Long time commentor and prior guest writer JoeL (aka Joe Lawrence) sent this article to be published. I thought it was timely. Thanks, JoeL.
The ACC annual meetings are taking place in Amelia Island, Florida at this time and one of the topics being discussed is the divisional setup and conference schedule. Reports indicate we should get ready for some potentially big changes.
One change involves elimination of the two-division setup. If so, the Championship game would be played by the 1st and 2nd place teams in the conference. While I am sure Clemson does not care either way, both Florida State and NC State are sure to hope that happens. I am not so wild about it… seems like a champion is already determined when all are lumped into one pool. Heck, one should have to win SOMETHING to get in a Championship game – even if that something is the lowly Coastal Division title.
Another change involves potentially going from 8 to 9 conference games/yr. As long as this comes with a ban on playing FCS schools in the out of conference slate, I am all for it. Helps improve the value of the ACC Network and makes for more meaningful games on the Pitt schedule.
The third possible change – and most fascinating – involves the establishment of three fixed annual opponents on each teams’ schedules, leaving 6 (or 5) other games to be scheduled among all the other schools. What this means is a more attractive rotating schedule than we have seen since joining the ACC. I forget the math (Richard, where are you?!), but I believe this means Pitt would face every team in the ACC within a 2 to 3 year period…correct me if I have that wrong, but the point is we will see all of the other teams more frequently than we have in the past.
If passed, it will be interesting to see how each school’s three fixed opponents are set.
Let us start with an easy one – UVA. We know they will play the Hokies each year. It is almost a law in Virginia. They will also probably play UNC – the “South’s Oldest Rivalry” – as it has been so since 1892. And the third school…. Gosh, I have no idea to be honest.
Let us try another – the Hokies should be easy. We already know about the annual Cavalier game. A matchup with Miami would harken back to the grand old days of Big East football, although VPI fans would prefer UNC because everyone likes to beat the Tarheels. But Miami is the one…its best for TV. And I am stuck on a third one.
Meanwhile in Chapel Hill, UNC faithful will insist on Duke first and foremost. Then the old game with UVA will run second and once again, I am struggling with the third.
Miami for its part, will want Florida State for state bragging rights and Clemson because unlike many other ACC teams, Clemson is nationally relevant. They might want BC because Donna Shalala said way back when that keeping those two schools together was important….at least that was her argument for enticing BC to leave the Big East.
NC State will rigorously argue for Clemson and the Hokies, because all three programs resemble SEC members. Stuck again with a third.
Clemson does not care much really. Actually, upon waking up from a nap during all this this, they yawn and said they would volunteer to take Duke, GT and BC… to do their part for the conference after all.
Meanwhile, Pitt and Syracuse are getting shuffled around like Pinto and Flounder at a Omega Rush Party.
Louisville is on the sofa in the back room when Neidermeyer introduces Pitt and Syracuse, and the Cardinals now realize they are in the nerd room and rationalize that they were a bigger deal back at their high school: “Folks here just don’t appreciate that yet.”
“Bless their Cardinal hearts” say the folks in Greensboro.
But this is a Pitt blog and so I suppose some sort of thoughts on its three fixed opponents is necessary. Well, of course, its pre-ordained that its Flounder…the Orangemen are already our “rivalry game” (cough-cough). And the second school is BC…because BC would like Pitt as one of its three schools – and it is nice to be wanted. As for its third school… this is where the Hokies learn that in a way they are still on the outside of the ACC looking in when the powers that be decide that annual matchups with Pitt is good for Big East the large TV markets in the Northeast.
In the end, the fixed pairings look something like this:
Pitt – Syracuse, BC, VT
Miami – FSU, VT, and BC
VT – UVA, Miami, and Pitt
Syracuse – Pitt, BC, and Louisville
BC – Miami, Pitt, and Syracuse
Louisville – Syracuse, Clemson, FSU
(Gee, that looks like a revival of the Big East…who woulda thought that could happen?)
UVA – VT, UNC, Duke
UNC – Duke, UVA, NC State
Duke – UNC, UVA, Wake
NC State – Clemson, Wake, UNC
Wake – NC State, Duke, GT
Clemson – NC State, Louisville, GT
GT – Clemson, UNC, FSU
FSU – Miami, Louisville, GT
What are your thoughts on logical fixed schools for Pitt if this goes through? What would you want and what would you expect to actually happen? Time for Heather Lyke to show she is not in over her head this time…. folks are watching
(JoeL is correct on the two- or three-year time frame.)
pittpov.com 
JoeL, just like many of Rich’s posts, this may take a while to digest, and I may change my mind upon further review
My immediate response is positive. Under the current model, Clemson won’t be coming back to Pgh until 2034 or so … when I’ll be in my 80s Of course, they may be a bottom feeder by then and GaTech will be the power
But I would like to see various teams playing … but again, I may think differently by the weekend
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I hate this whole concept. If they want to rotate teams differently that’s fine. But the division concept works best for a conference title game. I happen to like OOC matchups as well, especially inter-conference games. This is what college football is all about, not some NFL model.
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So what is the genesis behind this tidal shift? The ACC wouldn’t do it just to tinker. Is it a defensive move? Is this a precursor to a Super League? Not quite sure I see it. Not good for the lower half of each division as they will just be potential afterthoughts if they finish 14th every year.
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TV negotiating positioning?
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ESPN and CBS have articles on the ACC discussion going.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/33899589/acc-mulls-3-5-5-college-football-scheduling-model-effort-scrap-divisions
https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/acc-plans-vote-on-rotating-schedule-model-eliminating-football-divisions-in-time-for-2023-season/
Yes, TV is mentioned in the ESPN article but not for more $ but to have more marque matchups in prime time. Hopefully improving the perceived image of the ACC.
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Jugdish,…. Muhammad,…Sidney,… name the last one…..
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Clayton
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That was VoR above that hates tinkering with the division model.
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Good job, JoeL.
I like the divisions. Seems stupid to me for the first place team to play the second place team for the championship. Makes no sense.
I hope we don’t get stuck playing Louisville every year. Yuck!
I’d like to see us play Syracuse, BC and UVA….
Go Pitt.
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I love the no division, 3–5-5 model. This is long overdue. How do you consider this as a conference when we play 6 of the 14 teams at home once every 12 years! What’s the difference between playing a season to be either the 1 or 2 seed and playing a season to win one of the two divisions? Seems to me it’s more satisfying to compete for one of the top two seeds. Plus, you play every team in the conference at least once every two years, and at home at least once every four years.
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This subject gives some folk talking points to fill the off-season. Well written and a good read.
I like to focus on Pitt football and how good or great (bad to mediocre in many of the last 40 years) the team will perform on the field.
I’m excited to see how our potential All-Americans will perform and lead this current team.
I’ll start with Blue Mountain Bart – FR AA who was fun to watch but seldom used by Mr. Whipple. Was Bart good because of KP8 and Krull or was he just flat out good?
Next is one of Ike’s favorites in DT Kancey. He’s already being hyped as a 1st round NFL draft pick – I believe he can be a consensus AA, but with the hype comes double teaming. The good news is he has really good depth all around him on the Pitt DL.
DE Baldonado is receiving a little bit of hype too as a 1st round draft choice. He and Kancey must have monster years to keep our weak secondary from losing games (IMO).
LB SirVocea Dennis’ like Bart is fun to watch. I’m hoping he is picked as a captain and he performs like Scott McKillop.
WR Mumpfield also was a FR AA last season with Akron. If JA3 is truly gone from the team, the spotlight now will be shared with WR Wayne. One of these two needs to have an AA year – both would mean our QB1 had a good year too.
QB Slovis was an AA as a FR at stinkin USC. He portaled his way to Pitt for some reason (girl friend, JA3, the Duzz?) and is now in a battle with long time QB2 Nick Patty.
The QB1 is the AA we need to carry this team to 10+ wins again.
The ACC games don’t concern me as much as the first 2 games vs the red necks – hoopies and vols. Winning both sets the tone for another title run.
Go Pitt!
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Heather on Packer & Durham next — replay at about 10:30 or so
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My bad. No replay today. ACC softball from Pitt at 11
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Heather prefers keeping the division format
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Miami wants this change which means they get something out of it. Who has the money that is pushing this.
