After dragging it out for three nights, the Atlantic Coast Conference finally announced the entire 2024 football schedule for its 17 member institutions on Wednesday evening. The Pitt Panthers have known their opponents and a few dates as well, but now the full 12-game slate has now been finalized.
It is typical for ESPN and other television outlets to to announce game times for the first three weeks ahead of the start of the season, but beyond that the game times will be revealed throughout the season like normal.
The Panthers open the season with four straight non-conference games with three of those being held at Acriusre Stadium. Pitt opens the 2024 campaign with a home game at home with a game against Kent State out of the Mid-American Conference.
The Panthers then will take on Cincinnati on the road in week two. It will mark Pitt’s first trip to Nippert Stadium since the 2012 season. The old Big East rivals squared off last year, with the Bearcats outlasting Pitt 27-21.
For the second consecutive year, Pitt and West Virginia will renew the Backyard Brawl during the third week of the season. This is the third of four meetings between the two storied rivals in the current series. After a quick three-year hiatus following the 2025 season, Pitt and West Virginia will resume the Brawl in 2029. This season will mark the 107th meeting between the two schools, with Pitt holding an all-time mark over the Mountaineers at 62-41-3
The Panthers will close out non-conference play on September 21st as they welcome Youngstown State to Acrisure Stadium. The Penguins, out of the FCS, have been a frequent Pitt opponent through the years. Pitt is 20-1 all-time against FCS programs, but Youngstown State can claim that lone victory, which happened back in 2012.
Pitt’s ACC opener will take place after a bye week. The Panthers will be off September 28th before getting into the eight-game ACC slate. Pitt will begin its ACC journey in Chapel Hill against North Carolina. Pitt is 0-7 all-time against North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
The Panthers then will get its first look at ACC newcomer Cal on October 12. The two programs have met five times, but this will be the first meeting between the schools since 1966 and following that game, the Panthers will go into a second bye week, but there is good reason for that.
Pitt is slated to take on Syracuse on October 24th, a Thursday night, so Pat Narduzzi's squad will effectively have two weeks to prepare for the Orange rather than getting them on a short week.
The Panthers will then get another new foe on the schedule on November 2nd when they travel down to Dallas to take on league newcomer SMU. Pitt and SMU last played each other in Dallas back in the 1983 Cotton Bowl.
From there, Pitt will get a pair of home games to highlight the month of November. First up will be a game against Virginia on November 9th, before a big home showdown against perennial ACC powerhouse Clemson on the 16th. The Tigers have only traveled to Pittsburgh once before and that was a 27-17 Pitt win during the Panthers' ACC Championship season in 2021.
The Panthers will be away from Acrisure Stadium for the final two games. Pitt will head to Louisville on November 23rd, before closing out the year in Boston with a game against the Eagles the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Coincidentally enough, Pitt's only two ACC wins during the 2023 season were against those two teams.
2024 Pitt football schedule at a glance:
August 31 — Kent State (Acrisure Stadium) TBA
All-time series: Pitt leads 7-0
Last meeting: 9/6/2003. Pitt 43, Kent State 3
2023 record: 1-11 (0-8 MAC)
Head coach: Kenni Burns, second season (1-11)
September 7 — At Cincinnati (Nippert Stadium) TBA
All-time series: Pitt leads 8-5
Last meeting: 9/9/2023. Cincinnati 27, Pitt 21
2023 record: 3-9 (1-8 Big 12)
Head coach: Scott Satterfield, second season (3-9, 79-57 career)
September 14 — West Virginia (Acrisure Stadium) TBA
All-time series: Pitt leads 62-41-3
Last meeting: 9/16/2023. West Virginia 17, Pitt 6
2023 record: 9-4 (6-3 Big 12)
Head coach: Neal Brown, sixth season (31-29, 66-45 career)
September 21 — Youngstown State (Acrisure Stadium) TBA
All-time series: Pitt leads 4-1
Last meeting: 9/2/2017. Pitt 28, Youngstown State 21 (OT)
2023 record: 8-5 (5-3 Missouri Valley)
Head coach: Doug Phillips, fourth season (19-22)
October 5 — At North Carolina (Kenan Memorial Stadium) TBA
All-time series: North Carolina leads 12-5
Last meeting: 9/23/2023: North Carolina 41, Pitt 24
2023 record: 8-5 (4-4 ACC)
Head coach: Mack Brown, 16th season (107-72-1, 282-149-1 overall)
October 12 — California (Acrisure Stadium) TBA
All-time series: Pitt leads 3-2
Last meeting: 10/1/1966. Cal 30, Pitt 15
2023 record: 6-7 (4-5 PAC-12)
Head coach: Justin Wilcox, eighth season (36-43)
October 24 (Thursday) — Syracuse (Acrisure Stadium) TBA
All-time series: Pitt leads 43-33-3
Last meeting: 11/11/2023. Syracuse 28, Pitt 13
2023 record: 6-7 (2-6 ACC)
Head coach: Fran Brown, first season (0-0)
November 2 — AT SMU (Gerald J. Ford Stadium) TBA
All-time series: SMU leads 3-2-1
Last meeting: 1/7/2012. SMU 28, Pitt 6
2023 record: 11-3 (8-0 American)
Head coach: Rhett Lashlee, third season (18-9)
November 9 — Virginia (Acrisure Stadium) TBA
All-time series: Pitt leads 10-4
Last meeting: 11/12/2022. Pitt 37, Virginia 7
2023 record: 3-9 (2-6 ACC)
Head coach: Tony Elliott, third season (6-16)
November 16 — Clemson (Acrisure Stadium) TBA
All-time series: Pitt leads 3-2
Last meeting: 10/23/2021. Pitt 27, Clemson 17
2023 record: 9-4 (4-4 ACC)
Head coach: Dabo Swinney, 17th season (170-43)
November 23 — At Louisville (L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium) TBA
All-time series: Pitt leads 11-9
Last meeting: 10/14/2023 Pitt 38, Louisville 21
2023 record: 10-4 (7-1 ACC)
Head coach: Jeff Brown, second season (10-4, 76-48 career)
November 30 — At Boston College (Alumni Stadium) TBA
All-time series: Pitt leads 18-15
Last meeting: 11/16/2023. Pitt 24, Boston College 16
2023 record: 7-6 (3-5 ACC)
Head coach: Jeff Hafley, fifth season (22-26)
