Pitt Reveals Kickoff Times, TV Designations for Half of 2026 Slate
Kickoff times and television designations have been revealed for half of Pitt football’s 2026 regular-season games.
The Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN announced Wednesday the start times for Pitt’s first five games of the season, along with the Panthers’ home matchup against Florida State on Nov. 13.
— Sat., Sept. 5 | Pitt vs. Miami (OH) | 12 p.m. or 12:30 p.m. | The CW
— Sat., Sept. 12 | Pitt vs. UCF | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
— Thurs., Sept. 17 | Pitt vs. Syracuse | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
— Sat., Sept. 26 | Pitt vs. Bucknell | 12 p.m. | ACCNX
— Fri., Oct. 2 | Pitt @ Virginia Tech | 7 p.m. | ESPN
— Fri., Nov. 13 | Pitt vs. Florida State | 7 p.m. | ESPN
The Panthers will open the season with an opponent from the Mid-American Conference with the Miami (OH) RedHawks. It will be the first meeting between these two opponents since 1949, which was a 35-26 win for Pitt. The Panthers are 2-0 in the series.
Pitt and UCF will meet for the first time since 2019 when the Panthers took down the 15th-ranked Knights, 35-34. It was a thrilling finish with the Panthers pulling out some trickeration with the game on the line as Aaron Matthews passed to quarterback Kenny Pickett for a touchdown, which became known as the ‘Pitt Special.’ The Panthers are 2-1 in the series.
The Panthers return under the lights on a Thursday night for the first time since 2024, when the Panthers dominated the Orange with a 41-13. Pitt returned three interceptions for touchdowns in that matchup. The Panthers have won seven of the last eight over the Orange as the two will meet for the 82nd time in 2026.
Bucknell serves as Pitt’s FCS opponent for the 2026 season. It will be the 10th meeting between the two in-state programs. The Panthers own a 7-2 lead in the series after a 38-0 win the last time these two teams played in 1945.
Pat Narduzzi and new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin will meet for the fifth time in history, this time as conference foes. It will be the first time these two teams have met since 2023. Virginia Tech leads the series 13-11.
Pitt will host Florida State later in the season on a Friday evening after defeating the then-ranked Seminoles on the road, 34-31, last season. It will be the 13th all-time meeting with the Panthers holding a 7-5 edge.
Game times and television designations have not been announced for Pitt’s matchups with North Carolina (Oct. 10), at Boston College (Oct. 17), at Miami (Oct. 24), home against Georgia Tech (Oct. 31), at Louisville (Nov. 21) and at California (Nov. 28).