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I am not crazy about this. I am guessing this is about the other division being dominated by Clemson. Pitt has benefitted by not playing Clemson every year and by playing Syracuse every year. More likely to develop rivalries over time with the current system.
Plus who gets to set the schedule? The way Pitt was hammered with the Covid schedule tells me not to trust these guys. Also whether you get a favorable home vs. away schedule can matter. If they do this I don’t like the fixed teams idea. Just like I don’t like the fixed crossover game, it is unfair even though we get Syracuse. ND is always the wild card that makes for a tougher year.
Of course there would be some benefits in playing more teams more often but there are always unintended consequences.
If the conference does go in this direction Pitt needs to rethink their OOC scheduling.
But what really comes to mind is ” If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”
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https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2022/05/11/pitt-dt-calijah-kancey-projected-as-1st-round-pick-in-mock-2023-draft/
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So if Addison is a first round pick does he get his name on the wall on the South Side?
I say yes since this defection is not normal and wouldn’t have happened without the abuse of NIL.
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If I had a vote, I’d say no.
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I hope Pitt’s three common opponents are Syracuse BC and Georgia Tech. Even better would be Cuse, Duke and GTech but the Devils will play three Tobacco Road teams for sure instead of being given a Yankee.
Let Miami have FSU, Clemson then either BC or Virginia Tech since the latter two left the BE for the ACC in the first round of poaching. Since Miami wants back in the bigtime, play Clemson and FSU every year in big TV games.
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I read that they are trying to avoid giving the NC schools 3 other NC fixed opponents. Max 2.
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Yep, here’s the problem right here. Giving special dispensation for the North Carolina schools. How can this then be fair to all other schools? It can’t = PITT loses again like Dan said.
It’s a bad idea on the surface and convolute-s the whole ball of wax.
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Pitt and every other former big east school knew the deal when they accepted the ACC invite.
And Pitt and other non ‘Southern’ schools can do something and not sit back with a woe is me rant. See Narduzzi as my poster child.
The new commish is a northerner anyway with zero loyalty to Tobacco Road.
What is old will be new again. Look to see pitt back in a big east football conference within five years.
And can anyone really say that North Carolina is a southern state these days with all the northern transplants.
I do not like their bbq. But I do like their beaches like OBX. Heather agrees.
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Please check out Radakovich’s athletic history……AD at Georgia Tech for years, then Clemson’s AD for a lot of years. He definitely is smoking Tobacco Road.
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A native of Aliquippa and a graduate of IUP.
Anyone know his relationship to Dan “Bad Rad” Radkovich, the Steelers coach in the Noll era?
I do not believe they are father/son.
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As commented earlier, we could get stuck with Clem, Miami and NC as our 3. We are a northern team in a southern conference.
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Pitt is definitely keeping Syracuse as a common opponent. Rumor is all teams will keep their common opponent, so Georgia Tech makes out the worst keeping Clemson.
I want the three teams that provide Pitt the best chance at winning. Wins are still what it is all about.
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Is it really that important or beneficial that each team plays ever other team every 2-3 years? If teams aren’t natural rivals, who cares? They are trying to find a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. I don’t even see how this would improve TV revenues..
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Unfortunately I don’t see an easy way to swap out to the B10 from the ACC. Now that would provide more interesting opponents from northern climes.
I’ve disliked the ACC move but it was the only option at that time.
The ACC is definitely southern and has the worst long term media deal.
Yes, Pitt could be in worse conferences.
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Thank God we are in the southern conference. Nothing would be less exciting that a fall/winter road trip to exotic locales like Iowa City, Bloomington, Madison, or Ann Arbor.
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Pat does not love it
“Coaches are not unanimously in favor of getting rid of divisions. Several, including Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, like having the opportunity to play for a division championship. Coaches did have the opportunity to offer feedback, but ultimately it is the ADs who will vote on what happens.”
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/33899589/acc-mulls-3-5-5-college-football-scheduling-model-effort-scrap-divisions
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Pat probably likes playing the same six teams every season because you know their tendencies and are familiar with their roster. That makes game preparation much easier than playing someone new or someone you see every few years. Unless a team is a rival like VT vs UVA, most of us fans are sick of seeing North Carolina, UVA, GA Tech ect. year after year after year. I feel the same way about the NFL…Bills vs Jets for the 800th time, yawn. I hope the conference mixes it up and that the rest of the Power 5 follows suit.
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GC said – “I am guessing this is about the other division being dominated by Clemson.”
I think this is about Pitt winning the ACC championship last year and NOT Clemson. It must have really ruffled some feathers.
H2P!!!
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Possibly, the way they screwed Pitt during the Covid year giving them one of the, if not the most difficult schedules makes you wonder.
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The problem with the conference is that there is only one team that is nationally relevant, 2 if you count ND.
It is extremely difficult to break through when money is the biggest decider. The Florida teams are the most likely to break through, because of the fertile recruiting region and potentially biggest budgets.
I don’t see how the new format will do anything to change that. If Dabo ever leaves Clemson probably rejoins the mediocrity. Will also be interesting to see what happens at ND with new coaching.
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Also if left to stand NIL will just make the rich, richer and teams like Pitt even lower in the minor leagues.
NIL was supposed to compensate players for their off the field marketable worth and promotional value, immediately converted to buying their on the field services by wealthy boosters. Was this always the big boys hidden agenda?
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Yep.
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American College Football is going to eventually going to go the way of English Football (Soccer). There will be a Premier League of XX teams who will play some/most/all of each other in a round robin format. Every year two/three/four teams will be relegated to a lower league and a like number promoted. The conferences will be the lower leagues with an algorithm designed to determine who gets promoted. Relegated teams will go back to their original conferences regardless of the conference of the promoted teams.
H2P!!!
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Lousy editing on my part. Sorry. Should be:
American College Football is going to eventually go the way of English Football (Soccer).
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Our REAL rivals are WVUCC and PSUX. Yeah, I know that some will say that we should never play the Nitwits but that is our enemy any which way we slice it or dice it. Being the old fart that I am (79) I remember the amazing rivalry we had with Syracuse. The Orange had some great teams and Ernie Davis was better than great…..he was amazing!
The rotation of opponents in or out of a division setup can be challenging to say the least. I predict that both Miami and Notre Dame will become super powerhouses again and there is no reason to believe that Clemson will decline. Also, FSU is in the trash can for now, however, I expect the Seminoles to show major improvement. Bottom line>>>the ACC will become a much better Conference…..and Pitt has a chance to become a perennial top 20 team every year. The SEC and ACC will be the cream on the top and the Big 12, BiG 10,11,12 and Pac 10 will be the half and half.
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Captain obvious here …. No matter how the ACC gets rearranged, Pitt will get screwed!
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Aye Aye, Capt.
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Louisville will most likely be the third school. Would have liked the Hokies.
This is all fine and dandy until the sec raids the ACC or the super league is formed.
This new format will probably last no more than three years.
https://www.si.com/college/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-panthers-leaving-mark-acc-spring-meetings
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Things change.
When the ACC first raided the Big East, it was primarily for football purposes— someone to challenge FSU. Yet VT, Miami or BC have yet to make a significant impact since joining. And in 2011, BE champ WVU beat Clemson 70-28 in Orange Bowl. Who knew then that Dabo was going to do great things
Then the 2nd raid was for basketball purposes— and we all know how that worked out. Then Louisville came and after some initial success, have not Done much
So any manipulation of schedule and/or division realignment will likely be futile
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Some possibilities
https://martinsvillebulletin.com/sports/college/teel-acc-poised-to-do-away-with-football-divisions-adopt-new-scheduling-model/article_cf4bf8ed-0ff4-5571-910f-9e8c5e139f82.html
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It does not explain why you need three fixed games. It just seems really lame.
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I don’t get the logic about three fixed games. If it is to maintain rivalries make it one game.
If you are doing this so everyone plays everyone more often, why three fixed games?
It seems it is just to provide cover for the rivalries, since some teams have no obvious rivals.
I never like the concept of the crossover game.
If you are one conference set up a formula/algorithm that doesn’t favor anyone and let the chips fall where they may.
