University of Pittsburgh Athletics
2007 PITT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
2/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 1, 2007
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh announced today its 2007 football schedule, which includes 12-regular season games and seven home contests at Heinz Field.
Pitt's schedule highlights include:
• Six teams that advanced to bowl games in 2006.
• Three teams that finished among the Top 12 in the final national rankings.
• Non-conference games against the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten.
• The resumption of Pitt's historic series with the Naval Academy, which has advanced to four consecutive bowl games.
• A seven-game schedule against annual foes from the Big East Conference, which went 5-0 in bowl games last year and finished No. 2 among all NCAA Division I leagues in the annual Sagarin ratings (behind only the Southeastern Conference).
"Coach Wannstedt and his staff have continued to build our program by attracting some outstanding student-athletes to our university," Pitt athletic director Jeff Long said. "Football fans in Western Pennsylvania and around the country have taken notice of what this coaching staff is building at Pitt. I believe people will enjoy watching our upperclassmen and newcomers blend into an exciting, competitive team this year. The college football season is always such a great time of year and we're looking forward to hosting some exciting games at Heinz Field this fall."
"We are facing a challenging assortment of games this season, both at home and on the road," Head Coach Dave Wannstedt said. "The Big East Conference ranked among the nation's very best leagues last year and we can expect the same high level of competition in 2007. In addition to the Big East, we will play non-league games against the ACC, Big Ten and a perennial bowl team in Navy. Our players are already working hard in preparation for the upcoming season and we're looking forward to the challenge."
Beginning on Monday, Feb. 5, fans can purchase season tickets via the Internet at PittsburghPanthers.com, by phone (800/643-PITT) or in person at the Petersen Events Center ticket office.
Pitt football is one of Western Pennsylvania's best entertainment values. To enjoy the pageantry of college football in one of the nation's finest stadiums, fans can purchase season-ticket packages ranging in price from $99 to $199. Seats in the amenity-filled club section are $315 (with commensurate Panther Club contribution).
First-time customers or current season-ticket holders who desire additional tickets can take advantage of two new promotions for this season. The "1st and 10" promotion provides fans the opportunity to buy one season ticket at full price and get the second for only $10. The "7 in `07" plan allows groups of four or more to reserve tickets for $77. For additional details, go to PittsburghPanthers.com.
Current season-ticket holders who renew online will receive a $10 discount. Single-game tickets, if available, will not go on sale until August.
Pitt Football 2007 Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME |
| Sept. 1 | Eastern Michigan | TBA |
| Sept. 8 | Grambling | TBA |
| Sept. 15 | at Michigan St. | TBA |
| Sept. 22 | Connecticut* | TBA |
| Sept. 29 | at Virginia | TBA |
| Oct. 6 | Open | TBA |
| Oct. 13 | Navy | TBA |
| Oct. 20 | Cincinnati* | TBA |
| Oct. 27 | at Louisville* | TBA |
| Nov. 3 | Syracuse* | TBA |
| Nov. 10 | Open | TBA |
| Nov. 17 | at Rutgers* | TBA |
| Nov. 24 | South Florida* | TBA |
| Dec. 1 | at West Virginia* (ESPN/ESPN2) | TBA |
All home games denoted in bold
*denotes Big East Conference game
Due to television considerations, TBA kickoff times will be announced at a later date
2007 Pitt Opponent Capsules
Eastern Michigan (Sept. 1): Pitt opens the 2007 campaign - and the 118th season in school history - by hosting Eastern Michigan...the Panthers will open the season up at home for the 14th consecutive year...Pitt has played Eastern Michigan just once before, a 66-30 victory in 1995 at Pitt Stadium...Pitt is 24-2 all-time versus the Mid-American Conference with both losses occurring on the road...EMU finished 1-11 last year...the Panthers have won nine of their last 10 season openers and are 27-6 in opening contests since 1974.
Grambling (Sept. 8): Pitt and Grambling meet for the first time...the NCAA I-AA Tigers will be under the new direction of first-year head coach Rod Broadway...Broadway takes over Grambling after building North Carolina Central University into an NCAA Division II power...he formerly coached defensive lines at the I-A level, including stops at North Carolina (2001-02), Florida (1995-2000), Duke (1981-94) and East Carolina (1979-80)...Pitt is 6-0 all-time against I-AA schools...Grambling was 3-8 last year.
at Michigan State (Sept. 15): Pitt and Michigan State meet for the second consecutive season...the Spartans defeated the Panthers at Heinz Field, 38-23, in 2006...it was the first meeting between the two schools since 1960...Pitt will travel to East Lansing for the first time since 1958...Michigan State will be under the new leadership of Mark Dantonio, formerly the head coach at Cincinnati...the Panthers defeated Cincinnati last year, 33-15...Michigan State leads the all-time series, 5-0-1...the teams tied, 7-7, in the '60 affair played at Pitt Stadium...the inaugural game of the series took place in 1945, when the Spartans defeated the host Panthers, 12-7...Michigan State finished with a 4-8 record last season.
Connecticut (Sept. 22): Pitt opens Big East play by hosting Connecticut at Heinz Field...the Panthers lost to the Huskies, 46-45, in double overtime last year in East Hartford...in the last meeting in Pittsburgh (2005), the Panthers blanked UConn, 24-0...the Huskies lead the all-time series, 2-1, with both victories coming at Rentschler Field...Connecticut finished 4-8 last season.
at Virginia (Sept. 29): Pitt and Virginia will play for the second consecutive season and the third time in the last five years...the Panthers defeated the Cavaliers, 38-13, at Heinz Field last year in the season opener for both teams...Pitt and Virginia also met in the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl, a 23-16 Cavaliers victory...Pitt will play in Charlottesville for the first time since the series' inaugural game in 1953...the Panthers lead the all-time series 3-1...the Cavaliers finished 5-7 last year after advancing to bowl games four consecutive seasons (2002-05)...the game will feature a pair of former NFL head coaches who are now with their respective alma maters...Pitt's Dave Wannstedt was formerly head coach of the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears, while Virginia's Al Groh was coach of the New York Jets.
Navy (Oct. 13): Pitt will play Navy for the first time since the 1989 season...the Panthers hold a 20-12-3 lead in a series that dates back to 1912...Pitt and the Midshipmen played 19 consecutive times between 1961-79, followed by seven consecutive meetings from 1983-89...the Panthers won the final four games played in the series, including 31-14 in the last meeting during the '89 season...Navy went 9-4 last year and received an invitation to the Meineke Car Care Bowl, where it lost to Boston College, 25-24...the Midshipmen have advanced to the postseason each of the last four years.
Cincinnati (Oct. 20): The winner of the Pitt-Cincinnati game earns the "River City Rivalry" Trophy...the Panthers hold a 6-0 lead in the all-time series, including both meetings since the 2005 season when the Bearcats joined the Big East Conference...Pitt triumphed in Cincinnati last year, 33-15, and 38-20 during the '05 campaign in Pittsburgh...the inaugural game was played in 1921...the Bearcats finished 8-5 last season, including a 27-24 victory over Western Michigan in the International Bowl...Cincinnati is under the direction of newly named head coach Brian Kelly, who took over for UC's bowl game after Mark Dantonio departed for Michigan State.
at Louisville (Oct. 27): The Cardinals won the 2006 Big East championship and advanced to the Orange Bowl, where they defeated Wake Forest, 24-13...Louisville finished with a 12-1 record and ranked as high as sixth in the final national polls...Steve Kragthorpe, formerly at Tulsa, takes over as Louisville's head coach...he succeeds Bobby Petrino, who now is head coach of the Atlanta Falcons...Pitt lost to Louisville, 48-24, last year at Heinz Field...the Panthers have lost six consecutive games to the Cardinals and trail the all-time series, 6-4...Pitt's last win in the series occurred in 1983, a 55-10 road victory.
Syracuse (Nov. 3): Pitt and Syracuse have met every year since the 1955 season...the Orange hold a 30-29-3 advantage in a series that dates back to 1916...the Panthers have won four of the last five meetings, including a 21-11 decision at the Carrier Dome last year...Pitt also defeated the Orange in the last game played in Pittsburgh, 34-17, in 2005...since 1971 (36 seasons), 15 games in the series have been decided by a touchdown or less...Syracuse finished 4-8 last season.
at Rutgers (Nov. 17): Pitt and Rutgers have met every year since 1985...the Panthers hold a 19-5 lead in the all-time series but have dropped the last two encounters with the Scarlet Knights...Pitt has still won eight of the last 11 meetings in the series overall...Rutgers won 20-10 last year at Heinz Field en route to an 11-2 mark and No. 12 final national ranking...the Scarlet Knights earned their first postseason victory with a 37-10 win over Kansas State in the Texas Bowl...in their last visit to Piscataway, the Panthers dropped a 37-29 decision to host Rutgers in 2005.
South Florida (Nov. 24): USF defeated East Carolina in the PapaJohn's.com Bowl to finish 9-4 last year...it marked the first bowl victory in the program's history...the Bulls finished with six victories in their final eight games, including a 22-12 decision over Pitt in Tampa...USF also defeated nationally ranked West Virginia in Morgantown, 24-19, to earn its second consecutive bowl berth...the all-time series is tied, 2-2...the Panthers won the last meeting between the two schools at Heinz Field, 31-17, in 2005.
at West Virginia (Dec. 1): This year's "Backyard Brawl" between Pitt and West Virginia marks the 100th game played between the two rivals...it will be an ESPN or ESPN2 national telecast...the Panthers lead the series 59-37-3...with 99 prior meetings dating back to 1895, Pitt and West Virginia have the longest running series among Big East schools...West Virginia is Pitt's most-played opponent...Penn State is next with 96 games played...the two teams have met every year since 1943...this year's game marks the 65th consecutive year the teams have played...the visiting team has won 12 of the last 20 games...the Mountaineers finished 11-2 last year, including a 38-35 win over Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl to finish 10th in the national polls.
Click here for 2007 Football Ticket Information
