Mountaineers square off with Hokies, Panthers in weeknight primetime
by: Sam Coniglio
Posted: / Updated:
West Virginia running back Leddie Brown (4) rushes for a touchdown against Virginia Tech during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Morgantown, W.Va., Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/William Wotring)
Two of West Virginia’s biggest rivalry games are now in primetime.
WVU athletic director Shane Lyons, in conjunction with the ACC, announced Monday that WVU football’s season opener in the Backyard Brawl against Pitt will now be played on Thursday, Sept. 1. The game, which will be played at Pitt’s Heinz Field, was originally scheduled for Sept. 3.
The Battle for the Black Diamond Trophy at Lane Stadium will also be played on a Thursday. That contest with Virginia Tech will be moved to Sept. 22 from its original spot on Sept. 24.
“Moving two of our oldest football rivalries to primetime continues to build excitement for the 2022 season,” Director of Athletics Shane Lyons said. “Fans will get to start the Labor Day Weekend with the Backyard Brawl, which is a great way to renew one of the best rivalries in college football. And if heading to Blacksburg for the first time since 2004 wasn’t hard enough, changing it to a Thursday night matchup will showcase the rivalry even more to college football fans around the country.”
West Virginia will now have three Thursday night games in the 2022 season schedule — the most weeday games since 2011, when the Mountaineers played Syracuse, Pitt and USF during the week.
The national television network for both rivalry games will be announced at a later date.