Someone is always trying to game the system like they did in 2020 having a solid Pitt team play Clemson and ND and dropping easier teams and having Pitt go on long road trips when originally they were going to play regionally.
The favoritism needs to stop. If you are not going to have divisions no fixed games are needed or even desirable, it just smacks of favoritism and gaming the system.
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They also need to have the guts to tell ND, you are in or you are out.
If they are going to join the B1G so be it. If there is a super league they will leave for that anyway.
Their best shot at the playoffs is with the ACC.
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The reason for the three fixed opponents is it makes the rest of the schedule easier. The ACC has 14 teams. With 3 fixed opponents and 8 conference games, each team will play the remaining teams every other year. In a 4-year span, each team has a home and away with all the other teams in the conference.
As for Pitt’s three fixed opponents I prefer the Syracuse, Boston College, and Virginia Tech combo. I do not see either Syracuse or Boston College becoming major powers in college football going into the future. Both are in very poor recruiting territory. Virigina Tech was successful under Beamer. It is going to have a hard time getting back there again due to its backwater location. At worse, Pitt will have two relatively easy wins each year. At best they will have three. All the wins will also be conference wins which increases Pitt’s chances of being in the title game. Where do we sign-up for this!
With regards to Notre Dame, someday things will come to ahead and Notre Dame football will be forced into a conference. Unfortunately, I do not feel I will see that in my lifetime which I hope lasts at least a couple of decades more. I wish they had stayed in the Big East with the other Catholic schools. That is where they belong! Their football scheduling would have stayed pretty much the same. Pitt would have played them more than we are doing now.
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Road warriors don’t want to visit Syracuse every other year or do they? With all the beautiful places to go in the mid south to deep south you find yourself driving across interstate 90 asking….How Did I Get Here?
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And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money’s gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Once in a Lifetime, Talking Heads
H2P!!!
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My issue is they will change the schedule next year. This is the year with all the games at home early in the season. I hate it.
The weather is still good to play sports and you have to sit back at play at 12 because of the Pirates. The Pirates should play at 7am on Pitt game days.
So….
My bet is next year with the new schedule
the ACC will hit us with all early home games. That means any meaningful games are on the road and no 3:30 starts.
Pitt will get screwed and say Thank you.
The BC,Cuse,Da Ville shows us right where Pitt is in the eyes of the ACC and it ain’t good.
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AND!!!!
It sets up Pitt to be kicked out in realignment. Why?
Tv ratings
attendance
They will use the stats to decide who stays and who goes.
Lousy games get bad ratings
Tv wants the schedule changed to get more viewers. ESPN not showing any of these games in primetime unless UNC tells them they won’t play here every other year on Thursday night.
The game last year got close to 2 million people. I am sure one of Pitts highest rated games.
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It would be nice if pitt could play a Georgia or Florida team each year for recruiting but outside Miami, pitt hasn’t played anyone with regularity.
Pitt all time rivals based on games played
WVU 93
Penn state 93
Syracuse 77
Notre Dame 69
Miami 41
Navy 40
Temple 36
BC 32
Pitt has won 8 of the last 10 versus Syracuse. BC has been far more competitive. Pitt loses more than it wins against the Eagles.
https://www.bcinterruption.com/2022/5/11/23065980/bci-debates-who-should-be-bcs-three-permanent-acc-football-opponents
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I want Virginia Tech because it’s a rivalry without being a rivalry.
I want Georgia Tech becasue after three straight trips to ATL, and three straight Pitt wins ending with utter domnation, and “The Handshake”, it’s a rivalry
And I want Syracuse because it’s a rivalry
But to someone else’s point. I’d trade them all for PSUx and WVUcc every single year
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I totally get wanting VTech. I sort of do to in a way, but the Hokies left with the Canes in the first ACC raid, so let the Hokies go to bed with Miami permanently, along with Virginia and maybe Louisville. Give the Hokies the Clemson Tigers and a thumping every year to put a smile on my face.
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Unfortunately history does not confirm that leaving the BE was a VT intension. The Virginia legislature put pressure on both VT and particularly VT to insist on adding VT to the ACC expansion.
The real louses to the old BE were Miami and BC. If you think about it, Miami was a fish out of water with their location versus the other BE teams at that time.
BC seemingly agreed on bigger penalties for anyone leaving the BE only to jump when offered instead of Syracuse.
The ACC wanted Syracuse due to its annual strong position in the NCAA tournament. Basketball was a big factor in the mind of the ACC.
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One thing I left out of the post was the HQ decision.
Really sounds like they will leave Greensboro…. and I say “hear, hear” to that.
Apparently Pitt’s Chancellor Gallagher was one of 10 people who reviewed potential relocation cities.
Two under consideration – Charlotte (surprise) and Orlando.
Commissioner Phillips is at work that is for sure. Found his comments about “the voices in the room” when meeting with the ADs in Amelia Island interesting. One can only imagine who might say what.
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Thanks JoeL for the article. Enjoyed the read and the comments.
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So I’m trying to understand, you play the same three every year then the same 5 every other year?
Some teams are likely to get really screwed, wonder who? I really don’t like this.
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Not the way I understand it. A team in year 1 would play the same 3 “rivals” yearly plus 5 other teams. In year 2 would play the “rivals” and the other 5 teams not played in year 1. In year 3, the rivals plus 5 teams from year 1 but switch the home/away from year 1. Same happens in year 4 but playing year 2 teams.
And that’s why I don’t write articles like JoeL’s.
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I think that is the same thing I said with a few more details?
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So you will have the same schedule, just every other year.
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I read your comment incorrectly. So yes, it’s what you said.
I personally don’t see how any team can be screwed. It wouldn’t surprise me that Phillips asks for input on the 2 rivals that each team would like to play yearly besides the current designated crossover rival. There may be and should be exceptions made for instate rivalries (VA/VT, Duke/UNC) and historic rival games (VA/UNC) that could be ended as a yearly game.
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You are probably right about it being fair, except possibly who you get for the three fixed teams and when you get ND. If you get a tough 5 one year you will get the weaker 5 the next, so it will even out over time.
I hope we get VT rather than Louisville, much more history.
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https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2022/05/12/pitt-ad-heather-lyke-on-acc-realignment-acc-title-and-changes-needed-in-ncaa/
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Thanks JoeL, I may be planning ahead for years to come but I’m certainly not putting any monetary deposits down.
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Apparently the rationale according to Heather is to position the ACC to get more than one team into an expanded playoff structure. This seems like a reach to me, at the expense of the current division structure. I just don’t see how it improves the playoff chances for ACC teams..
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If that’s it, just plain stupid. The system has nothing to do with getting a second team in. After Clemson no one has come close to being elite let alone top four. Let’s get a couple more teams in the top ten first.
The conference has been super lucky to have Clemson carry the banner since FSU’s last big year.
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GC, I think she is looking ahead to an 8 or more team play off system. But it is still stupid..
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Yeah, you pretty much have to go undefeated to get in the playoff, with 8 teams one loss may work.
Don’t see how the new system changes that at all. Just like playing two power 5 OOC games only helps if you win them, and since football is a game of attrition more likely to have injuries vs. the big boys…..
Another reason for success last year was few injuries, and none to key guys.
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Great food for thought, Joe! I could live w the Orange, BC, and UVA or VT as the 3rd regular school. I still wish Maryland was still in the ACC.
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The ACC should stick with the current format until they fix the underlying reasons that are causing the league to be down. Doing so is going to be another disaster that falls flat like the roll out of the ACC network. ACC teams do not value playing other ACC schools. If a fan base does not show up to see you play against ga tech, why would they show up to see you play against Wake. Almost every team complains about not having rivals when they have had about a decade to build them and promote them as such. For example the Pitt UNC series has probably been the most entertaining series of games over the last 7 or so years and nobody cares. Here is what I would like to see.
Add WV to the ACC
Allow ND to keep independent status. Allow them to play in ACC championship game, with stipulations, like if they are undefeated against ACC teams have a shot at playoff and the second place team is at least 2 games behind them. (ND shares playoff revenues with ACC???)
Tie a portion of payouts to actual in game attendance. This will force schools to invest in a game day culture that is attractive to recruits and TV.
