The genuine, impassioned and sometimes angry questions that surround the Pitt-Penn State football series, the ones wondering why the state’s pre-eminent programs aren’t scheduled to play each other beyond a brief four-game deal, can obscure another facet of an estranged rivalry — the two schools haven’t played each other consistently in men’s basketball in more than a decade.
That separation, however, might soon be a thing of the past.
The Panthers and Nittany Lions will meet Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., as part of the Never Forget Tribute Classic, an inaugural doubleheader that will help support the education of the children of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It will mark just the second time the programs will have played in the past 11 years, neither of which was arranged solely between the two schools.
Both Pitt athletic director Scott Barnes and Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour are hopeful, though, that a stable series can materialize, with the latter noting she is “very optimistic” about a deal getting done at some point.
“Scott and I have had a couple of conversations, primarily revolving around football, but we did bring up basketball and I think we both said ‘Yeah, we’d like to play. That would be great,’ ” Barbour said. “That conversation took place, I believe, when Jamie Dixon was the head coach at Pitt. I don’t know what [Pitt] coach [Kevin] Stallings’ view is on it, but I know what [Penn State coach] Pat Chambers’ view on it is. It’s ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ ”
Between their geographic proximity and status as major-conference programs, a series between the two schools would make sense.
The Panthers and Nittany Lions have played 146 times, making the latter the former’s second-most frequently played opponent, behind West Virginia (184 meetings). Penn State leads the all-time series, 75-71, but has lost the past six matchups. They played at least once every year from 1935-82 and briefly rekindled the rivalry at the turn of the century, playing annually from 2000-05. Since that time, they’ve gone against each other just once, in 2013 as part of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.
With relatively new athletic directors, both of whom arrived at their respective schools in the past two years, there’s the hope that a connection between Pitt and Penn State in men’s basketball can be forged. That belief was partially reinforced last September, when the Panthers and longtime regional rival West Virginia struck a deal for a four-game series from 2017-20.
Such efforts are a priority for Barnes. With a series with the Mountaineers secured, getting the Nittany Lions back on the schedule remains a goal.
“I just don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t be doing that,” Barnes said of playing Penn State. “They’re getting better. The RPI component of this is good for the both of us, with a Big Ten and ACC schedule. I think it would be a good thing to do. We’ll certainly extend that offer to do that, a home and home.”
The meeting in Saturday’s event came together when organizers approached Pitt and Penn State about participating. Both sides were interested, though Barbour said, in the early stages of talks, she didn’t know Pitt was a possible opponent.
This weekend’s matchup is an encouraging step to Chambers, who said he would “absolutely” want to regularly play the Panthers.
“Even if we don’t get the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, I still think it’s a good game because they’re looking for high-major games and we’re looking for high-major games,” Chambers said. “It just makes sense. History states that we’ve played them 146 times. That’s the most in program history. It would be nice to keep that going. I think it could be advantageous for both programs.”
As it often is in college scheduling, there are some obstacles. While basketball scheduling is notably easier than it is in football, with more open dates, the ACC is moving from 18 conference games to 20 in 2019, which will slightly limit Pitt’s flexibility.
For that reason and others, there’s a degree of caution that comes with the optimism surrounding a potential future series.
“I’m indifferent, honestly,” Stallings said. “I just want to have a good schedule. You can’t schedule every rival team you have when you have league games. We’re going to be going to 20 league games at some point. I’m glad we’re playing this game. I think it’s a great opportunity for us and them, that’s for a great cause, obviously. If it would make sense for us to do something long-term, we would certainly look at that.”
Craig Meyer: cmeyer@post-gazette.com and Twitter @CraigMeyerPG.
Scouting Report
Matchup: Pitt (7-2) vs. Penn State (6-4), 2:30 p.m., today, Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
TV, Radio: CBS Sports Network, KDKA-FM (93.7), Pitt IMG Sports Network, Sirius Ch. 132, XM Ch. 194.
Pitt: Coming off 84-79 victory Wednesday against Buffalo. … Six players scored in double figures in the win, led by 17 points from F Mike Young and G/F Cam Johnson. … Shot a season-high 54.5 percent in the victory. … Beat Penn State in their most recent meeting, 78-69, Dec. 3, 2013.
Penn State: Coming off 85-66 loss last Wednesday against George Mason, snapping a four-game win streak. … Three of the team’s five leading scorers — F Lamar Stevens (12.5 points per game), G Tony Carr (11) and F Mike Watkins (9.5) — are freshmen.
Hidden stat: Penn State is making 79.2 percent of its free throws, the seventh-best mark in Division I.
First Published: December 10, 2016, 5:03 a.m.
