Pitt Basketball Reignites Rivalry with Former Foe

During the 2025-26 basketball season, Pitt will fly over to the other side of Pennsylvania to take on Villanova. This will mark the start of a home-and-home series, with Villanova coming to Pittsburgh the following year, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.

The exact date or time of when this game will take place is currently unknown.

Villanova finished their recent basketball season with a 21-15 record, landing 6th in the Big East. After their regular season was over, Villanova participated in the College Basketball Crown Tournament. They lost in the semifinals to UCF, a team that Pitt is also scheduled to play next season.

Pitt finished their own season with a 17-15 record, finishing 13th in the ACC. After losing to Notre Dame in the first round of the ACC tournament, Pitt ended their season.

Pitt and Villanova both have lost and gained players due to the transfer portal as each team attempts to reshape their team. Pitt currently has more freshman commits than Villanova.

Villanova joins the group of non-conference opponents for Pitt in the 2025-26 season. Other notable non-conference opponents include UCF, West Virignia, and Ohio State.

Pitt and Villanova have matched up in basketball 65 times before, including in the 2009 Elite Eight. The last time the two teams met was in 2013, with Pitt taking home the win. Pitt currently has a 32-33 record all time against Villanova, but the Panthers have won their last six matchups against them. Pitt could tie the two teams' all time records against each other with a win.

As both teams look to improve from their most recent season, the non-conference matchups like these will be important. Especially for Pitt, as stacking up wins in away arenas will show a sharp improvement after last season.