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Wow, very interesting idea, kudos Pantherfan!
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In my opinion, in order to have Rivals, you need to have games that actually matter to both schools. As an example, this would mean Pitt beating a team that was ranked number 2 and destined for a championship game just to be denied or vice versa. Or, rivals can be natural due to close distances like duke, unc and ncst. Pitt-State Penn and Pitt UVW (within three hour car ride).
Pitt has no natural rival because for 40 years we weren’t relevant in revenue sports except for basketball for a couple of years. Syracuse had a great sense of rivalry because both basketball teams were excellent and pitt recruited from new york very heavily. Unfortunately, that possible rivalry waned because it was not sustainable for several reasons.
I don’t see a great rival for Pitt in the ACC at all. Mainly because of mediocrity of sport and distance between institutions.
Call me crazy, but you just don’t see many co-workers from Miami, Clemson, BC, VT, etc. in the Pittsburgh office, hence no rivalry! Pitt doesn’t compete for students against those schools either. Most of the P5 conferences compete against each other in sport and for student matriculation and ultimately, alumni because of their proximity to each other! This is why State Penn has no true rivalry in the big10. The closest school to them is Rutgers, but they don’t compete in football. The State Penn fanbase tries to sell OSU as a rival, but that one is spoken for with Mich and Mich St, etc. University of Virgina West has the same problem. Who is their rival? My sense is that it will become cincinnati as they are geographically close and athletically competitive. When you get that, the final piece is the competitiveness of games and knocking each other out of championships. Pitt lost theirs with state penn and university of virgina west. Sorry, to me, those games are now exhibitions, just ask franklinstein. A game during the first week of September just isn’t meaningful. Last week of November, sign me up!
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Sorry I don’t like either of those ideas, least of all letting ND in on the Championship when they only play a few ACC games and don’t share their TV or bowl money.
I didn’t like it when the ACC added Louisville and like WV even less.
I don’t like playing two Power 5 OOC teams in the same year, especially when one is WV or PSU.
The goal should always be to get to 10 or 11 wins and attendance will act accordingly like it did last year.
Game day culture improves with winning.
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I may have put too much on the word rivalry, but a “rivalry” or an important game is just a mindset. That mindset puts butts in the seats and eyeballs on the screen. If the game day culture is based solely on winning then it will be fleeting. That’s not what you want. You want packed stands and news coverage on the years you have 7-8 wins like most teams end up with. Pitt is fortunate to be on top now, but that can change with a couple of large donors pulling Narduzzi away. Games with teams like WV and ND are beneficial to 80% of our league and the way things are now you only have to go with it for about 10 years before it changes up anyway.
My 4 idea would be to have promotion for all games that we know won’t have people in the upper seats. Have free tickets for local middle schools to build the fan base.
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To further expound, when Jim Phillips was mentioning on ACCN that the ACC BB tourney being moved around, Durham mentioned sites like Pittsburgh and Boston. And Phillips agreed
The NCAA is making PPG a first round stop every 2 or 3 years. No doubt it would be viable for the ACC
Sent from my iPhone
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Having the HQ in charlotte is equidistant between Boston and Miami. If you truly want cultural change, relocate to the DC area. Atlanta would be another good site if the identity emphasis continues to be southern.
If the ACC championship gets played and it’s becoming increasingly more likely these games will go by the way of the DoDo, the venue should rotate.
Maybe the nfl stadiums in Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Pittsburgh and Boston.
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Pitt Celebrity Golf Event tomorrow at Champion Lakes.
I think it’s called “Celebrity” because some POV celebrities will be there — like LastRow, Wolfe, and Richman…. 👍
Hoping the rain holds off…
Go Pitt.
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Any advantage this gives the ACC is short lived. Other conferences like the sec or big ten can do the same and scrap the division format. If a conference championship hurts their chance at an expanded playoff, there won’t be one.
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Losing 2 games early in a 14 team league means a loss of fans the rest of the season. Division races keep fans interested for most of the season let alone TV viewers.
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Pitt always has a chance to win one of the weakest divisions in all P5. That’s why they are against the move to scrap divisions. Again, what the ACC thinks will give them an advantage will be short lived. The world doesn’t operate in a vacuum or isolation. The ACC will produce an equal and opposite reaction from other conferences. Rivalries do help draw tv eyes and are great water cooler discussion. Pitt has no natural or historical rivals south of the mason Dixon. Outside the $30 million each year, the ACC is a bad fit for Pitt.
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Really, a bad fit? What would you suggest the B1G where Pitt at best would be middle of the road?
We won the conference last year or did you forget? First championship since ’76.
Our teams get to travel south, what could be better than that Northwestern in November. How about the basketball team traveling to Wisconsin in February?
Nothing is perfect but I like where we are. Rivalries happen over time. We played PSU and WV for nearly 100 games each. I miss them less and less each year.
In a generation the kids of today will enjoy beating UNC, VA, VATech as much as we enjoyed our rivals.
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The best fit would have been a conference other than the ACC or big ten. Like the big east. But of course pitt didn’t have leaders back then and other schools were lazy, stupid and cowards. You’ll see the emergence of a new big east once the super league is formed.
But again, outside the money, what did pitt gain by ACC membership.
The chancellor got to sip tea and eat bojangles biscuits with other nerds. Did our academic profile increase substantially. Did our overall athletic competitiveness materially improve.
Why not ask BC, Syracuse and Miami. I think they all have buyers remorse outside the money. I’d rather be known for something other than a whore.
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Wow Tex, you are one angry guy. The Big East was a great basketball conference and that is about it.
Pitt is now in an all sports conference for the first time and is competitive in multiple sports, male and female. “The emergence of a new Big East” seriously?
Did our profile improve? We are a Power 5 football champion, yes our profile has improved. Our Women’s volleyball team and Men’s soccer were nationally recognized. Not likely that any of this happens without the ACC. Not sure that an athletic conference has any impact on Academic standing but we do have great student athletes.
Pitt was extremely fortunate to get in the ACC. The women’s softball tournament is being held at Pitt and being broadcast on a conference network. Seriously a whore, what is wrong with you?
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AMEN!!
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Money drives everything.
Any southern conference is a bad fit for pitt. It was a huge step up in competition. There are 18 scholie programs at pitt. Outside football, wrestling, volleyball and men’s soccer, pitt is in the bottom third of conference sports.
The ACC helped kill its basketball programs. I still think the hiring of fisher and coach Jay would have been possible without the ACC. The ACC wasn’t ever known for volleyball. The Big east has some good soccer schools and excellent talent in the mid Atlantic.
Clemson is the brand for football in the ACC. Tobacco Road is for basketball. Pitt had a unique brand in the big east.
Again, Pitts decision was all about the money. Now they receive $30 million each year and they don’t have to really be good in any sport to keep collecting this welfare or subsidy.
The ACC will never kick pitt out of the club. The conference actually does need some schools to constantly beat up.
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The championship game is on ESPN right now. Shots of da Burgh are beautiful!!
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Penn State was rejected by the Big East before Pitt was a member. That was their fatal mistake. Pitt leadership had nothing to do with the demise of an Eastern Athletic Conference. It was the stupidity of the Big East commissioner at the time: Mike Tranghese. He admitted the mistake years afterward.
If Penn State would have been allowed to join the Big East, the ACC may have been the conference that did not survive. Miami, Boston College, and Viriginia Tech would have stayed in the Big East. The problem would have been convincing Virginia to go north instead of staying south. With Penn State in the Big East, Florida State would have joined the Big East the same time Miami made the move. This gives the breakaway Big East football conference: Pitt, Syracuse, Penn State, Boston College, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Miami, Florida State, Rutgers, Temple, and UConn. With Penn State in the mix, Maryland could be convinced to be the 12th team. Remember with regard to Virginia Tech, the ACC wanted Syracuse not Virginia Tech in the first raid. Virginia Tech got the bid instead because of the Virginia legislature. With this new Big East scenario, the legislature would allow Virginia to join the Big East the same time they ask Cincinnati to join. This would be as a defensive move on the Big Ten. The Big Ten then goes poaching the ACC as does the SEC.
