Penn State and Pitt will be renewing their once long-time rivalry with a home-and-home in 2016-17, but a two-game series still isn’t enough for new Nittany Lions coach Bill O’Brien.
Speaking with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, O’Brien said he’d like to play the Panthers more often, preferably every year.
“I would love to see that game played on an annual basis,” O’Brien said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for (Pitt coach) Paul Chryst and their program, and that’s a great rivalry.
“For the fans of Pennsylvania to be able to see that game every year, I think that’s pretty neat.”
The Penn State-Pitt game used to matter on a national scale. That’s not the case anymore, and following Pit’s entrance to the Big East (and Penn State to the Big Ten), the series ended in 2000 with a 12-0 win by the Panthers. Penn State leads the all-time series 50-42-4.
Still, I’m sure there are more than a few fans on both sides -- or those who enjoy a certain nostalgia -- that would like to see the game be played every year.
