Pitt Football Benefits from TV Broadcasts/Kickoff Times

The Pitt Panthers got some favorable TV Broadcasts and Kickoff Times for their non-conference games in the 2024 season.

Pittsburgh Panthers student section erupts after they display the Panthers 2021 ACC Championship banner during the first half of the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on September 1, 2022. Pitt Vs West Virginia Backyard Brawl / Michael Longo/For USA Today Network /

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers, like most teams in the ACC, found out the kickoff times for the first round of games from Week 0 Through Week 3, with the 2024 season less than three months away.

Pitt will have noon kickoffs in Weeks 1 and 2 against Kent State at home on Aug. 31 and rival Cincinnati on the road on Sept. 7, respectively, and then 3:30 p.m. kickoffs in Weeks 3 and 4 in home games against rival West Virginia on Sept. 14 and FCS program Youngstown State on Sept. 21, respectively.

The Panthers only played one noon game last season, which came in the last game on the road in a loss to Duke. They played five 3:30 p.m. games on various channels, two 6:30 p.m. games on the CW, two 8:00 p.m. games on the ACC Network, the Backyard Brawl at 7:30 p.m. on ABC and Boston College at home on a Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN.

Pitt fans bemoaned the late kickoff starts, especially with how poor last season went, as the team finished with a 3-9 record, the worst record for the program in 25 years since they went 2-9 in 1998.

Noon kickoffs are not necessarily the greatest, but a variety of start times for a team is good for the fans to enjoy all different types of games and environments. Night games also usually indicate a great importance to the matchup, but with how bad Pitt was last season, they ended up as poor outings from the team.

Maybe the only drawback is that neither big rivalry game will take place on primetime, as both games bring out passionate fans ready for a great atmosphere and game overall.

The benefit for River City Rivalry is that either ESPN or ESPN2 will broadcast the game, which is a step-up from The CW last season, in terms of national reach and exposure.

The Backyard Brawl will also either take place on ESPN or ESPN2, which is not as impressive as ABC last season. Still, the 3:30 p.m. kickoff combined with the national exposure will do the rivalry well.

One misconception that some people have is that night games do better than earlier games, but both noon and 3:30 p.m. kickoffs do notoriously well.

Out of the top 25 games last season according to TV ratings, which also includes bowl games, conference championships and the College Football Playoff, 10 of them were either noon or 3:30 p.m. kickoffs. It was also 10 out of the 15 regular season games as well, with seven noon kickoffs and three 3:30 p.m. kickoffs.

Those that argue that the Backyard Brawl should always air on national television instead of cable make a great point, but sadly, the television executives see the SEC as more important, as they hold all three spots on ABC in Week 3.

Pitt going 3-9 last season doesn't help them in this endeavor either, as while the Backyard Brawl is famous for its history, last season's game was absolutely atrocious. Pitt failed to score a touchdown, as quarterback Phil Jurkovec threw three interceptions in an embarassing 17-6 defeat at Mountaineer Field.

Still, the Panthers lucked out with these broadcasts and kickoff times. An historically bad season still gives them two nationally televised games, granted, in large part thanks to the rivalries they scheduled.

The biggest benefit for the non-conference schedule is the Kent State game, which ESPNU will air. This is easily a game that the television executives could've thrown onto streaming only, but they chose not to, even with Kent State winning just one game last season.

The Youngstown State game at 3:30 p.m., which will only stream on ACC Network Extra, would have come as a better choice for a televised broadcast, especially with how close the two teams played each other in the past three matchups the last decade.

This includes a 31-17 loss to the Penguins in 2012, Paul Chryst's first game as head coach, a 45-37 win in 2015 in Pat Narduzzi's first game as head coach and then a 28-21 victory in overtime in 2017.

Still, overall, the kickoff times and television broadcasts benefit the program in the non-conference greatly.

With Pitt football heading into 2024 with a plethora of new coaches on the offensive side of the ball, these games will show the country if their new identity will bring success in the fall and seasons to come.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! 

• Pitt Gets Five Kickoff Times Announced
• Pitt G Damian Dunn Joins Alliance 412
• Pitt Football Lands in Top 7 for WPIAL Athlete
• Pitt Football Class of 2020 Gets Boost in Re-Rankings
• Pitt's Damar Hamlin Returns Home for Charity Events

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt