After teasing it game-by-game for months, the Pitt Panthers have released their full non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season.
non con bump is SET pic.twitter.com/aBALbsZuxS
– Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) July 28, 2026
The season kicks off against the Rider Broncs at home on Nov 2. The Panthers then host Buffalo on Nov 5.
The next game will be on a neutral site against Penn State, being played at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Nov 8. This will be the first rematch of the prior season for the Panthers. They will then play at Butler on Nov 13.
Another Big East opponent comes up in the next game on Nov 17, with Pitt hosting Villanova as part of their home-and-home series. Central Michigan will be the next team Pitt hosts on Nov 20.
The Panthers will then go down to Fort Myers from Nov 24-26 to play Oklahoma and DePaul in the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Purdue will also take place in the tournament, which could add another non-conference opponent to the mix.
The first game after the Fort Myers Tip-Off will be at Missouri for the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec 1. This will be a big test, as Pitt hasn't had a good record in the ACC/SEC Challenge so far.
The Panthers then finish out the non-conference slate in Pittsburgh, first hosting Tarleton State on Dec 5.
On Dec 9, Pitt faces West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl at PPG Paints Arena.
The team then ends on three straight very winnable home games: Drexel on Dec 15, Georgia State on Dec 18, and Cleveland State on Dec 21.
Biggest Games
The Panthers face some real tests before ACC play. Despite the dominant win over Penn State last season, playing against a Power Four team early in the season could be a challenge. Villanova, two games later, will also be a test, as Pitt lost to the Wildcats last season.
Oklahoma and Missouri will be tough games, as Pitt has struggled against the SEC in recent years. If Pitt were to match up with Purdue in the Fort Myers Tip-Off, playing a college basketball powerhouse such as the Boilermakers would be something we haven't seen from the Panthers in a while.
As always, the Backyard Brawl will be a big game, especially now that it is being played in a much bigger arena. Pitt will definitely want to avenge their loss to the Mountaineers from last season.
All the other seemingly easy games on the schedule won't be a given. Pitt lost to teams such as Hofstra and Quinnipiac last season. Those early losses to opponents that seem inferior foreshadowed disappointing ACC play, in which Pitt finished No. 15 in the conference.
With a whole new roster coming in that some notable college basketball personalities are high on, the non-conference slate gives Pitt a chance to prove they are a better team than last season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/pittsburgh as Pitt Releases Full Non-Conference Schedule .