Pitt Gets Five Kickoff Times Announced

The Pitt Panthers saw five football kickoff times released, including the Backyard Brawl, River City Rivalry and the home opener.

Rodney Hammond Jr. (6) of the Pittsburgh Panthers gets tripped up by Wesley McCormick (11) of the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second half of the Backyard Brawl 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 found out five kickoff times for upcoming games this season, including the first four and a later date.

Pitt will open up the season against MAC school Kent State on Saturday, Aug. 31 at noon on ESPNU. Pitt is a -23.5 favorite in this matchup and hold a 7-0 record over Kent State all-time, including a 43-3 victory in the last game back in 2003.

They will then travel to take on Cincinnati the following week on Sept. 7, also at noon, with either ESPN or ESPN2 broadcasting the game. This is the final scheduled edition of the River City Rivalry for the foreseeable future, with Cincinnati staving off a Pitt comeback at Acrisure Stadium, 27-21, last season.

The Backyard Brawl will see West Virginia come to Acrisure Stadium on Sept. 14 for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff. This is the first non-evening kickoff in the series since the series restarted in 2022, with the two previous games starting around 7:00/7:30 p.m. respectively.

ESPN or ESPN2 will broadcast the Backyard Brawl this season, with ABC broadcasting last season's and ESPN for the Week 1 Thursday night game in 2022.

The Mountaineers won last year's game in a terrible offensive showing from the Panthers, 17-6 at Mountaineer Field. Pitt won the first edition in more than 11 years in 2022, 38-31, capped off with an M.J. Devonshire pick-six.

Pitt will host FCS program Youngstown State the next week, Sept. 21, also at 3:30 p.m. ACC Network Extra will stream this game, making this the first non-nationally televised game of the season.

The Panthers hold a 4-1 record against the Penguins, including two wins under Pat Narduzzi in his first game in charge in 2015, 45-37, and the season opener in 2017, a 28-21 victory in overtime. The only loss came in 2012, as the Penguins won 31-17 in Paul Chryst's first game in charge of the program.

Pitt will also play Syracuse in a Thursday night game on Oct. 24, with the kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ESPN will broadcast the game, as they usually do for ACC Thursday night matchups.

The two teams have played each other every year since 1955, with the Panthers holding a 43-33 all-time series lead. The Panthers are also 9-2 in the series since both teams joined the ACC in 2013.

Syracuse won last season's matchup at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, N.Y., 28-13, thanks to poor Pitt turnovers throughout the second half.

The remaining ACC games will have their kickoffs come out two Mondays prior to the game. So for Pitt's road game against North Carolina on Oct. 5, the kickoff time will come out on Sept. 23.

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