Pittsburgh–Syracuse football rivalry

Pittsburgh–Syracuse football rivalry

Pittsburgh Panthers Syracuse Orange
First meeting	October 21, 1916
Latest meeting	November 26, 2016
Next meeting	2017
Statistics
Meetings total	72
All-time series	Pittsburgh leads, 38–31–3
Largest victory	Syracuse, 55–7 (1996)
Longest win streak	Pittsburgh, 11 (1973–83) Syracuse, 11 (1991–2001)
Current win streak	Pittsburgh, 4 (2013–present)

The Pittsburgh–Syracuse football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Pittsburgh Panthers and Syracuse Orange. It began in 1916 and has been played every year since 1955.^[1] The Panthers and Orange were both Eastern football independents for most of their history but have shared the same football conference since 1991 when the Big East Football Conference was formed from Eastern football independents. Pitt is tied as the most played opponent for Syracuse and Syracuse is the third most played opponent for Pitt. Sharing membership in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) since 2013, the Panthers and Orange have since played 72 times. Pittsburgh leads the series 38–31–3.^[1][2] The two schools also enjoy a rivalry in other sports, most notably men's basketball.

History

Series record

From 1916–56, Pittsburgh led 8–2–2, but Syracuse went 11–5 to tie the series up. Pittsburgh then went on an 11-year winning streak from 1973–83. However, Syracuse went 16–1–1 from 1984–2001 to take the series lead (29–25–3). Pittsburgh has gone 13–2 since to retake the lead.

Big East Conference (1991–2012)

Syracuse was a charter member of the Big East Conference, founded as a basketball prioritized conference in 1979 that did not sponsor football.^[3] Pitt joined Syracuse as a member of the Big East Conference in 1982.^[4] Both Pitt and Syracuse moved their football teams, both playing as Independents, into to the Big East Football Conference in 1991 when they and other football-playing members of the Big East, along with additional Eastern independent teams, decided to form a football conference under the auspices of the existing Big East Conference.

Since 1991, Pittsburgh and Syracuse have played twenty-two times while in the Big East until trouble started to rumble through the conference starting in 2005 with the "football" and "non-football" schools of the conference, led to instability in the conference. Several schools left the conference for the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Big East became more unstable starting in 2011 when Pittsburgh and Syracuse submitted formal applications to join the ACC, which were accepted on September 18, 2011.^[5]

Atlantic Coast Conference (2013–present)

Pittsburgh and Syracuse officially joined the ACC on July 1, 2013.^[6][7]

Pittsburgh is placed in the Coastal division of the ACC and Syracuse is in the Atlantic division.^[8] The teams of the ACC have a permanent inter-divisional opponent, where a team from the Atlantic and Coastal divisions will play annually which was added for traditional rivalries like the North Carolina–NC State football rivalry to continue annually despite not being in the same division. When Pittsburgh and Syracuse joined the conference they were made each other's permanent inter-divisional opponent, so it would not alter any other team rivalries of the conference.

Game results

Pittsburgh victories are shaded ██ blue. Syracuse victories are shaded ██ orange. Ties are white.

