Inside The Panthers

Pitt Football Inks Home-and-Home with SEC Team

The Pitt Panthers will now face three Power Four non-conference opponents next season.
Mitchell Corcoran|
Sep 6, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi arrives at the stadium before the game against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Sep 6, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi arrives at the stadium before the game against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers and the Ole Miss Rebels are finalizing a deal to play a home-and-home series starting in 2026, Chase Parham of Rebels247 reported on Sept. 8.

The first game of the series will be played on Sept. 5, 2026, in Oxford. The Pitt home game is expected to be played in 2030.

This agreement comes weeks after the SEC announced it will play a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026. SEC teams are also required to play at least one non-league power conference opponent each season.

Pitt is now scheduled to face three Power Four non-conference opponents in 2026. UCF at home on Sept. 12 and on the road against Wisconsin on Sept. 19 are the other two games. Pitt is also scheduled to play Wisconsin in Ireland in 2027.

The Panthers were previously scheduled to play Miami (Ohio) at home on Sept. 5. That game will likely be moved to Aug. 29. Should that game be removed, it would be the first time since 2008 that Pitt will not play an FCS opponent in the regular season.

The last time Pitt played a home-and-home with an SEC opponent was in 2021 and 2022 against Tennessee, with former Pitt and Tennessee head coach Johnny Majors being honored after his passing.

Pittsburgh running back Israel Abanikanda (2) runs during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers
Pittsburgh running back Israel Abanikanda (2) runs the ball during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Pittsburgh Panthers in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. The Vols defeated Pitt 34-27 in overtime. Tennpitt0910 03536 | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Panthers and the Rebels have only faced each other once all-time. Pitt lost to Ole Miss 38-17 on Jan. 5, 2013, in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, AL.

Pitt's athletic director, Allen Greene, also has a previous connection to Ole Miss. He was an assistant athletics director from 2009-12 and the Senior Deputy athletic director from 2022-23.

No. 17 Ole Miss is off to a 2-0 start to the 2025 season with wins over Georgia State and Kentucky. In 2024, the Rebels went 10-3 with a 52-20 Taxslayer Gator Bowl win over Duke.

Last week, On'3 Brett McMurphy projected Pitt and Ole Miss and play in the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, N.C. on Jan. 2, 2026.

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Mitchell Corcoran
MITCHELL CORCORAN

Mitch is a passionate storyteller and college sports fanatic. Growing up 70 miles away in Johnstown, Pa., Mitch has followed Pittsburgh sports all his life. Mitch started his sports journalism career as an undergraduate at Penn State, covering several programs for the student-run blog, Onward State. He previously worked for NBC Sports, The Tribune-Democrat and the Altoona Mirror as a freelancer. Give him a follow on X @MitchCorc18.

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