The college basketball season is set to begin later this month. The Atlantic Coast Conference released its schedule this morning as Pitt found out who it will be taking on this upcoming season. Pitt is slated to play 20 ACC games this year, and the non-conference schedule is down to just five games.
It has been known that Pitt will be taking on Northwestern in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and the team is rumored to be playing Gardner Webb on December 12th as well. The Panthers still need to reveal three more non-conference games before the season can begin, but here is a closer look at the team's ACC schedule.
Day Date Opponent Location
Wednesday Dec. 16 at Miami * Coral Gables, Fla.
TUESDAY DEC. 22 LOUISVILLE * PITTSBURGH, PA
Tues./Weds. Dec. 29/30 at Duke * Durham, N.C.
SATURDAY JAN. 2 NOTRE DAME * PITTSBURGH, PA
SATURDAY JAN. 9 FLORIDA STATE * PITTSBURGH, PA
Tues./Weds. Jan. 12/13 at Georgia Tech * Atlanta, Ga.
SATURDAY JAN. 16 SYRACUSE * PITTSBURGH, PA
TUES./WEDS. JAN. 19/20 DUKE * PITTSBURGH, PA
Saturday Jan. 23 at Boston College * Chestnut Hill, Mass.
TUES./WEDS. JAN. 26/27 NORTH CAROLINA * PITTSBURGH, PA
TUES./WEDS. FEB. 2/3 VIRGINIA TECH * PITTSBURGH, PA
Sunday Feb. 7 at Wake Forest * Winston-Salem, N.C.
Tues./Weds. Feb. 9/10 at Louisville * Louisville, Ky.
Saturday Feb. 13 at Syracuse * Syracuse, N.Y.
TUES./WEDS. FEB. 16/17 NC STATE * PITTSBURGH, PA
SUNDAY FEB. 21 CLEMSON * PITTSBURGH, PA
Tues./Weds. Feb. 23/24 at Virginia * Charlottesville, Va.
Sunday Feb. 28 at NC State * Raleigh, N.C.
TUES./WEDS. MARCH 2/3 WAKE FOREST * PITTSBURGH, PA
Fri./Sat. March 5/6 at Clemson * Clemson, S.C.
ACC Tournament
Tues.-Sat. March 9-13 ACC Tournament > Greensboro, N.C. ESPN/ACCN
Here are some notable storylines about the schedule.
-- The conference portion of the season begins on December 16th when the team hosts Miami at the Petersen Events Center. The Panthers and Hurricanes split the regular season meeting a year ago,.
-- For the second year in a row, Pitt will be taking on Louisville prior to January 1st. Last year the Panthers lost to the Cardinals in both meetings, including a 64-46 defeat when Louisville was ranked No. 1 in the country back on December 6th.
-- It should be noted that most of the dates till aren't finalized. It appears television is the main reason why at this point, and games, actual dates, and television slots should be announced in the coming days.
-- Pitt announced that 1,250 fans will be permitted in the Petersen Events Center for this season. The tickets will be distributed on a single-game basis and no season tickets will be sold this season.
-- Pitt is set to play Duke two times this season. Duke is of course the alma mater of Pitt head coach Jeff Caoel. The Panthers lost their only meeting to the Blue Devils last season by a score of 79-67 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke enters the season ranked ninth in the preseason AP Poll.
-- Virginia is expected to be the top team in the ACC this season, and Pitt will take on the Cavaliers one time on either February 23 or 24th in Charlottesville. Tony Bennett's team is ranked fourth in the preseason poll.
-- North Carolina was a team that Pitt swept in the regular season a year ago, but after a strong recruiting class the Tar Heels are back in the preseason rankings. Pitt's lone meeting with North Carolina will come in Chapel Hill on either January 26th or 27th.
-- Florida State is the fourth and final team in the preseason AP rankings, checking in at No. 21. The Panthers have upset the Seminoles in each of the past two seasons at home, including a season-opening 63-61 win to start last season. The lone meeting this year will happen on Saturday January 9th at home.
-- Pitt will take on every team in the league once, and will play a second meeting against six schools. Pitt's home and home schedule is as follows: Clemson, Duke, Louisville, North Carolina State, Syracuse, and Wake Forest.