Date Location Winner Score Series October 21, 1916 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 30–0 Pittsburgh 1–0 October 20, 1917 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 28–0 Pittsburgh 2–0 October 18, 1919 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 24–3 Pittsburgh 2–1 October 16, 1920 Syracuse, NY Tie 7–7 Pittsburgh 2–1–1 October 22, 1921 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 35–0 Pittsburgh 3–1–1 October 21, 1922 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 21–14 Pittsburgh 4–1–1 October 20, 1923 New York, NY Syracuse 3–0 Pittsburgh 4–2–1 November 1, 1924 Syracuse, NY Tie 7–7 Pittsburgh 4–2–2 November 3, 1928 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 18–0 Pittsburgh 5–2–2 October 18, 1930 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 14–0 Pittsburgh 6–2–2 September 24, 1955 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 22–12 Pittsburgh 7–2–2 September 29, 1956 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 14–7 Pittsburgh 8–2–2 November 2, 1957 Pittsburgh, PA Syracuse 24–21 Pittsburgh 8–3–2 November 1, 1958 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 16–13 Pittsburgh 8–4–2 October 31, 1959 Pittsburgh, PA Syracuse 35–0 Pittsburgh 8–5–2 October 29, 1960 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 10–0 Pittsburgh 9–5–2 November 4, 1961 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 28–9 Pittsburgh 9–6–2 November 3, 1962 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 24–6 Pittsburgh 10–6–2 November 2, 1963 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 35–27 Pittsburgh 11–6–2 October 31, 1964 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 21–6 Pittsburgh 11–7–2 October 30, 1965 Flushing, NY Syracuse 51–13 Pittsburgh 11–8–2 October 29, 1966 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 33–7 Pittsburgh 11–9–2 November 4, 1967 Pittsburgh, PA Syracuse 14–7 Pittsburgh 11–10–2 October 12, 1968 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 50–17 Tie 11–11–2 November 1, 1969 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 21–20 Pittsburgh 12–11–2 October 31, 1970 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 43–13 Tie 12–12–2 October 30, 1971 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 31–21 Pittsburgh 13–12–2 October 28, 1972 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 10–6 Tie 13–13–2 November 3, 1973 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 28–14 Pittsburgh 14–13–2 November 2, 1974 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 21–13 Pittsburgh 15–13–2 November 1, 1975 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 38–0 Pittsburgh 16–13–2 October 30, 1976 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 23–13 Pittsburgh 17–13–2 October 22, 1977 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 28–21 Pittsburgh 18–13–2 November 4, 1978 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 18–17 Pittsburgh 19–13–2 November 3, 1979 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 28–21 Pittsburgh 20–13–2 November 1, 1980 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 43–6 Pittsburgh 21–13–2 October 24, 1981 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 23–10 Pittsburgh 22–13–2 October 23, 1982 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 14–0 Pittsburgh 23–13–2 October 29, 1983 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 13–10 Pittsburgh 24–13–2 November 3, 1984 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 13–7 Pittsburgh 24–14–2 November 2, 1985 Pittsburgh, PA Syracuse 12–0 Pittsburgh 24–15–2 November 1, 1986 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 24–20 Pittsburgh 24–16–2 October 31, 1987 Pittsburgh, PA Syracuse 24–10 Pittsburgh 24–17–2 December 3, 1988 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 24–7 Pittsburgh 24–18–2 September 23, 1989 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 30–23 Pittsburgh 25–18–2 September 22, 1990 Syracuse, NY Tie 20–20 Pittsburgh 25–18–3 October 19, 1991 Pittsburgh, PA Syracuse 31–27 Pittsburgh 25–19–3 October 31, 1992 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 41–10 Pittsburgh 25–20–3 October 16, 1993 Pittsburgh, PA Syracuse 24–21 Pittsburgh 25–21–3 October 8, 1994 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 31–7 Pittsburgh 25–22–3 November 11, 1995 Pittsburgh, PA Syracuse 42–10 Pittsburgh 25–23–3 October 12, 1996 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 55–7 Pittsburgh 25–24–3 November 15, 1997 Pittsburgh, PA Syracuse 32–27 Tie 25–25–3 October 31, 1998 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 45–28 Syracuse 26–25–3 October 7, 1999 Pittsburgh, PA Syracuse 24–17 Syracuse 27–25–3 October 7, 2000 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 24–17 Syracuse 28–25–3 October 13, 2001 Pittsburgh, PA Syracuse 42–10 Syracuse 29–25–3 October 5, 2002 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 48–24 Syracuse 29–26–3 October 25, 2003 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 34–14 Syracuse 29–27–3 November 6, 2004 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 38–31 Syracuse 30–27–3 October 22, 2005 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 34–17 Syracuse 30–28–3 October 7, 2006 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 21–11 Syracuse 30–29–3 November 3, 2007 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 20–17 Tie 30–30–3 September 27, 2008 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 34–24 Pittsburgh 31–30–3 November 7, 2009 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 37–10 Pittsburgh 32–30–3 October 16, 2010 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 45–14 Pittsburgh 33–30–3 December 3, 2011 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 33–20 Pittsburgh 34–30–3 October 5, 2012 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 14–13 Pittsburgh 34–31–3 November 23, 2013 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 17–16 Pittsburgh 35–31–3 November 22, 2014 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 30–7 Pittsburgh 36–31–3 October 24, 2015 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 23–20 Pittsburgh 37–31–3 November 26, 2016 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh 76–61 Pittsburgh 38–31–3 2017 Syracuse, NY Pittsburgh 38–31–3 Series record sources: College Football Data Warehouse.[2] References Pittsburgh Panthers Athletics, Football renews old rivalry with Syracuse in new ACC era. Retrieved July 24, 2014. College Football Data Warehouse, Pittsburgh vs Syracuse. Retrieved July 24, 2014. Crouthamel, Jake (December 8, 2000). "A Big East History and Retrospective, Part 1". SUAthletics.com. Retrieved July 24, 2014. Hanley, Richard F (November 19, 1981). "Pittsburgh To Join Big East". Record-Journal. Google News. "ACC Extends Formal Invitations for Membership to Pittsburgh and Syracuse - The Official Athletic Site of the Atlantic Coast Conference" (Press release). Atlantic Coast Conference. 2011-09-18. Retrieved 2014-07-24. "SU, BIG EAST Reach Agreement for Orange to Move to ACC in 2013". Syracuse Athletics. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2014. BIG EAST Conference, University of Pittsburgh Reach Agreement on Pittsburgh Departure From The BIG EAST "ACC sticks with 8-game schedule". espn. October 2, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2014.