Game Week: Pitt Begins 2026 Season with Miami (OH)

PITTSBURGH – Pitt opens its 137th season of football against Miami (Ohio) this Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.

The Panthers and RedHawks will meet for the third time, while Pitt owns a 35–6 all-time record against members of the Mid-American Conference

The 2026 campaign marks Pat Narduzzi's 12th season as Pitt's head coach. Since his arrival in 2015, Narduzzi has directed the Panthers to 52 ACC victories, the third-highest total in the conference during that span. Only Clemson (75) and Miami (55) have more.

Miami

PITT vs. MIAMI (OH)

September 5, 2026 • 12:30 PM

Acrisure Stadium (51,416/Natural Grass) • Pittsburgh, Pa.

The CW • 93.7 The Fan • Pitt Panthers Radio Network

PittsburghPanthers.com • @Pitt_FB

GAME STORYLINES

Pitt returns a pair of players who led the team as true freshmen in 2025. Quarterback Mason Heintschel paced the Panthers in passing yards, while running back Ja'Kyrian Turner led the team with 745 rushing yards. Pitt was the only FBS program last season to have a true freshman lead the team in both passing and rushing.
Turner enters his sophomore season after emerging as one of the ACC's most productive running backs during the closing stretch of 2025. From Nov. 1 through the end of the season, he averaged 94.6 rushing yards per game, the third-highest mark in the conference, and 6.4 yards per carry, which ranked second among ACC players with at least 40 attempts.
Turner finished his freshman campaign with a team-leading 745 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 140 carries, adding 25 receptions for 150 yards. His season was highlighted by a 201-yard performance at No. 16 Georgia Tech, the most rushing yards by a Pitt freshman against a Power Four opponent and the program's first 200-yard rushing effort since Israel Abanikanda in 2022.
Pitt's defense enters the season having held opponents to 2.7 yards per carry in 2025. Over the past 10 seasons, only six ACC teams have limited their opponents to fewer than 3.0 yards per rush over a full campaign, and three of those defenses belonged to Pitt, which also accomplished the feat in 2020 (2.7) and 2021 (2.6).
Linebacker Braylan Lovelace headlines Pitt's returning defense after earning Honorable Mention All-ACC recognition in 2025. Lovelace compiled 80 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two pass breakups and one sack last season. He has scored a defensive touchdown in each of his three collegiate seasons and enters 2026 on the watch lists for both the Bednarik and Butkus awards.
Pitt selected Heintschel, offensive lineman Ryan Baer, Lovelace and defensive back Cruce Brookins as its captains for the 2026 season. Heintschel is believed to be Pitt's first true sophomore captain in the modern era; the program's other known sophomore captains, Alex Van Pelt, Lousaka Polite and Tyler Palko, were each redshirt sophomores.

WHERE TO WATCH

National Television • The CW

Thom Brennaman (play-by-play)

Jason Cabinda (analyst)

Wes Bryant (reporter)

TUNE IN TO THE PANTHERS RADIO NETWORK

93.7 The Fan & Pitt Radio Network (937thefan.radio.com)

Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play)

Pat Bostick (analyst)

Dorin Dickerson (sideline reporter)

OTHER BROADCAST INFORMATION

SiriusXM Satellite Radio

SiriusXM 113 or 235 and on the SiriusXM App

WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) • 92.1 FM

TICKET INFORMATION

Season tickets, mini-plans and single-game tickets for the 2026 Pitt football season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting PittsburghPanthers.com.