sold out.

The ranked match up will feature an appearance by the College GameDay crew for the first time since 2005 (since the popular college football television show set up inside the stadium for the renewal of the Backyard Brawl in 2022 it doesn't count), and the ACC Huddle crew will also be in attendance.

Oct 18, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi reacts to a call against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Narduzzi has downplayed the game being a "must-win" for his squad, and while his brashness is what drew headlines, there's no doubt that the Panthers are gunning to go 1-0 this week. It's an important game, but Narduzzi isn't worried about the headlines and the hype.

"You talk about the stage," Pat Narduzzi said this week. "You could play this game at 7 a.m. over at the fieldhouse on campus. You could play at Carnegie Mellon or in the parking lot out here or in our indoor facility. Doesn't matter what time. Doesn't matter who we're praying against. Our guys are coming to play, period.

"All the hooplah, the game day and all that stuff, that's great for the city of Pittsburgh, it's great for the University of Pittsburgh, it's on a big stage, but we're insulated in here as far as that goes. It's just a game. Once that kickoff starts, our guys got to be locked in, play one play at a time to be focused. That's what it comes down to."

Notre Dame is 7-2 this season, with losses to Miami and Texas A&M to begin the campaign. Since then, the Fighting Irish have rattled off seven straight wins.

CJ Carr is having a strong redshirt freshman campaign at quarterback, but it's the 1-2 duo of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price at running that powers an offense scoring 38.7 points per game.

Pitt Record vs. Notre Dame

Pitt is 21-49 all-time against Notre Dame, with the series ranking as one of the Panthers' longest and most played.

The most recent meeting came in 2023, a 58-7 win by the Fighting Irish that flipped a poor season completely on its head. The Fighting Irish also won the last meeting at Acrisure Stadium, a 45-3 trouncing during the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020.

The last time Pitt beat the Irish came in 2013, a 28-21 win at then-Heinz Field. Former quarterback Tom Savage threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns, and former running back James Conner and wide receiver Tyler Boyd combined for two touchdowns.

With both Pitt and Notre Dame ranked and in the hunt for an at-large bit, it's a matchup that will have College Football Playoff implications, and Acrisure Stadium should be a raucous environment. A win for the Panthers would go a long way.

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