I would say outside of the people that can't seem to put their bitterness away it would have great support. If you are a real fan of college football you would want this game to be played. Now a series with Pitt will be construed by some as the BOT screwing Alumni again? I don't buy it. It's mostly pettiness.
Pitt rivalry has big support in both camps
- Thread starter PENN_ST8
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That's fine but nobody can tell me that with all things equal it would not be better to have a bitter rival on the schedule that will sell out every time than the terrible non conference schedule that Penn State has been trotting out recently. It certainly would be better for fans of college football.
You are living in the past...about 30 years in the past. Pitt/PSU would not resonate with fans across the country. Fans in PA, sure. But it would not be a national rivalry. And stop with the "isn't scheduling Pitt better than scheduling Buffalo?" baloney. No one is arguing that. We're saying we can do much better than Pitt. Of course Pitt is better than Buffalo. But there are about 30 teams that would be better than Pitt. That's the point.
We do not go by convincing every fan what is better; it is tough to overcome fan emotionalism. We go by facts and right now we can better support our 31 programs by not obligating ourselves to home and home with Pitt every year.
Agreed, but Pitt is a red herring. As Madsol pointed out, Pitt is better than Buffalo, but so are about 30 other schools, and they are also better than Pitt. Give me Florida State, which is better than Buffalo and Pitt combined. It would be a game of national interest. Pitt would not. Give me Texas. It would be a game of national interest. Pitt would not. Give me Oregon, or UCLA, or Clemson, or Georgia, or Florida, or so many others. All would be games of national interest. Pitt would not.
Hey your right I am living in the past. I like the way it was when money did not control everything. It's a shame the rivalry ended. Also relax about the Buffalo point. It was accurate and not an over used argument.
To me this is like a married couple that splits up, but does not divorce, after 30 years of marriage. They go their separate ways and are doing just fine on their own, but people keep trying to get them back together. They still meet up occasionally, but their circumstances have changed, and they no longer make a good couple. Still, people try to force them back to where they were 30 years ago. Sometimes it really is time to move on. We need to play a better non conference schedule than we are now, but a bunch of good teams like Texas, or Georgia, or Oregon (instead of Pitt) will stimulate national interest, widen our recruiting area, and give our fans in other parts of the country a good chance to see us play. Pitt is not a national program. Even with our recent woes, we still are. Let's play a national schedule.
23-7-1, in favor of PSU. That's the "rivalry" record since 1966. Again, you're living in the past. And it's purely anecdotal, i'll give you that, but I can still recall being shocked by the number of people trying to sell tickets outside Beaver Stadium the last time Pitt played there in 1999. Penn State can and should do better than Pitt every year.
By all means schedule these teams you are talking about. It would be great to have all those teams on the schedule but everybody seems to forget you still have the problem of having to do a home and home with them. You guys are right about Pitt and Penn St. not garnering National interest. When it was played every year it did have National interest and it was growing
I will say this. If we make a serious effort to play a Texas, or Florida State, or Georgia, and we can't work out the scheduling, or we still have open dates, I would agree Pitt would be better opponent than Buffalo ........well, most years.
That's the problem. Once 9 conference games hit in the next few years, you will have 3 OOC games. So if you schedule FSU (or Oregon etc)- it's a home and away series. That means the other 2 OOC games have to be cupcake games always at home to hit the magic 7 home game stat. That means that you can't have a Pitt home/ away series unless your going to give up the 7 home games they say are necessary to fund all sports. Having a neutral site game with Pitt doesn't help either (and where would they play- philly?). A permanent Pitt game pretty much assures no FSU, Alabama, ND type games in the future.
Edit- for the record, that's why I hate this 9 game big ten schedule coming up. I couldn't care less to get the extra forced game with Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, etc. I'd much rather stick to 8 conference games and allow more flexibility to schedule the FSU, Oregon, Texas type teams. Obviously that requires PSU to change its approach and actually schedule those games rather than Temple, Akron, Buffalo etc.
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Anybody who thinks this is a good idea should be sure they are at Heinz Field in 2016. Afterwards, see if you still want the series to continue.
And with that attitude you will find,well, peace. I'm where you are. It's almost liberating to a certain degree.
I think you are absolutely right. No longer having to live or die with Penn State related issues that I cannot control has to bring liberation, and peace.
In many respects, the truth has set us free. It's just a shame that the truth turned out to be way, way different than we thought it was.
You mean like the Pitt fans who blame Joe Paterno for the series ending? That bitter? What they and you seem to forget is Joe, who supposedly hated Pitt and didn't want to play them, scheduled a four game series with them AFTER joining the Big Ten. He subsequently offered them a 10 year, 6 at State and 4 at Pitt, which they turned down. He then offered them a home and home which they also turned down. Now they got a 4 gamer with the first one at Pitt. A home and home for infinity will not happen.
