The University of Pittsburgh has officially locked in its 12 opponents for the 2026 football season, and there’s a notable shift in the structure of the schedule - the Panthers will play nine ACC games next year. That’s right, the addition of California to the slate as a road game means Pitt's diving even deeper into conference play, a move that reflects the evolving landscape of college football scheduling.
Let’s break it down.
A Ninth ACC Game, A West Coast Trip
The headline here is the addition of Cal, giving Pitt five road games in ACC play for 2026. That includes another long-haul trip to the West Coast - this time to Berkeley - after traveling to Stanford in 2025.
This will be just the seventh all-time meeting between Pitt and Cal, and the first time Pitt will play in Berkeley since 1966. The two programs met in Pittsburgh in 2024, with the Panthers edging out a 17-15 win.
Now, they’ll renew that budding ACC rivalry on Cal’s turf.
Non-Conference Slate: Three Games, All at Home
With the ninth conference game now in play, Pitt’s non-conference schedule shrinks to three matchups - and all of them will be played at Acrisure Stadium. That’s a strategic move, especially with the added travel demands of the expanded ACC.
The season kicks off on September 5 against Miami (Ohio) - a matchup that hasn’t happened since 1949. This will be only the third all-time meeting between the schools, giving it a bit of a throwback feel.
Then comes a more familiar face: UCF on September 12. The Knights, now a Big 12 program, represent the lone Power Four opponent on Pitt’s non-conference slate.
It’s a rematch of that wild 2019 game in Pittsburgh, where Pitt pulled off a last-second 35-34 win that still lives rent-free in Panthers fans’ memories. Pitt leads the all-time series 2-1, and while a return game is technically on the books for 2029, that matchup’s future is now a little murky - especially with Pitt also scheduled to host West Virginia that year.
The final non-conference game is a new addition: Bucknell, scheduled for the weekend of September 26. The Patriot League program wrapped up a 5-7 season in 2025 and will be stepping up to face an FBS opponent in this one.
Pitt has a deep historical connection with Bucknell - the teams have met nine times, though not since 1945, when the Panthers rolled to a 38-0 win at old Pitt Stadium. Pitt holds a 7-2 edge in the all-time series.
Wisconsin Series Adjusted
One notable absence from the 2026 schedule is Wisconsin. The two programs were originally set to meet in Madison next September, but they mutually agreed to cancel the game earlier this month.
However, the series isn’t entirely scrapped - Pitt is still scheduled to open the 2027 season against the Badgers in a neutral-site matchup. That replaces what was once planned as a home-and-home series.
No Ole Miss Rumors Come to Life
There had been whispers - nothing confirmed - about a possible showdown with Ole Miss in 2026, but Tuesday’s announcement put those rumors to rest. The finalized non-conference schedule doesn’t include the SEC squad, and with the ninth ACC game now a fixture, it’s likely we’ll see fewer high-profile non-league matchups moving forward.
The Full Picture - Minus Dates
Here’s what we know: Pitt’s 2026 schedule features seven home games and five on the road. The full order of games and exact dates for the ACC matchups haven’t been released yet. Last year, the ACC dropped the full schedule in late January, and all signs point to a similar timeline this time around.
But for now, here’s the confirmed list of opponents:
🏟️ Home Games
- Miami (OH) - Sept.
5
- UCF - Sept.
12
- Bucknell - Sept.
26
- Florida State - TBA
- Georgia Tech - TBA
- North Carolina - TBA
- Syracuse - TBA
🛫 Away Games
- Boston College - TBA
- California - TBA
- Louisville - TBA
- Miami - TBA
- Virginia Tech - TBA
With the ACC continuing to evolve and non-conference scheduling becoming more strategic than ever, Pitt’s 2026 slate offers a blend of tradition, travel, and tactical planning. The Panthers are clearly positioning themselves for a challenging - but manageable - campaign, and with a ninth conference game now baked into the schedule, every matchup carries just a little more weight.