Pitt reportedly sends rivalry renewal contract to Penn State

The ball is reportedly in Penn State’s court on whether the rivalry with Pittsburgh will be renewed.

Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke told reporters Wednesday that she has proposed a four-year agreement to resume the storied series in 2026. However, Lyke said she has not received a response from Penn State officials.

From the Nittany Lions’ perspective, nothing has changed. When asked for a response to Lyke’s statements, a Penn State spokesperson said, “Sandy (Barbour) has addressed this within the last several months, and there isn’t anything new to add.”

Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said on Dec. 28 prior to Penn State’s Fiesta Bowl contest that “there has been no progress at this point in time” in bringing back the rivalry past its current expiration date.

Penn State’s consistent message in regards to renewing the series has been simple: The schedule is booked. The Nittany Lions’ approach is to play one non-conference Power 5 opponent per year, and future home-and-home series with Auburn, Virginia Tech and West Virginia span from 2020 through 2025.

Lyke is holding out hope that when 2026 rolls around, the Panthers will be on Penn State’s slate.

“We’re going to wait a tad more patiently, but not much. We can’t,” Lyke told reporters. “I think out of the respect for Penn State and the opportunity within the Commonwealth, we want to play Penn State. If they don’t, we will obviously shift gears.”

The Nittany Lions and Panthers’ four-year, home-and-home series ends in 2019. Penn State travels to Heinz Field in 2018 and hosts Pitt at Beaver Stadium the following season.

This story was originally published April 25, 2018 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Pitt reportedly sends rivalry renewal contract to Penn State."