Backyard Brawl: The Epitome of a True Rivalry

The Backyard Brawl, featuring the Pitt Panthers vs. West Virginia, is a true rivalry.

Sep 14, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Daejon Reynolds (3) celebrates after a touchdown reception against West Virginia Mountaineers safety Anthony Wilson Jr. (12) in the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Image Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Backyard Brawl, a rivalry featuring the Pitt Panthers and the West Virginia Mountaineers, serves as one of the best not just in college football, but in sports in general.

The two teams played this past weekend in Pittsburgh and their fan bases obliged, getting ready for one of, if not, the biggest game of the year.

The sun rose on the North Shore at Acrisure Stadium and fans poured into warm up their grills, throw on some delectable meets, unpack their beer, pull out the cornhole sets and pong tables and enjoyed their morning before the mid-afternoon kickoff.

While the great times and good vibes were in the air, so too was the hatred that exists between both fan bases, and as time moved on closer to the start, the mood turned from joyful to serious.

The Backyard Brawl started between the Pitt and West Virginia all the way back in 1895 and this serve as the 107th meeting in the rivalry

The Panthers and Mountaineers faced off every year from 1920-1939 and then after the Second World War, they played every year from 1943-2011, 69 straight seasons, with a home-and-away alternate format from 1962-2011. 

Conference realignment put a hold on the rivalry after the 2011 season, as both teams left the now defunct Big East. WVU left for the Big 12 after 2011 and Pitt departed for the ACC after 2012.

This was the third Backyard Brawl since the teams reignited the series in 2022. Pitt hosted that season and this one and WVU hosted in 2023 and will host in 2025.

Pitt got the better of WVU with a late interception returned for a touchdown by M.J. Devonshire, 38-31 in 2022, while WVU took advantage of terrible play from Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec, who threw three interceptions and completed just 8-of-20 passes in the 17-6 victory in Morgantown.

This game saw both teams give their fans reasons to cheer and despair throughout the 60 minutes.

The Panthers took an 24-17 lead early in the second half, with two touchdown passes from quarterback Eli Holstein to star running back Desmond Reid and a blocked punt return for a touchdown, but then WVU stood strong defensively and got going on offense for two touchdowns and a field goal to go up 34-24 with five minutes remaining.

Holstein would then lead a touchdown drive, with a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Daejon Reynolds in triple coverage, getting the Pitt fans back into the game.

The Pitt defense made a quick three-and-out stop and Holstein helped drive down 76 yards to the one-yard line, before running back Derrick Davis Jr. ran it in for the go-ahead score, sending the home fans into a frenzy.

A late interception by linebacker Kyle Louis would end it and send the Pitt homes delirious with joy and the WVU fans stunned in disbelief their team just blew that lead in such a short timespan.

But that's what makes rivalries great. The amount of desire to win for both teams is at an all-time high far more than any game on the schedule and it shows in every individual.

Win the Backyard Brawl and you have a chance to become a campus hero and a program legend. Lose it and fans will likely call for a head coaching job and certain players may also have their poor performances as something that no one will forget.

The Panthers and Mountaineers fan bases both have colorful chants to shout at the other team/fan base throughout a game and they will yell at each other prior, throughout and after the game, win or lose.

While some of it may come off as vulgar, crude, or hateful, this is what a true rivalry is. It's not about niceties, friendliness and courtesy, it's about being as annoying as you possibly can to the other fan base, team and coaches and letting them know you're the best, home and away

One aspect of the rivalry that makes it great is the difference in the city-based Pitt and the more rural based West Virginia, but both still only 75 miles away from each other. Those stark differences make for fan bases that have plenty of reasons despise each other and players that feed off that hatred too.

Through all the dislike in the rivarly, there is a true and deep respect for it, with an importance placed on making sure that it will take place continuously until the end of time, from both Pitt and WVU.

While both teams want to win, they also have an unspoken respect for each other. One that comes with an understanding of how important rivalries are in college sports and how they make them as compelling as they are.

Pitt and West Virginia won't play in football from 2026-28, but do have another four-game schedule from 2029-32.

Not having three games between the two teams is disappointing not just to fans, but also to WVU head coach Neal Brown, who is willing to cut a home-and-away series with Alabama in 2026 and 2027. That's not something a head coach would consider doing for a game if it didn't truly matter.

The Backyard Brawl also extends into every other sport the teams play against each other, especially men's basketball, with the teams playing 190 times since 1906 and the series on through the 2027-28 season.

Pitt and West Virginia have also faced off recently in men's soccer, wrestling, women's basketball, swimming & diving, gymnastics and baseball, with the importance of the rivalry staying true in those sports as well.

Without rivalries, college sports lose their importance, especially compared to professional leagues, who have the better teams and players. These rivalries, with their importance and hatred don't generally exist as much in the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB.

That's why the Backyard Brawl is the true epitome of a rivalry. There are always high-stakes, the fans are willing to do anything for their team and the players/coaches reciprocate that energy when they go out and compete.

As long as Pitt and West Virginia continue to play each other, the Backyard Brawl will alway serve as one of the greatest rivlaries that sports has to offer.

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