Inside The Panthers

Pitt Won't Sell Backyard Brawl Single Game Tickets

The Backyard Brawl, featuring the Pitt Panthers and West Virginia Mountaineers, won't have single game tickets available for fans due to demand.

Dominic Campbell

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
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 Backyard Brawl, an historic rivalry featuring the Pitt Panthers against the West Virginia Mountaineers, has incredible demands from fans once again, leading to ticket issues.

Pitt just announced in an email to fans that single-game tickets for the Backyard Brawl won't go on sale to the general public, due to overwhelming demand. Pitt will host the 2024 edition of the rivalry on Sept. 14, set for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Acrisure Stadium.

The Panthers athletics department wants fans to buy season tickets, mini-plans, or group tickets to get a ticket for this game. Pitt fans also have the opportunity to join Panther Club, which will allow those members to join a special pre-sale.

The Backyard Brawl started between the two schools in 1895 and they've faced off 106 times since then, with Pitt holding a 62-41-3 lead 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.

The two schools agreed to bring the Backyard Brawl back in 2022 through 2025. They also agreed later on to make another four-year series from 2029-2032.

Pitt and WVU played in front of the largest crowd ever for a sporting event in Pittsburgh with the return of the Backyard Brawl in 2022 at 70,622.

This is the main reason for Pitt not allowing single-game tickets to go on sale, which they likely believe will deter resellers with bots to buy up all the tickets. Also, they want fans to buy more tickets and go to more games than just the Backyard Brawl, which brings in more revenue.

When single-game tickets did go on sale for that 2022 matchup, it was almost impossible for any fan to get a chance to buy a ticket, so choosing another option would've served as a much better way to see the game in person.

That 2022 edition featured as one of the best in the rivalry and served as great restart for the hatred between the two schools. A back-and-forth game in the season opener ended with Panthers defensive back M.J. Devonshire making a pick-six late in the fourth quarter to win the game, 38-31.

WVU took back momentum in the rivalry when they hosted in Week 3 in 2023 on ABC, winning 17-6 in front a raucous crowd at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Former Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec played terribly throughout, completing 8-of-20 passes and throwing for three interceptions.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, the MLB team in the city, also moved their first pitch time against the Kansas City Royals, which takes place the same day at PNC Park on the North Shore, from 6:40 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

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

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt

Published |Modified
Dominic Campbell

DOMINIC CAMPBELL

Follow Dominic Campbell on Twitter.

Home/Football