Pitt, ACC announce 2016 Football Schedule
Photo: cardiachill.com
By: Andrew Stern
Yesterday, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Atlantic Coast Conference revealed the 2016 Football Schedules for all of the ACC programs.
While all of Pitt’s opponents were known, and the dates of non-conference games were known, the order in which Pitt would play the games was unknown until yesterday.
On the surface, the schedule ranks as maybe the toughest slate in the ACC and one of the toughest in the country.
Pitt will face eight bowl teams from last season (Penn State, Oklahoma State, UNC, Marshall, Duke, Miami, Clemson, and VT), four teams that won 10 games last season (Clemson, Marshall, Oklahoma State, and UNC), and three teams that finished in the top 20 at the end of 2015.
The schedule starts with Pitt’s easiest game of the season by far, as the Panthers will welcome in-state rival Villanova to Pittsburgh on September 3rd.
Following the date with ‘Nova, Pitt will continue the theme of hosting in-state rivals, when it will face off with Penn State, in perhaps the seasons highest anticipated college football game in Western Pennsylvania.
Following the two home games with Villanova, Pitt will then travel to Stillwater to face the Oklahoma State Cowboys before kicking off the ACC schedule on the road against the 2015 Coastal Division Champions – the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The game against UNC should be an important one for Pat Narduzzi and company, as UNC is the only ACC Coastal opponent Pitt has yet to beat since it moved to the ACC in 2013.
Following the two road matchups Pitt will return to Heinz Field to face off against its final non-conference opponent of the season (Marshall), before the 2014 ACC Coastal Champions (Georgia Tech) invade Heinz Field.
Pitt’s ACC schedule includes a road date with national runner up Clemson (Nov. 12), a prime-time matchup against Virginia Tech (Thursday October 27), and concludes with the annual rivalry game with Syracuse (Nov. 26 at Heinz Field).
Pitt will not conclude the season at home against Miami, as they have since they moved into the ACC in 2013.
Speaking of Miami, Pat Narduzzi will face off against former Georgia coach Mark Richt and the Hurricanes on November 5th at Sun Life Stadium.
Coming off the program’s best record since 2009, Pitt returns six total All-ACC performers from the past two years, the 2014 ACC Offensive and Overall Player of the Year (James Conner), and the Co-ACC Rookies of the Year (Qadree Ollison, and Jordan Whitehead).
Check out the full schedule below, and stay tuned to WPTS all season long for LIVE coverage of all 12 games, analysis, interviews, and more.
Full 2016 Pitt Football Schedule:
9/3- Villanova
9/10- Penn State
9/17- at Oklahoma State
9/24- at North Carolina*
10/1- Marshall
10/8- Georgia Tech*
10/15- at Virginia*
10/22- BYE
10/27 (Thurs.)- vs. Virginia Tech*
11/5- at Miami*
11/12- at Clemson*
11/19- Duke*
11/26- Syracuse*
