WVU and Pittsburgh football have added four more years to the Backyard Brawl. It is one of the nation’s oldest and intense rivalries, and they now have four more games scheduled from 2033 to 2036. WVU Director of Athletics Wren Baker announced the addition of a four-game series, extending the series through 2036. Read more: Backyard Brawl Extended Through 2036.
Backyard Brawl Extended Through 2036
WVU and Pittsburgh will play their 108th game in 2025 before taking a three-year break. The series resumes in 2029, with four games initially scheduled, but this announcement adds four more games, extending the series through 2036.
“It’s always a great day when you can extend one of the best rivalries in all of college sports,” Wren Baker said of the extension. “I want to thank Pitt Athletic Director Allan Greene for his help in extending the “Backyard Brawl,” and there is no doubt that today’s announcement is a win for not only fans of the two Universities but for all of college football.”
Related: Nearly 20 Years Later, Rodriguez and WVU Still Chase the Ghost of Pitt
The teams rotate between home and away games for eight years, starting in 2029. Pittsburgh leads the rivalry with a record of 63-41-3, dating back to 1895. The historic rivalry deserves a place in college football, despite the teams playing in separate conferences. Both head coaches weighed in on the extension and expressed their enthusiasm for the rivalry.
“I think it’s one of the greatest rivalries in sports. Obviously, the location between the two are close,” WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez said. “There’s a lot of intensity with it, and there never seems to be any love lost between the fanbases. It’s always, to me, the biggest game on your schedule when you’re at West Virginia.”
Backyard Brawl → 𝙀𝙓𝙏𝙀𝙉𝘿𝙀𝘿.
West Virginia and Pitt have agreed to extend their series from 2029-32 for four more games, starting in 2033.
🔗 https://t.co/rkyVupz6E1 pic.twitter.com/imbb8zH0w4
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) September 12, 2025
Pittsburgh has got the better of it since it was renewed in 2022. They are 2-1 in that span, winning both home games at Acrisure Stadium, while losing at Milan Puskar Stadium in 2023.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled for what this means for both Pitt and West Virginia,” Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi said about the Backyard Brawl. “But this goes far beyond four more games and the 75 miles separating us. This paves the way for future Panthers to carry on the history of this rivalry, while current ones get to forge new legacies for years to come. This extension isn’t just for Pitt and West Virginia, but for college football fans everywhere.”
Narduzzi hit the nail on the head, and I am sure Rodriguez agrees with him. The future of this rivalry is alive, offering players the chance to leave a legacy at their respective programs. It should also alter recruiting, especially of players from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The opportunity for a young player to participate in the Backyard Brawl gives them an edge in recruiting local players.
WVU – Pittsburgh Future Meetings
- September 8, 2029, at Pittsburgh
- September 7, 2030, at West Virginia
- September 6, 2031, at Pittsburgh
- September 11, 2032, at West Virginia
- September 10, 2033, at Pittsburgh
- September 9, 2034, at West Virginia
- September 8, 2035, at Pittsburgh
- September 13, 2036, at West Virginia
