Discover

Pitt logo		WVU logo

The 'Backyard Brawl' is an annual football game between the University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University. On Thursday, November 16 2006 the 99th edition of the Backyard Brawl took place in Pittsburgh. The 100th edition of the Backyard Brawl will take place on December 1, 2007 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, WV. The rivalry is the 14th oldest college rivalry in the United States. Both schools are currently members of the Big East Conference, making the 'Backyard Brawl' the oldest rivalry in the conference. Through the first 99 games played between these two schools, Pitt leads the series by a 59-37-3 margin, with the latest game coming on November 16, 2006, a 45-27 Mountaineer victory. West Virginia has a streak of two wins.

Contents

Football

Basketball

Football

First played in 1895, the game has historically been one of the more intense rivalries in the eastern United States. The rivalry between the two schools is due mainly to proximity. WVU's campus in Morgantown, West Virginia is only about 70 miles (112 km) south of Pittsburgh, and the two schools often compete for the same recruits. Of these recruits, 400 have become National Football League players, including 27 first round draft picks. There have also been 100 First-Team All Americans and 57 other All-Americans. On October 2, 1965, WVU defeated Pitt 63-48, with the 111 points being the highest point total in one game in the series.

Basketball

The basketball end of this rivalry has heated up over the last few years as each team has been among the best in the country. On February 9, 2006, for the first time in the history of the series, in the 169th edition, Pitt and WVU were both nationally ranked as they squared off in Pitt's Petersen Events Center. Pitt won, but mere weeks later, the two ranked teams played at WVU Coliseum-- the Mountaineers took the rematch. The two teams then faced each other in the Big East Tournament in Madison Square Garden. The Panthers won the 2006 rubber match, 68-57. WVU leads the series, 92-80. On February 7, 2007, Pitt defeated WVU 60-47 at Morgantown, WV. They next played on February 27, 2007 and Pitt won 80-66.