Introducing the ACC: Pittsburgh Panthers

Pitt has produced a series of NFL greats, including Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino and Larry Fitzgerald

Tony Dorsett / Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

After more than a century as a member of the Pac-12 Conference, Cal has moved into the Atlantic Coast Conference. To introduce Cal fans to the Bears’ new conference rivals, we will profile each of the other ACC schools.  Today: Pittsburgh:

PITT

NICKNAME: Panthers

MASCOT: Pitt Panther or Roc the Panther

LOCATION: Pittsburgh, PA (pop. 302,898)

MILES FROM BERKELEY: 2,313 miles

MAJOR AIRPORT: Pittsburgh International Airport

YEAR FOUNDED: 1787, originally named Pittsburgh Academy. Renamed Western University of Pennsylvania in 1819, then University of Pittsburgh in 1908.

ENROLLMENT: 34,934

TUITION: $21,080 in-state; $37,320 out-of-state

CAMPUS LANDMARK: The Heinz Memorial Chapel, built in 1938 and donated by John Henry Heinz and his children (of the Heinz catsup fortune) is interdenominational and hosts 1,500 events per year.

MOST POPULAR SPORTS BARS/RESTAURANTS: Stack’d; Hemingway’s Cafe; Primanti Bros.; Bar Louie; Purgatory

FAMOUS NON-ATHLETE ALUMNI: Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) 1962; dancer Gene Kelly ‘33; sports commentator Beano Cook ‘54; former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon, 1872 (left 3 months before graduation); Adrian Cronauer, inspiration for the movie Good Morning, Vietnam, ’62 (left shortly before graduation)

ATHLETIC WEBSITE: Pittsburghpanthers.com

Tony Dorsett / Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

FOOTBALL

COACH: Pat Narduzzi (65-50 in 9 seasons)

STADIUM: Heinz Field (65,050)

CAL ON THE SCHEDULE: The Bears visit Pitt on Saturday, Oct. 12

2023 RECORD: 3-9, 2-6/tied 11th in ACC

BEST PLAYER ON THE 2024 TEAM: Senior WR Konata Mumpfield (44 receptions, 576 yards, 5 TDs in 2023)

MOST RECENT BOWL APPEARANCE: 2022 (Beat UCLA 37-25 in the Sun Bowl) 

BOWL HISTORY: 37 appearances (15-22)

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2021 ACC champion

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 5 (1910, 1916, 1918, 1937, 1976)

BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Running back Tony Dorsett (1976 Heisman Trophy winner for national championship team; 6,082 career rushing yards and 55 touchdowns at Pitt; 12,739 rushing yards and 99 touchdown during 12-year Pro Football Hall of Fame career)

ALSO: Dan Marino, Mike Ditka, Aaron Donald, Larry Fitzgerald, Hugh Green, Darrelle Revis, Bill Fralic, Mark May

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Jock Sutherland (111-20-12 in 15 seasons, 1924-38 but just 1-3 in four appearances in the Rose Bowl)

ALSO: Pat Narduzzi, Pop Warner

ALL-TIME RECORD vs. CAL (most recent meeting): 3-2 (1966: Pitt won 30-15 at Pittsburgh)

Charles Smith / Photo courtesy of Pitt Athletics

MEN’S BASKETBALL

COACH: Jeff Capel (97-92 in 6 seasons)

ARENA: Petersen Events Center (12,508)

2023-24 RECORD: 22-11, 12-8/4th in ACC

BEST PLAYER ON 2024-25 TEAM: Senior guard Ishmael Leggett (12.3 points, 6.5 rebounds in 2023-24, including career-high 30 points in win over Wake Forest at ACC tournament)

MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2023 (lost to Xavier in second round)

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2011 (Big East)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: The Panthers lost to Wisconsin in the 1941 Final Four when the NCAA tournament featured just eight teams

BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Charles Smith (1988 Big East Player of the Year;  Pitt’s career scoring leader with 2,045 points; averaged 14.4 points in 9 NBA seasons)

ALSO: Brandin Knight, Jerome Lane, Larry Harris, Don Hennon, Billy Knight

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Jamie Dixon (won 328 games, .727 winning percentage, 11 NCAA tournament bids in 13 seasons from 2004-16)

ALSO: Doc Carlson

ALL-TIME RECORD vs. CAL (most recent meeting): 1-2 (Pitt won 63-50 at 2002 NCAA tournament)

Shavonte Zellous / Sam Adams - USA TODAY Sports

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 

COACH: Tory Verdi (8-24 in 1 season)

ARENA: Petersen Events Center (12,508)

2023-24 RECORD: 8-24, 2-16/tied 14th in ACC

BEST PLAYER ON 2024-25 TEAM: Junior guard Aislin Malcolm (Second on team 9.3 scoring average with 31 starts)

MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2015 (lost to Tennessee in second round)

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 1983-84 

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Sweet 16 in 2008 and ‘09

BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Shavonte Zellous ’09 (Third-team AP All-American in 2009; 3-time first-team All-Big East, first-round WNBA draft pick)

ALSO: Lorri Johnson, Jennifer Bruce

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Agnus Berenato (161-148 with four 20-win seasons and three NCAA appearances in 10 years from 2004 through 2013)

ALL-TIME RECOD VS. CAL: (most recent meeting): 0-1 (Cal won 40-35 in 2004-13)

Roger Kingdom / Bob Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

MISCELLANEOUS

VARSITY SPORTS (19): Baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, women’s gymnastics, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s swimming & diving, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, women’s volleyball, men’s wrestling

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (9): Men’s basketball (1928, 1930, both per Helms Foundation); football (1910, 1916, 1918, 1937, 1976); women’s gymnastics (1979, 1981)

BEST ALL-TIME NON FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL ATHLETE: Pittsburgh native Sam McDowell won 141 games in the major leagues as a left-handed pitcher from 1961-75, leading the American League in strikeouts five times and winning 20 games for Cleveland in 1920. McDowell attended Pitt after his MLB career, earning an associate’s degree in sports psychology and addictions.

MOST FAMOUS OLYMPIAN: Hurdler Roger Kingdom (won gold medals in the 110-meter high hurdles at the 1984 and ’88 Games)