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ACC is the only fit for Pitt. ACC champs! 😀
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I’m kind of thinking the track coach needs fired. Just like the diving and swimming coach was after another dismal seasonal performance. Remember the days when pitt actually was good in these two sports in the old big east. Remember the days when pitt actually had a track on campus.
https://theacc.com/news/2022/5/12/outdoor-track-field-records-fall-on-opening-day-of-acc-outdoor-championships.aspx
The ACC was a huge step up in competition. And for the most part across most sports, pitt failed to deliver. Real disappointing for the realists, contrarians and non Koolaid drinkers out there.
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It would help a whole lot if Pitt actually had a home track on which to practice. When Pitt Stadium was demolished, that basically was the end of any chance Pitt would maintain their excellence in track and field. I doubt anyone could recruit well at Pitt for the sport. Does anyone know if the location of the Pitt’s cross-country course could be turned into a full-blown track and field training/competition area? The new course surrounds the Carrie Furnace.
The diving and swimming coach did not have that excuse! That was on the coach and his staff. Poor recruiting and development.
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Yet to this day pitt still has a track team. If they don’t have a solution and haven’t since 2001, they should just drop the sport. Pitt has no business supporting a program that is set up to fail given their lack of a venue.
So yes instead of firing the coach, they need to eliminate the program or build a track. Why outdoor track and field wasn’t part of victory Heights is a complete mystery and really shows Pitts ignorance.
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Pitt has a huge series against the Domers in baseball this weekend.
They really need to win the series if not sweep them in southbend. Right now they are on the outside looking in at a regional playoff bid. They sit around 60 in rpi rankings. They were 42 last year and didn’t get a bid. They will also need to win the series against ga tech and advance in the ACC championships assuming they still do this single elimination tournament which I personally see as silly.
Was Bell a good hire. Are assistants the right way to go to hire head coaches. I luv a good debate. I know where I stand. And it’s on terra firma.
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Pitt FB gets another PWO today. Isaiah Nesmith WR out of Fla.
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With all the portal traffic, bringing in these PWOs seems like a good idea.
Isaiah Nesmith is 6-4 and had committed as. PWO to Rutgers – but now he’s following our new WR Coach to Pitt. Crazy times on many levels.
Gotta like a 6-4 WR…
Go Pitt.
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Pickett at rookies camp:
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I didn’t want KP to be a Steeler — but doing reps at a Steeler practice has got to be an amazing feeling for him…
Go Pitt.
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To be transparent, I received an email from WordPress to moderate a comment, I trashed it,
Please remember the 3 rules of this blog
1 – No Politics
2 – No Religion
3 – No Crude Swearing
and as it says on every comment “Leave a Comment Please and Keep it Civil”
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Richard, I’m a hard liner on this point and maybe you should start outing those that offend those rules.
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https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2022/05/13/pitt-lands-pwo-commitment-from-2022-florida-wr-isaiah-nesmith/
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Pitt baseball with 5 errors after 3 innings, losing to the golden domers 5-0.
The Panthers with 1 hit.
Silence of the bats…
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i think it ended that way…….dogdirt! Maybe a win tomorrow for the Pitt squad. ND has the best record in the ACC since 2020. Double dogdirt…they are in the ACC for baseball too!
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I can’t wait for someone to say a slow 10.17 🤣🤣🤣
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Now lets hope Che can catch the FB when its thrown to him. It will interesting to see how quickly Cignetti can integrate Che into the Pitt offense. I have no doubt that if Canada was still our OC he would get the ball in his hands very quickly.
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Dang, he crushed the other competitors.
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FWIW Che also captured the gold in the 200 meter yesterday. That gave him 3 gold metals for the day as I believe the 3rd medal was for being on their relay team.
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https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2022/05/13/immortalizing-bob-junko-the-pitt-man-who-will-never-leave-the-program/
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Felix Wolter is the ACC Decathlon Champion
H2P
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Slow 10.17
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No question Che Nwabuko will be the fastest player on the field for Pitt come fall.
But interesting is the fact that Texas High School 100 meter champions throughout recent history seldom if ever seem to be able to match let alone beat their best times from high school.
How uncanny 😂
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A quick search disputes this for the population in general. Do you have a source for this? Not saying you’re incorrect, but a source would be nice. Is it perhaps that the sample is from those playing football as well? Football can be pretty hard on the knees.
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It’s called homework. Feel free.
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Homework? You brought it up. If you were smart, you’d present sources for your argument. It is, in fact, incumbent upon you to back up your “facts”. Otherwise, it’s just bs.
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I’m the source.
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Texas tracks are built with a downhill incline.
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Correction… seldom seem to be able
It does happen. But it is rare.
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Narduzzi’s salary info released in PG article. Let the complaining begin, lol.
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$5.4 million base with another $200k in compensation.
And that’s before the new contract. All these contracts have annual escalatory salary increases. They are percentage based and decline with time.
So we won’t know for another year about the new salary but I assume it is a base close to $7.5 million with $500k in additional comp. That would place Narduzzi comfortably in the top ten of coaching compensation. Maybe even top 5 for now. Hence why pitt is being so secretive. I doubt anyone on here thinks the man is a top 5 coach.
Pitt football revenues are only about $20 million before their share of the ACC tv monies. Few if any businesses have their ceo making 40 percent of top line company revenues.
By comparison, dabo makes around $9 million. Saban around $8. Both those programs have easily double the football revenues of Pitt. Actual attendance is double Pitts for starters.
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…and there it is! Lol
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https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2022/05/14/che-nwabuko-is-bringing-olympic-level-speed-to-pitts-wide-receiving-corps/
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The college players in Jordan Addisons situation should be allowed to turn pro if its going to be this way. It will take a few years but it will straighten itself out. The players will learn their lesson fairly quickly. Get rid of the ill thought-out underhanded NIL. The NCAA should follow Coach Tomlins advice and not keep prisoners only the ones that want to play college football.
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You’re worth what the market says you’re worth. Who cares how much Pitt spends on a coach. Lol. In my job no one be fired for Duzz’s performance the last 6 years. Hit quota a few times with a club trip. A couple down years but he bounced back.
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TT, this guy wants to waste his life away worrying about Narduzzi salary then informing a world that doesn’t care.
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I’ll agree with Tex and TT in a different respect. Agree with TT that you are worth what the market says you are worth, but with a huge asterisk. The market must be comparable. Please don’t try to make me believe that the football powers and budgets like OSU, Texas, Alabammy, and so on, are comparable. They just aren’t. We are not competing with them. Pitt apparently loses money in athletics each year and is underwritten by student fees and the centrallized budget model (according to tex). Show me legitimate comps and we can talk. Show me those comps with half empty stadiums and huge profit margins and the talk becomes legitimate. I am not complaining. I just don’t like doing things,,,,because!
One such because is the length of contract. Michigan State gave their guy a 10 year deal, right? Pitt turns around and says, we are like MSU and this is the new way of doing business. Wrong!! MSU did it because their athletic department has been reeling because of their sex offender settlement that wasn’t paid from insurance. Coaches were NOT banging down the doors for that job because of the sex offender. He took it, had a great year and MSU knew they couldn’t go get another coach. Individualized circumstances played a huge role there. But Pitt couldn’t figure it out.
If Tex is correct and the base is encroaching or surpassing $7M, that is absurd to pay for what you get. Pitt should have said something like $4.5 million, an extra million for your coaches to distribute as you wish and then $1.5M for player health/mental illness, player benefits, etc. Immediately, Pitt would have understood if they had this self-proclaimed players coach, or even coaches coach.
Actually, it would be great for her to create a “Buyout reserve” for her bad hiring decisions in other sports.
So there you have it, as if anyone cares. Agree with Tex that $7M (6.5M, 6M, 5.5M, 5.0M too much) can be better spent for the totality of the program. And, I agree with TT that you pay what the market says, (so long as you are comparing the same markets and overall profitability).
What I am a proponent of and what is not in the mind of our AD, is…..nope! I promised not to give any more freebies.
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Pitt doesn’t balance the budget with student fees.
Some schools however do so I give pitt credit there. Pitt however just raids the general fund. Transferring monies that are discretionary but in principle for academic use to produce a balanced budget and get out of the red.
