Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi Wants Two Rivalry Games

Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi does not care for the conference scheduling. It does not allow his Panthers to play rivalry games against both Penn State and West Virginia.

The Panthers will face West Virginia this season, but not next year. Further, there will be no more games against Penn State in the foreseeable future.

Narduzzi expressed his dissatisfaction on Wednesday afternoon at the ACC Media Days in Charlotte.

"We'll stick with West Virginia today because they're on our schedule and we get to play them Game 3 on 9/13," Narduzzi said. "I think with the way the college landscape is going, the conferences have kind of exploded, and we've got teams from the West Coast that are in the Atlantic Coast Conference. I think those regional rivalry games are critical."

Pittsburgh-West Virginia and Pittsburgh-Penn State were two big rivalries the players looked forward to. It gave them bragging rights and allowed them to face off against players they knew from high school.

"Our players look forward to playing West Virginia every year. That's a rivalry game that will end after this year," Narduzzi said. "I think maybe three years it picks back up. So we do have a four-game stretch. If you guys have any power to see if we can get them in the next three years, we're willing to make some movements in our schedule and try to get that done. I would love to play them every year."

Narduzzi is in favor of the regional rivalry games. It brings out the intensity in the players as well as the fans. It is what college football is all about.

"To have at least one rivalry game, which is West Virginia right now, we'd love to have them on. Again, that's what the game is all about," Narduzzi said. "Those regional rivalries, it brings fans in. The fans love it. Our players love it. It's intense. There's no love lost. That's what it's all about. That's college football."