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NCAAF On the eve of the 108th Backyard Brawl, Pitt and West Virginia announced Friday they have agreed to play four more football games against each other, ensuring the rivalry will be played every season from 2029 through 2036. The Panthers and Mountaineers will take a three-year break after Saturday’s game in Morgantown, but were scheduled to resume the series in 2029 at Pitt. The schools, separated by 75 miles, already had a four-game contract in place that ran through 2032 and alternated home sites. The new deal locks in a September game for each of the next four seasons. Advertisement The rivalry began in 1895 and was an annual event from 1943 to 2011, when both football programs were independents and later conference mates in the Big East. It is the most played major college football rivalry in the Northeast. The rivalry went on hold after the 2011 season, when West Virginia joined the Big 12 and Pitt jumped to the ACC. After an 11-year hiatus, the Backyard Brawl resumed in 2022 with a four-game series that ends this year. The Panthers have won two of the first three, both at home. The games have been decided by a total of 22 points. “I couldn’t be more thrilled for what this means for both Pitt and West Virginia, ” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. “But this goes far beyond four more games and the 75 miles separating us. This paves the way for future Panthers to carry on the history of this rivalry, while current ones get to forge new legacies for years to come. ” This year’s Backyard Brawl is highlighted by the return of Rich Rodriguez as West Virginia coach. Rodriguez went 4-3 from 2001 through 2007 against Pitt in his first stint as Mountaineers coach. His last game against the Panthers is maybe the most famous — or infamous if you’re a West Virginia fan — in the rivalry. Rodriguez’s team was a victory away from an appearance in the BCS championship game, ranked No. 2 in the country and a heavy favorite when it was upset by Pitt 13-9 in Morgantown. Rodriguez left to become Michigan coach not long after that game. “I think it’s one of the greatest rivalries in sports, ” Rodriguez said. “There’s a lot of intensity with it, and there never seems to be any love lost between the fanbases. It’s always, to me, the biggest game on your schedule when you’re at West Virginia. ” Overall, Pitt leads the series 61-43-3. (Photo: Jared Wickerham / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Ralph Russo is a Senior Writer for The Athletic, covering college football. Before joining The Athletic, he spent 20 years as the lead national college football writer for The Associated Press. He also previously worked as the AP's Mississippi-based sports writer and did a stint with The Denver Post. Ralph is a native New Yorker and a graduate of Fordham University.