When the Big Ten goes to 9 conference games, it will be 5 home and 4 away or 4 home and 5 away. The out of conference schedule will have to reflect Penn State's desire to have at least 7 home games every year. That is just the way it is now.
Lastly, when Penn State goes to Pittsburgh, I challenge you to buy a ticket and go to the game dressed from head to toe in Penn State gear. You will beyond regret it. It is going to be so nasty, it will make an Eagles home game with the Cowboys look tame by comparison. You know what happens to Cowboy fans in their gear at the Linc. We all should hope it doesn't become a prime time game.
9 BIG games with only 3 non conference games and the largest alumni group in the country. Easy solution. Schedule 1 rotating regional opponent every year, 1 national power in different regions for the $$$$ paying alums to reward them for their loyalty, and 1 home MAC School to get to 7 home games per year. How to do it? That's Barbour's job. My eastern PA/ NJ/ MD friends and myself have 0 interest in playing Pitt yearly and I live in the a South Hills. Bama, ND, USC, OREGON, ASU, GEORGIA, TEXAS! You want to sell tickets, then play the Elite programs with large groups of alums in the area HOME AND HOME.
Well, if you are a Cowboys fan and NOT from Dallas what is wrong with you anyhow???
I wouldn't mind playing PSU every 3 years in a rotation with other regional teams. I don't think a yearly rivalry is necessary being we are in different conferences. However, it is nice to play regional teams to discuss football with friends from opposing schools.
The reason you don't care about those schools is simply because you were not exposed to them. People my age have seen a real rivalry. None of those teams you mentioned have come close to the level of Pitt when this game was played every year. It's not even close.
Hey I am an old school guy that loves tradition. It would be great to be able to play Pitt every year but I realize that is probably never going to happen.
the difference is the 30 other schools don't have the history with Penn St. that Pitt has.
The importance of history is only relevant to your age. What makes it a good rivalry is their proximity. Their shared recruiting area and their shared media markets. It makes for a lot of fun.
Hey back up a minute. Where did I mention Joe Paterno? I just want to set the record straight because you are inferring something that is not true. I think there are fans that just hate Pitt and do blame them for the breakup. Next time before you give me the lecture on what Joe offered get it straight on what I actually said. Also every fan in this country in a perfect world should be able to wear their gear to an opposing venue just as I should be able to walk every neighborhood in Philadelphia without fear for my safety but guess what? We do not live in a perfect world and if I am going to Pittsburgh which I plan on doing I won' t put myself in a position where I will need to fear for my safety. The guys I am going with are no nonsense so It won't be a problem either way. I realize it won't happen every year but I think the people that say we should never play them in many cases hold a bitterness born from the breakup. I don't doubt Joe tried. Get your facts straight because I did not forget anything.
I think you guys have a completely different idea of why we feel the rivalry ended. I'm not saying we feel Joe shouldn't get some of the blame but not all of it. However, it was a business deal and the other schools didn't like the deal Joe put on the table. It doesn't get any simpler than that.
Copy that except it wasn't just Joe - Curley and probably Spainer were part of that.
I myself don't know either way. I myself hold no opinion on who's fault it is or if fault should even be placed at all. It looks like a Business deal to me. I think you probably hit it on the head. Other people might claim to know the Pitt fans mind set on this issue. I do not.
I live in Philly. I know all my Penn St. Local buddies would love to see Pitt back on the schedule. Rutgers and Maryland have no interest from Philly football fans. I live here so I have a little experience to back up what I am saying. In your circles it might be so but not in mine so a generalization is not accurate here.
What are you scared of? There will be plenty of Penn State fans in that stadium. If you scared then don't go. I will be there probably without gear on but cheering loudly when State makes a good play. If not being able to wear your gear is too restrictive then stick by your principles all means and don't go. The Red Sox still play the Yankees even after assaults in the stands.
It was my understanding that when PSU was considered for the "Big East" the non-football schools blocked their entrance, fearing football would become more important in the conference than BB? Yes, we "should" play PITT every year IF we were both members of the same conference !!!! I would LOVE a real "Big East", but that ship has sailed.
Your correct. I am hopelessly lost in the fierce rivalry it once was. How come we are not able to schedule some of those 30 teams?
Does anybody know what the truth is? You are speaking as though there is a concrete record here. This is very complicated.
Are you kidding me? It would be way better than the awful Non Conference schedule that Penn State has trotted out. Our premiere games will be with Michigan, Michigan St. and Ohio State.
