University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh is a state-related, doctoral/research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ranked among the highest public universities in the country, it is frequently referred to simply as "Pitt".

Rivalries

Pitt traditionally has had a rivalry with Penn State University. Formerly independent powers of college football in the East, Pitt and Penn State played each other on an annual basis for state bragging rights as well as recruiting advantage. The rivalry started in 1935 and continued even when Pitt joined the Big East Conference in 1982. However, Penn State joining the Big Ten Conference in 1992, as well as disagreements between the two schools, caused the rivalry to end in 2000. While fans and reporters talk of restarting this rivalry, squabbles among administrators and coaches will prevent this from happening in the foreseeable future.

Related Topics:
Penn State University - Big East Conference - Big Ten Conference

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The Pitt/Penn State rivalry still exists in other sports as well as between the schools in general. It is a somewhat tense rivalry. "Penn State Sucks" is an unofficial lyric to the Pitt fight song, which is sung by students regardless of which school Pitt is playing. However, the Pitt administration recently eliminated the lull in the fight song where these words are sung.

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Pitt also has a large football rivalry with West Virginia University that dates back to 1895. The annual contest is called the Backyard Brawl, due to the proximity of the two schools' main campuses (they are 80 miles apart and both along the Monongahela River) and the shared boundary between western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The game is traditionally played on the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving during what many sportscasters call Rivalry Week, due to the large number of games between college rivals.

Related Topics:
West Virginia University - Backyard Brawl - Western Pennsylvania - West Virginia - Thanksgiving

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Also, Pitt is one of the few schools that has a longstanding rivalry with the University of Notre Dame. Pitt has played Notre Dame on a semi-regular basis since 1899, with never more than three years passing between contests since 1943. The two universities recently signed a contract for a game each season through 2015.

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Of late, Pitt has developed a rivalry with men's basketball power University of Connecticut. From 2002 - 2004, Pitt and UConn played each other for the Big East title ever year, with Pitt winning in 2003.

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http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/columnists/20000912cook2.asp http://www.pittnews.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/05/13/4284544d76f83 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04315/409592.stm

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