2026 Men’s Basketball Backyard Brawl to Take Place at PPG Paints Arena

Proving a unique look for an historic rivalry, the 193rd edition of the men’s basketball Backyard Brawl will take place at PPG Paints Arena in downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Dec. 9.

The matchup against Pitt will be the second game of a doubleheader as part of the Backyard Basketball Classic at PPG Paints Arena.

The Mountaineers have won seven of the last nine meetings in the series. The two teams have met 192 times in all-time series play that began in 1906 with WVU leading, 102-90.

This will be the first meeting between the two schools at PPG Paints Arena. The last time the Mountaineers played an off-campus road game at Pitt was on Jan. 28, 1998, at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena.

This year’s WVU-Pitt game will be the third game of a four-game series extension that was announced in January 2024. Last season, West Virginia defeated Pitt 71-49 in Morgantown. The two teams will meet at Hope Coliseum during the 2027-28 season.

Most of this story originated as a WVU press release.

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