Pitt still to this day has one of the highest subsidies among P5 schools. Most schools do subsidize their athletics. Around 3-4 percent annually. Pitt has historically run a 10-15 percent subsidy. A few schools make good coin. Those schools will all be in the super league.
I don’t care if a coach makes ten million as long as the school can afford him. Meaning no increase in tuition, fees or ticket prices. Find some boosters for that. And I believe a strong program shares the wealth. There’s a reason why pitt keeps hiring old washed up coaches as coordinators.
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Ike, you know better. I’m not just a guy. I’m a pitt fan. I’m family. And overpaying for a coach has a direct link to student fees and ticket prices. Needless to say the various opportunity costs across the spectrum. It’s all business. But Pitt doesn’t treat sports as such. That’s cultural. I’ll shed one, just one, crocodile tear for the dear departed atom counter. You’ll get my perpetual and unending disdain for the two peas in a pod.
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Tex, no, you should know what PITT goals are and how the administration wants the university to be perceived by their football program. FYI, PITT thinks Narduzzi is a steal.
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ZOOM ZOOM I love speed/attempted to run track at Pitt as a freshman and had to give it up after a very severe high ankle sprain. Pitt has been at a severe disadvantage in the speed category both on offense and defense. Speed is GREAT but receivers need hands that can catch and hold on to the ball.
For example, both Ffrench and Shockey Jacques-Louis had above average speed but dropped passes were too common . Mumpfield is supposed to have good hands…we will see.
Our secondary is often challenged by cheetahs who ran past our players and we pray that the passes are off mark.
che-nwabuko would be a tremendous asset if he can live up to his obvious speed and hopefully have hands that can have match his feet as a plus++. ZOOM ZOOM
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So Duzz will get > $2m raise just in his base pay! Boy, why did I never have T-E-X for a boss?
Sent from my iPhone
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Based on one good year out of seven. And with a heisman QB and easy schedule. Won’t be that way this year.
Moreover, can Pitt afford him given that pitt has one of the lowest revenues among all P5 schools. Pitt is investing a lot in one abrasive person who looks down on the common fan.
I’m a value shopper. Pitt obviously values having a clean program more than wins. Narduzzi is still a 7 win average coach with a poor bowl record and abysmal record against top 25 teams since his last extension. He’s also 1-3 versus franklin who is a terrible coach.
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If you don’t like your teams playing by the rules, you should probably pick another team to cheer for. Also, the last time I checked, Pitt is the ACC champion.
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Pitt is on probation so you know.
Narduzzi cheated right under heathers nose. Every school cheats to some degree with regularity.
Pitt just pounds their chest more often than others about grade points, graduation rates, life skills and community service projects. Their kitten saving initiative was recently awarded with a congressional Medal of Honor.
They are semi pro athletes. Kids. Not anyone’s hero’s.
I just want to get good entertainment and bragging rights for my dollars.
The grand experiment does not exist except in some fantasy dreamed up by a guy who pooped his pants and enabled child abuse.
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This was in the pending bucket in WordPress. I approved after seeing the email to moderate the comment.
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VERY minor violation that Alabama gets away with everyday by classifying “assistant coaches” as some kind of student as Volos or or whatever. Should my have done that admittedly, but the penalty defines how serious the violation was. Inside red to be by the NCAA.
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poor grammar Mr. Isnore.
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Think a good time to start gauging how well/over/under Narduzzi is being paid will be about the half-way point this Fall.
Going to be interesting.
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Is Pitt bankrupt? Did I miss something? Sure seems like they can afford him. Who cares how they afford him? lol.
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Opportunity costs.
More money invested in one guy means less money invested elsewhere. That’s why you should care.
And let’s just hope pitt doesn’t raise student athletic fees or ticket prices to support this abrasive and arrogant fool.
Let the boosters pay for his bloated salary.
Pitt obviously values stability and cleanliness more than me although Narduzzi is on probation so he’s not that clean.
I value chaos and filth more.
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Who have they spent less money on because of Duzz? Not Capel.
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Winning the conference is worth a whole lot in my book
Even if it doesn’t happen again.
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Losing to Michigan state in a bowl is a bad cherry 🍒 on top of an otherwise memorable season.
Pitt hasn’t won a real championship in anything since 1976. And I don’t even remember that year. Ultimate frisbee or dance team doesn’t count.
Beating the hoopies this fall will be far more meaningful that beating wake in some ‘championship’ Game.
I personally can’t take the foul and inherent urban, diverse, cosmopolitan bias insults from my wife’s West virginny side. It’s that bad.
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Now you are being silly, no trophy for beating WV, just another game.
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Bragging rights. Water cooler talk. Contributes to the online discussion. Seriously who cares about wake. Do you even know the town it’s located in? Everyone knows morganhole. Everyone has been there. Everyone has a story. Everyone has a joke. Now who is being silly 😜
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Lost by a whisker with the third string QB. And to a coach making WAY more than Narduzzi. And has been said by many people on here—bowl games are just exhibitions anyway
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I believe that since Duzz was hired in 2015, Pitt now has the 2nd best record of any ACC team. And he makes at least $3m less than the coach with the winning record
I also am quite sure that Duzz made sure his assistants were taken care of before he agreed to an extension this year, so he may not have received the raise some here are projecting
Sent from my iPhone
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Look at his bowl record. At his record against top 25 teams since the last undeserved extension.
And look at what pitt can’t really afford for these historical mediocre and bland results. Any blind squirrel can get lucky once.
And don’t forget he’s 1-3 versus Franklin. A vastly overrated coach given the four and five stars he gets.
Pitts assistants are still vastly well underpaid. You’re only as good as your assistants. It’s a team sport afterall.
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Bowls are dead. No one cares about bowl games. The game has changed. You make a lot of good points but double down on stuff no one cares about like coach salaries and bowl games. Focus on the meat. Literally, no one cares except for the niche group of nostalgic fans. But, the average fan does not care about the game outside of it means more football. It’s an exhibition game for crying out loud.
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Couple quick comments:
1) People sure get riled over Duzz’s salary and maybe rightfully so, but I’m more inclined to get PO’d over Caples salary considering what we get.
2) Man, people have mentioned an easy sch multiple times. It’s exactly what we need for 5-10 years. We are still in a power 5 conference and all people care about is how many, not who. How would you have liked to be a freshman this year and have that season. Please, think about it, and that’s all these kids know. Sweet
3) Rivals. Well it’s more what’s in it for us. Gee, why do you think PSU signed a 4 year contract to play us. For a rival game. It was because the program was reeling and they needed something to juice up their image or we’d never have gotten that series.
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Psucks doesn’t need pitt now. They really never needed pitt. We needed them more…always. That’s just being honest.
But Pitt doesn’t need them now. And that’s playing in any sport including this upcoming meaningless baseball game.
But Pitt does need the Hoopies and vice versa. And Pitt does need a mid Atlantic conference.
For a penny, I’ll share my chancellor list. It’s all women by the way. BTW. That’s kid speak.
And some say I’m a misogynist.
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I actually like the hire of Chase Kreitler. Pitt will improve in their swimming results in my opinion. It will take two years with his international contacts. Interestingly, it was the sport administrator and not the AD that did the heavy lifting on the search here. Good job to her!
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Baseball’s 4-5 game losing streak continues. Not making the tourney yet again. ND smoking us. And we pitched our best 2 pitchers.
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Capel-esque! Just kidding, well maybe not on the end of season losing streaks! Giving up 8 runs a few times at the end is not playing your best baseball. Gotta execute on the basics!
Season not over but they need to put a bit of a winning streak together starting tomorrow. To go back to the photo at the top…..it’s not over until we say it’s over!!!
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The team had 5 errors after two innings vs the domers in game 1. That truly is not being focused and playing your best when it matters.
Very disappointed in the results produced by for assistant turned HC Bell. Rutgers and Maryland will be playing at a regional.
The City of Champions needs a good baseball team.
Also, switching to women’s softball, the City of Champions hosted the ACC softball conference championship tournament at Pitt and the lady Panthers were not invited because of there very poor showing year after year since the previous HC had the team in the league championship, one out away from defeating the eventual national champs, FLST.
