The Pitt men’s basketball program released its non-conference portion of the schedule for the upcoming 2024-25 season on Wednesday afternoon. The Panthers will embark on an 11-game slate against non-league opponents to gear up for a 20-game ACC schedule. The complete 2024-25 schedule with dates and times for the ACC opponents will be released next month.
The first look at the new Pitt team will occur on October 22nd with an exhibition game against Point Park University in a city showdown. The Pioneers recently joined the NCAA Division-II level this season after previously being a member of the NAIA.
The regular season will kick off on November 4th, which is a home game against Radford, a member of the Big South Conference. It is one of seven home non-conference games to be played at the Petersen Events Center for this upcoming season.
The Panthers will have four games, all against power-five competition, on the road for this upcoming campaign. It appears to be a strategy to bulk the team’s potential tournament resume.
In recent seasons, the ACC has been fighting a perception battle, and it has cost teams in March. Pitt was a prime example of that, after reaching 22 wins and finishing top four in the league this past year, only to be left out of the NCAA Tournament.
Pitt’s four marquee games away for home will take place over a two-week stretch with no games at the Petersen Events Center during that time. The Panthers will be one of four teams to take part in the Greenbrier Tip-Off held at the luxury resort in West Virginia. Pitt will take on LSU in the opening round, and will face either UCF or Wisconsin in the championship or consolation two days later.
The Panthers will then battle Ohio State on Black Friday in Columbus, as part of a home and home series between the two programs. From there, the Panthers will head to Starkville in the ACC/SEC Challenge on December 4th to match up against Mississippi State, in a rematch for the two teams who met in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, a game in which the Panthers prevailed.
Pitt will be looking for its third straight 20-win campaign under Jeff Capel, who is set to begin his seventh season guiding the program. The Panthers return key figures from last year's team like point guard Jaland Lowe and reigning ACC Sixth Man of the Year Ishmael Leggett. Capel and his staff also addressed some needs, with transfers like Cam Corhen and Damian Dunn figuring to be prominent players, on what is expected to be Capel's deepest team to date.
Here is a closer look at the Panthers 2024-25 non-conference slate
Monday November 4th
Radford
Petersen Events Center
2023 record: 16-17 (5-11 Big South)
Final NET ranking: 236
Head Coach: Darris Nichols, fourth season (48-50)
Friday November 8th
Murray State
Petersen Events Center
2023 record: 12-20 (9-11 Missouri Valley)
Final NET ranking: 169
Head Coach: Steve Prohm, 3rd season (second stint, 133-64 in six seasons)
Monday November 11th
Gardner-Webb
Petersen Events Center
2023 record: 17-16 (11-5 Big South)
Final Net ranking: 190
Head Coach: Jeremy Luther, first season
Friday November 15
West Virginia
Petersen Events Center
2023 record: 9-23 (4-14 Big 12)
Final Net ranking: 156
Head Coach: Darian DeVries, first season
Monday November 18
VMI
Petersen Events Center
2023 record: 4-28 (1-17 SoCon)
Final Net ranking: 358
Head Coach: Andrew Wilson, third season (11-53)
Friday November 22nd 2:30 p.m.
LSU
Colonial Hall Springs, WV
2023 record: 17-15 (9-9 SEC)
Final Net ranking: 95
Head Coach: Matt McMahon, third season (31-35)
Sunday November 24 2:30 OR 5:00 p.m.
UCF OR Wisconsin
Colonial Hall Springs, WV
Friday November 29
AT Ohio State
Value City Arena
2023 record: 22-14 (9-11 Big Ten)
Final Net ranking: 49
Head Coach: Jack Diebler, second season (8-3 as an interim)
Wednesday December 4
Mississippi State
Humphrey Coliseum
2023 record: 21-14 (8-10 SEC)
Final Net ranking: 31
Head Coach: Chris Jans, third season (42-27)
Wednesday December 11
Eastern Kentucky
Petersen Events Center
2023 record: 17-14 (12-4 Atlantic Sun)
Final Net ranking: 219
Head Coach: A.W. Hamilton, seventh season (104-88)
Saturday December 21
Sam Houston State
Petersen Events Center
2023 record: 21-12 (13-3 C-USA)
Final Net ranking: 152
Head Coach: Chris Mudge, second season (21-12)
