Why is it called the ‘Backyard Brawl’? Pitt-West Virginia college football rivalry history

College football isn’t college football without the rivalries.

And no matter how long it took for Pitt and West Virginia to renew their rivalry, the passion (and hate) from both fan bases stayed the same, further showing why regional rivalries are what make college sports as enjoyable as they are.

This Saturday marks the 107th time that the Panthers and Mountaineers will battle each other on the gridiron in The Backyard Brawl. It is the third time that Pitt and West Virginia have played each other since both programs brought back the rivalry in 2022 following an 11-year hiatus.

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Here’s more on the history of the Backyard Brawl:

Where is the Backyard Brawl in 2024?

The 2024 Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia will take place at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, home to both the Panthers and NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers.

Watch Pitt football vs West Virginia live with Fubo (free trial)

Why is Pitt vs West Virginia called the Backyard Brawl?

It’s not entirely certain who coined the term “Backyard Brawl,” or when. However, the name stems from the geographic proximity between both West Virginia and Pitt universities and their home states.

West Virginia and Pennsylvania are border states, and the two schools are separated by only 76.3 miles on Interstate 79. It’s just under an 80-minute drive from West Virginia’s campus in Morgantown, West Virginia to Pitt’s campus.

Backyard Brawl history

The Backyard Brawl started in 1895, when Pitt was then called Western University of Pennsylvania. West Virginia won the opening game with an 8-0 shutout. (Touchdowns only counted for four points at the time, as it wasn’t until 1912 that touchdowns counted for six points.)

Apart from a three-year absence from 1940-1943, both programs faced each…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-called-backyard-brawl-pitt-101507945.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-14 10:15:07

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