That former Pitt HC for softball, Holly Aprile had her new team in Pittsburgh playing in the tournament.
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Heather sure knows how to pick assistants. That’s her MO. But it’s also because pitt doesn’t have the budget to spend the big bucks on proven head coaches. As you know Narduzzi is a money hog.
I’m personally hoping that Texas hosts a regional so that I can see them. However I’ll be wearing a combo of pitt and longhorn attire. I swear I encounter Steeler fans everywhere. Kenny will make me a fan again. He’s got the moxy needed.
He will win something that Marino never did.
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Pitt baseball losing to the domers 6-1
The Panthers two best pitchers were beaten handily by the Irish bats and the Pitt hitters were dominated by the ND pitchers.
There is always next year.
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We’ve been saying that since 1995 Erie. Changes need to be made. Fundamental ones. Lyke in giving lyke the heave ho. Riddick is available. And more than capable and willing. You and I can feed him baseball info. UPitt can coach. What an utter embarrassment this former Fsucks assistant has become. My high school team could beat pitt handidly at the moment. Remember the Viking came from mine…kids that is. He’s a legend here. He allows me to touch his hammer.
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Tex – He has Moxy but not a NFL Decision Making or Arm Talent sadly.
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Arm no. But Big Ben didn’t have one since elbow surgery. He does have accuracy and touch. Hes drew Bree’s in my opinion and very Derek Carr like. And most importantly,he’s not an arrogant and despicable jerk like Ben that does unspeakable things in bathroom stalls as his lineman block. I personally booed when Ben walked off the field for the last time. Ben is all head.
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Ah, the annual kerfuffle over Narduzzi’s pay. Does anyone remember my first article on the POV? It was on Narduzzi’s salary. A then bright-eyed oldster looking into a new career (or hobby), With nothing but a laptop, an email account, and a sheeve of paper, I gathered data (on paper), links and wrote that article and emailed it to Reed to publish.
Reed said he wasn’t able to copy it into WordPress. I reached out to some POV’ers and I believe PittPT (Mark) said he give it a crack at putting it into Word. He did and sent it to Reed who published it.
So, look at me now a narcistic, dilettante sportswriter. If you have a problem with my writing blame Mark.
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Sorry Richard, but I think all of us on the POV are glad that that happened!
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This incessant crying over Narduzzi’s salary is getting old. Tex, you’ve got to get over it and just trust that Gallagher and Lyke can see the big picture in a way that you can’t. There is no way for us to know the competition for his services after winning the ACC. Worse performing coaches have gotten huge salaries. And Pitt just won the ACC and most assist coaches stuck around for round 2. This salary topic needs a long rest..
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The day I trust Lyke and Gallagher will be the day a meteror lands on my head. I’m pressing my luck ☘️ today.
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A fun day today at the Pitt Celebrity Golf Outing at Champion Lakes. POVers who played included:
Fran
Wolfe
kman
Mark
Richman
JoeL
BigB
Big Al
I’m sure I missed a few – sorry.
Richman was in fine form – hitting many impressive TV shots… 👍
Go Pitt.
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Was Bob Junko in attendance?
Who were the Pitt celebrates attached to the POV 4-somes?
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We had Emil Boures. Did not see Mr Junko.
Mr Hillgrove had 3 Steeler coaches lined up until they moved the date and it conflicted with rookie mini-camp.
Believe Richman’s group had a member of the Hillgrove GameDay crew.
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Yeah, we had Dan Pratt, a videographer for WTAE. He operates a camera at Pitt games.
I wish Pitt would get more players and former players to play. I was more impressed with the POV celebrities…. 😊
I spoke with Elroy Face. He’s 94. Said he’s not throwing that forkball anymore – said he “put it away.”
PS: Sally Wiggin came over after the round while we were eating. You could tell she was really impressed by, and appreciated, the POV celebs in her group, Mark and Wolfe. 👍👍
PPS: We missed Erie Express at the event.
Go Pitt.
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Our fivesome included Sally Wiggin. She’s pretty funny with a lot of varied experiences. It was a good day!
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Sally was awesome and was a great day all around!
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Pitts only chance right now at regional is to win the single elimination ACC tournament to get an auto bid. Assuming they even do that any more. Heather just fired the swimming coach. Maybe baseball, track, softball and basketball should be next you think? Here’s a softball. Low velocity and little curve. Can Pitt fans critically think without the drunken affects of Koolaid. I’d wager not. Sugary drinks are a powerful drug. I drink bourbon instead.
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Fun day at Champion Lakes yesterday! Weather foiled the forecasters again!
Sat down with Bill Hillgrove for a couple minutes yesterday and asked him his thoughts on Kenny going to the Steelers. “He’s going to do very well. Has all of the intangibles”
Went on to say that on draft night, he sent Kevin Colbert a cartoon of a small hand high-fiving a large hand. Colbert called him and said, “He fell to us because of the hand size matter. It’s total BS.”
Bill was having Gatorade by the way. Was hobbling around – understand he may have some neuropathy.
Ate lunch with Walt Harris, who was by himself. He had the same assessment of Kenny and added accuracy and footwork.
Wolfe and Mark made out yesterday- their celebrity was Sally Wiggin. That lady is a pistol. Told me she could have used a whip to keep those guys under control. Looking good Sally!
A bit lighter attendance than last year due to conflicts graduations. Mr Hillgrove told me they will move it closer to Memorial Day next year to avoid that.
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Richard – I have a comment that is tied up. Perhaps an inadvertent phrase that someone somewhere believes is problematic?
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For some strange reason this was in the “Spam” bucket. Usually that’s were true spam (like you get in emails or texts) or out and out blatant ignoring of Reed’s 3 “no-no’s”
It’s right above.
I have now found out if a comment is placed in “spam”, I don’t get an email.
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https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2022/05/15/look-transfer-guard-greg-elliott-in-pitt-uniform-on-official-visit/
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Back on topic:
Hokies AD Whit Babcock on the record at wanting Fla St and NC St as it’s two rivals in addition to UVA.
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It looks like Capel has recruited a guard from Marquette who is a 3 point shooter. This leaves 2 scholarships, and Capel will probably leave one open for any last minute opportunities. There are many players on the transfer portal who miscalculated their value and are now stuck without a scholarship. Capel can now take his time and pick up a good player, hopefully with 2 or more years left, over the Summer months. Overall, quite a recruiting year, under very difficult circumstances, for Capel.
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We played with Gerry Dulac, local press and radio personality…great dude and a good golfer.
Kman was in my group along with my nephew and a buddy.
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Who is Sally Wiggins and what does she do?
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Sally is a retired TV news anchor
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Richard – if you ever meet her, I have a warning for you. Do not address her as “Sally Wiggins.” She will, at the minimum, quickly correct you that it is “Sally Wiggin” — no “s” on the end…
There is or was a local company called Wiggins and she hates it when people conflict the names…
😊😊
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And she may drop an F-bomb in the process.
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I’m thinking it would have been a most interesting dynamic had Sally been in the same group with Richman… 😳
Go Pitt
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Haha – She would have had him under control in about five seconds.
Emil was great to play with – second year in a row I was paired up with him. Hits the ball a ton.
Had bone marrow cancer a couple years ago and is doing well. Looked better this year than last!.
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Richard, she is pretty much a Pittsburgh TV news legend from a bygone era. Although she just retired in 2018.
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Just sent an email asking for names left to right on photo. I got Sally Wiggin pegged.
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Sent…
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Done.
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It hurts when you don’t have a track
https://theacc.com/news/2022/5/14/fsu-men-miami-women-claim-acc-outdoor-track-field-championships.aspx
Pitt, BC, Cuse and Ga Tech at least all get participation trophies
Both pitt men and women’s swimming and diving teams had similar results in the ACC championships. Swim Coaches contract was not renewed. Assistant coach from Cali was hired.
