Pittsburgh Panthers Secure Multiple National TV Appearances in 2026 Schedule

The Pittsburgh Panthers have secured multiple national television appearances as the Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN announced kickoff times and television designations for a portion of the 2026 football schedule. The Panthers will open the season against Miami (Ohio) on Saturday, September 5 at Acrisure Stadium, with the game airing on The CW. Pitt will host the RedHawks for the first time since 1949 and the third time overall, leading the all-time series 2-0. The Panthers will return to Acrisure Stadium the following week to host UCF on Saturday, September 12, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2. The Panthers own a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 35-34 victory in Pittsburgh in the teams' most recent meeting in 2019. The Panthers' first ACC contest of the season comes on Thursday, September 17 against Syracuse at Acrisure Stadium, with the nationally televised matchup kicking off at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. Pitt has won seven of the last eight meetings against the Orange, including a 41-13 Thursday night victory in Pittsburgh in 2024 that featured three interception returns for touchdowns by the Panthers. The Panthers will make two Friday night appearances on ESPN during conference play, traveling to Virginia Tech on Friday, October 2 for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Lane Stadium and hosting Florida State on Friday, November 13 at 7 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium. The Friday night contest against Virginia Tech marks Pitt's first regular-season Friday game since 2019, while the Panthers' matchup against Florida State will mark the first time Pitt has played two regular season Friday games in the same season since 2012. Additional kickoff times and television designations for the remainder of Pitt's 2026 schedule will be announced at a later date.