Pitt's Next Big Ten Matchup After Pat Narduzzi Comments

After Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi made a controversial comment on the Big Ten, his next matchup with the conference will have a lot of eyes on it.

Jul 17, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi talks with the media during interviews at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi has taken full advantage of all the press at ACC Kickoff. Social media had many feelings about his controversial take on the ACC, saying that it was better than the Big Ten and that the ACC has "more skill."

NEW: Pitt's Patt Narduzzi says the ACC is better than the Big Ten:

"It's better than the Big Ten. It's got more skill."

He added: "You look at our record in bowl games against the SEC and the Big Ten. You look at our record in the regular season. We don't have losing… pic.twitter.com/3wdd8IdHnZ

— On3 (@On3) July 18, 2026

Even though Narduzzi was talking about the conference as a whole, of course, his personal 1-6 record against the Big Ten has been brought up. Pitt rarely faces Big Ten teams, but Narduzzi's next chance to back up his statement is a little over a year away.

Next Matchup

Pitt's next matchup against a Big Ten team will be against Wisconsin overseas. The Panthers and Badgers will play for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug 28, 2027.

Pitt and Wisconsin were supposed to play in Madison during the upcoming 2026 season, but there was a mutual agreement to cancel it. The game was replaced with Pitt hosting FCS school Bucknell on Sep 26.

As of now, the matchup with Wisconsin is the only Big Ten team in Pitt football's future schedules. Though Narduzzi did mention he reached out to Penn State's coach about bringing that rivalry back up, the second year in a row he mentioned this at ACC Kickoff.

Previous Big Ten Matchups

Pitt's last matchup against a Big Ten team was Michigan State in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in 2021. Despite it being Narduzzi's most successful year with the program, winning the ACC Championship, the Spartans defeated the Panthers 31-21.

The last regular season matchup was a 17-10 loss at Penn State in 2019.

This upcoming season actually marks the ten-year anniversary of Pitt last beating a Big Ten team, when the Panthers defended home field against Penn State in a 42-39 win in the 2016 season.

Sep 9, 2017; University Park, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Qadree Ollison (37) runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Pitt 33-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last December, the ACC announced it was implementing a nine-conference game schedule for every team. This leaves Pitt with a little less room in the future to schedule Big Ten teams, as they only have three games per season to work with now. One game every season will be against an easy opponent, so that leaves two to be against a Power Four conference team.

A Pitt team that has been surprisingly good against the Big Ten recently is men's basketball. The team defeated Ohio State via game-winners in both home-and-home series games. They also blew out Penn State on a neutral site last season, and have another matchup with the Nittany Lions scheduled for the upcoming season.

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