Tell me why pitt can’t put a track and field where the bubble is located behind the VA and down from Cost. The field could also serve as an additional practice field for soccer and lacrosse
The softball championships concluded. Unfortunately pitt wasn’t even invited despite hosting. I’m sure Oakland wowed the visiting schools in all seriousness.
https://theacc.com/news/2022/5/14/late-rally-lifts-florida-state-past-clemson-to-win-2022-acc-softball-championship.aspx
Right now the only way for pitt baseball to receive a regional bid is by winning the ACC championship. It’s a format similar to national regional play.
https://www.on3.com/teams/nc-state-wolfpack/news/acc-baseball-tournament-2022-nc-state-baseball/
Pitt has never really ever been strong in spring sports. Weather has to play a reason.
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Mapquest shows no bubble. Did pitt tear it down? That bubble cost close to ten million from what the Tarentum troll tells me.
I did superimpose a quarter mile track on this site. It will fit. There’s actually a track just north of the va at a school.
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Just updated the article to add a photo Mark Kerestan (Pitt PT) sent me a small group photo from the Pitt Celebrity Golf Outing.
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Sally’s implants are still holding up strong after all these years.
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Come on. This comment is inappropriate, in my opinion. I’d like to think we’re better than that.
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I’m not.
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and cowardly too, nice combination
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When an article is posted, an email is sent to over 600+ registered WordPress followers of the POV. Obviously. not all comment. Probably some no longer read the POV. Others just read and don’t comment either at all or infrequently.
Since I don’t live in Pittsburgh and usually only attend one Pitt home and away game a year, I only recognize a few faces in a photo. That’s why I asked about Sally Wiggin, I honestly had no clue who she was or did. I just assumed she worked for Pitt,
To help those who just read, not only send me the photo but add names left to right. I’m not talking about a group photo of eleven or more. I’ll be glad to add them.
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Added another new photo sent to me by the actual author of this article JoeL
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The Pittsburgh Pirates:
“We don’t need no stinkin’ hits!”
Go Pitt
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Pitt baseball should play at pnc. And Pitt should take up a collection and pay players to do it. Pitt could be the team in da burg. They couldn’t do worse than the pirates. It’s literally impossible.
Panthers did beat the Domers today to avoid being swept. Ga Tech is up next, a potential playoff team. Good that pitt has them at home.
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Another new photo sent in by Fran Lokar (Lastrowofsection4)
Was the photo before first tee or on your way to the nineteenth?
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Somewhere in the middle…😎
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I thought Emel was dead. The guy looks great. Let’s get together man.
Everyone looks great
Upitt
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Unfortunately I think Emel has gone to the great wheel in the sky. Along with frankcan and my friend complit. But they are all looking down upon us. Well I hope down and not up. But I’m sure all know that life on this earth is just a blink of an eye. Eternity is endless and has no beginning or end.
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Another new photo sent in by John Fredland (MajorMajors).
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Pitt baseball with a surprising win today over next number 8 ND.
The Panthers beat a pitcher who had not lost yet this season. Head scratcher for sure.
I was traveling with Mrs. Erie today and did not see the game. Good win – maybe too little too late.
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Last year Pitt was ranked 42 and didn’t get a bid. Not happening this year either. Got to win the ACC to get an auto bid.
When football players don’t save kittens from the tall oak trees on the cathedral lawn. Aka when pigs fly.
https://www.warrennolan.com/baseball/2022/rpi-live
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The Rangers with a great come back – sorry Pen fans – grew up a Rangers fan and root for the Penguins when they are not playing the NYR’s.
The bread man delivers in OT.
I was a hockey player growing up – favorite sport – 2nd is baseball and a close 3rd is golf.
Football was #1 when I was in college – the Pittiful 40 years of Panther FB had wained my interest.
Hard to get me back / I try but Duzz, Lyke & Gallagher don’t excite me for the future.
You have to win some bowl games – 1 win in 5 bowl games feels bad. Looks bad to in my eyes.
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Erie,
Howl at the moon.
I’m not a rangers fan. As in New York that is. Texas only. But the wife and son are Mets fans. And 8 years in buffalo made me a yankee fan.
Pens will have to do a total rebuild. Won’t sniff the playoffs for at least three years. That’s all on management. Their farm system has no talent.
Mavs won so I’m happy.
It’s a full lunar eclipse tonight around 11:30 central. I’m already half naked for it. And been drinking. What else is new.
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Some info on the volleyball team. They are currently in Italy and seem to be playing well. I noticed that in the list of players attending that Makayla Jackson (RSFR) from nearby Plum HS was not listed. Also could not find her on the roster anymore. As a middle blocker she was buried in the lineup, so she must have left the team. Can’t find any transfer info on her though. I did see that the team got a grad transfer from Texas A&M/Kansas. Cam Ennis is a 6’0″ Setter/Outside hitter. This is interesting- will they use her as a setter (she’s taller than SR Lexis Akeo) or as a hitter, or both?
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Hey Tex, you should be a Rangers fan. You only live an hour away
Things to look forward to
— primary tomorrow, can start watching local news again (for about 2 months)
— PGA this weekend
— Pitt FB camp in a few weeks. Commits to follow
Sent from my iPhone
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Looking forward to the PGA, plus four more weeks till I am cleared to play.
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What a 16-year run for the Pens but there has to be a little feeling of there should have been more with all the personnel the franchise had at its disposal. A change needs to be made somewhere, maybe in the team’s approach. Speed and skill are great, until the playoffs when there are no enforcers and other teams just bully you. The slopiness with the puck was maddening and has been for a few years now.
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Not likely to win with a third string goalie in the playoffs.
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Or with the first-team goalie, like last night.
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Coming off injury
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Sid made reference last night in his postgame to the lapse in Game 5 – with a 2 goal lead – that opened the door and pushed the Rangers through tif rot eh series win.
Three straight games with come from behind wins – some sort of playoff record.
Was tought to watch.
Mario wouldn’t trade Malkin or Letang when they had some value and Rutherford made some insane trades and left the cupboard bare. Gonna take some time for a rebuild.
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“tif rot eh” – some sort of pig latin perhaps, but was supposed to read “it for the”
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Pens won 3 more games than I thought but…. Every year teams “goon up” the Pens no matter who’s on the team. And that’s been going on since the Hornets played!
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I blame the Pitt BOT!
Go Pitt.
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Usually I’m a bit down after a bitter loss like the Pens suffered last night. But considering all the things that happened to them over the past two weeks, I was not that down. Even chief Ranger fan Boomer Esiason (who hates the Pens), mentioned this morning all the injuries the team had while also stating that the Rangers were all year.
Sent from my iPhone
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https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2022/05/16/pitt-hasnt-ached-for-nfl-qbs-during-pat-narduzzis-tenure/
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OT – Amid all this gloom and doom, it will be interesting to see football recruit Che Nwabuko who supposedly ran a 10.27 second 100-meter dash to easily win his HS championship in Texas.
Other 100 meter times of interest:
Q. Henderson ran a 10.8.
Jester Weah ran a 10.59. former Erie Tech and Pitt wide receiver Dietrich Jells (10.83, 1989); North Hills star Andrew Johnson (10.67, 2003); former Pitt defensive back Tommie Campbell of Aliquippa (10.65, 2005).
Current and almost current players:
AJ Woods (10.74),
MJ Devonshire (10.69),
Izzy (10.67)
Addison (10.85)
In other words, incoming freshman Che Nwabuko can really pick them up and set them down. (Only question is – how long before another school buys him…)
BTW, the 100m world record is 9.58 secs by Usain Bolt…
Go Pitt.
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Major – I could be wrong but I think Che’s time was actually 10.17
Also, former recruit out of the state of Virginia, Cole Beck of VT last week ran a 10.18 for second place at the ACC championships for track & field 2022.
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Remember, Erie, he was running in Texas so I figured his time was at least a bit exaggerated…. 😊
Go Pitt.
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Excellent article on Pitt recruiting in today’s PG. They are attracting many more 4 star players after the ACC championship, including some players who were being recruited by Alabama and Georgia. Funny, there was no mention of a half full stadium being a consideration..
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That’s the great part about summer recruiting.
Though this year you can invite recruits to the WV game and see a good atmosphere…. And if we can win that one, the next week against Tenn should be decent…
Go Pitt.
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I have a new article scheduled to go live at 6:00PM today.
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At this point, just an opinion. We shall see. Personally, I know of no one more deserving of great success based on his demeanor and overall attitude.
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not sure who you are referring to here
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King Pat would be my guess.
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