ESPN ranks Pitt Football non-conference schedule as most difficult in Power 5

PITTSBURGH — Pitt football plays great rivals in the non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2023 season, making it an exciting time for the fans.

One issue with having three major rivals on your non-conference schedule is that you create tough matchups almost every week of the season and almost no rest for the team itself. ESPN senior writer Chris Low noticed this and chose to name Pitt for having the toughest non-conference schedule in the Power 5 (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC).

“This was a close one between Pittsburgh and Louisville, both of whom face three Power 5 opponents (including Notre Dame),” Low wrote in a post Monday examining Power 5 schedules. “The Panthers get the nod based on having to play back-to-back games against Cincinnati and West Virginia on Sept. 9 and 16, an especially difficult assignment given how heated the “Backyard Brawl” rivalry is and that it shifts to Morgantown for the first time in the series’ renewal a year ago. In addition, following their trip to Notre Dame on Oct. 28, the Panthers host No. 3 Florida State the next week.”

Read the full story from our partners at Sports Now Group Pittsburgh here.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2023 Cox Media Group