The 'Backyard Brawl' between Pitt and West Virginia will resume in 2022
The "Backyard Brawl" is back in business.
The 104-year rivalry between Pittsburgh and West Virginia was put on hiatus when the two schools departed the Big East for different conferences, but will return beginning in 2022.
“I think this is a very exciting announcement for all of college football,” West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons said in a statement. “We all know how conference realignment ended some long-standing rivalries, which have made the sport so special. Today, we are able to bring back one of the oldest rivalries in college football.”
The two schools agreed to a four-game series, which will begin at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Sept. 17, 2022 and alternate sites for the following three seasons.
The “Backyard Brawl” started in 1895 and was played for 104 years before it ended in 2011 when West Virginia left the Big East for the Big 12. The two teams met every season from 1943-2011. Pitt leads the overall series 61-40-3.
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen has been one of the biggest proponents of reigniting the series and even called out Pittsburgh earlier this summer for scheduling other opponents where West Virginia would have been a good fit.
Dana Holgorsen on Pitt: “We’re begging 'em to play. They chose to play Okla. State instead. It makes no sense why it’s not being played"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 22, 2015
First-year Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi responded with his own barbs to the Mountaineers’ coach.
Pat Narduzzi responding to Dana Holgorsen’s “we’re begging to play Pitt” comment: “I never beg"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 28, 2015
Pat Narduzzi on WVU series: “I’d love to play WVU someday but our instate rivalry (Penn State) is bigger than an out-of-state rivalry”
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 28, 2015
When the return of the series was announced Thursday afternoon, Holgorsen was one of the first to chime in on Twitter.
ESPecially Happy About This! pic.twitter.com/UZ66Pw7ShV
— Dana Holgorsen (@Holgorsendana) September 10, 2015
It’s just too bad we have to wait seven more seasons before these two teams can take out their aggressions on the field.
Now if we could just get Texas and Texas A&M, and Missouri and Kansas to mend fances.
For more Pittsburgh news, visit Panther-lair.com.
For more West Virginia news, visit WVSports.com.
-----
Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook
