University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Panthers Set for 2025 Go Bowling Military Bowl
12/7/2025 5:19:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH—Pitt Football will make its 39th all-time postseason appearance when it faces East Carolina in the 2025 Go Bowling Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md., on Dec. 27.
The game will kick off at 11 a.m. ET at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and will be nationally televised on ESPN.
This will be Pitt's second appearance in the Military Bowl, having previously played in the 2015 edition against Navy.
"On behalf of our football program, I would like to thank the Go Bowling Military Bowl for the opportunity to compete in this year's game," said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. "We're looking forward to the chance to honor our country's service members, as well as the opportunity to compete against East Carolina. We have a tremendous amount of respect for the Pirates, and we're excited for the challenge."
This will mark the fifth all-time meeting between Pitt and East Carolina, with the series tied 2-2. The teams last met in 1992, a 37-31 ECU victory.
The Panthers posted an 8–4 regular-season record to finish second in the ACC, spearheaded by freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel. Heintschel began the year competing for the backup job but was elevated to starter before Week 5. In nine games, the Oregon, Ohio, native has thrown for 2,098 yards and 15 touchdowns, plus two rushing scores. Fellow freshman Ja'Kyrian Turner leads Pitt's ground attack with 652 rushing yards, seven touchdowns, and 23 receptions.
Kenny Johnson leads the Panthers in receptions (48) and receiving yards (695), while Raphael Williams Jr. has a team-high six touchdown catches.
On defense, linebacker Rasheem Biles—now a two-time All-ACC Second Team selection—has a team-high 84 tackles (9.4 per game), ranking second in the ACC. Fellow linebacker Kyle Louis, also an All-ACC Second Team honoree, leads Pitt with 43 solo stops and has four double-digit tackling performances. As a unit, Pitt leads the ACC with 7.3 tackles for loss per game.
For tickets, visit PittsburghPanthers.com/BowlCentral, call 800-643-7488 (PITT) or email tickets@athletics.pitt.edu. Panther Club members can now log into their accounts to submit their Go Bowling Military Bowl requests. Priority Request Deadline will be Wednesday, Dec. 10 at noon ET. Requests after the deadline will be fulfilled on a first come, first served based on availability. You will receive an email the week of December 15 if your request was fulfilled and more information on what to expect next from the Panthers Ticket Office.
In addition to the ESPN broadcast, the game will air on Pitt's flagship radio station, 93.7 The Fan, and across the Pitt Panthers Radio Network.
