Why is it called the 'Backyard Brawl'? Pitt-West Virginia college football rivalry history

College football isn’t college football without the rivalries.

And no matter how long it took for Pitt and West Virginia to renew their rivalry, the passion (and hate) from both fan bases stayed the same, further showing why regional rivalries are what make college sports as enjoyable as they are.

This Saturday marks the 107th time that the Panthers and Mountaineers will battle each other on the gridiron in The Backyard Brawl. It is the third time that Pitt and West Virginia have played each other since both programs brought back the rivalry in 2022 following an 11-year hiatus.

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Here's more on the history of the Backyard Brawl:

Where is the Backyard Brawl in 2024?

• Stadium: Acrisure Stadium

• Location: Pittsburgh

The 2024 Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia will take place at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, home to both the Panthers and NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.

Watch Pitt football vs West Virginia live with Fubo (free trial)

Why is Pitt vs West Virginia called the Backyard Brawl?

It's not entirely certain who coined the term "Backyard Brawl," or when. However, the name stems from the geographic proximity between both West Virginia and Pitt universities and their home states.

West Virginia and Pennsylvania are border states, and the two schools are separated by only 76.3 miles on Interstate 79. It's just under an 80-minute drive from West Virginia's campus in Morgantown, West Virginia to Pitt's campus.

Backyard Brawl history

• First matchup: Oct. 26, 1895

The Backyard Brawl started in 1895, when Pitt was then called Western University of Pennsylvania. West Virginia won the opening game with an 8-0 shutout. (Touchdowns only counted for four points at the time, as it wasn't until 1912 that touchdowns counted for six points.)

Apart from a three-year absence from 1940-1943, both programs faced each other annually from 1919 through 2011, per WVU's website. It wasn't until conference realignment that the rivalry game's frequency shifted: West Virginia left the Big East for the Big 12 in 2012, and Pitt left for the ACC in 2013.

Pitt and West Virginia brought back the Backyard Brawl in 2022, when both schools announced a four-year home-and-home series.

Future Backyard Brawl dates

The Backyard Brawl in April 2022 was renewed for four games, starting in the 2029 college football season. The current contract between Pitt and West Virginia currently runs through next season. The Backyard Brawl will return to Morgantown next year on Saturday, Sept. 13.

"Passionate rivalry games like the Backyard Brawl make college football special," Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke said in a 2022 statement. "The extension of this series is exciting to announce given our programs' shared history and geography. It's a rivalry that resonates throughout the region and across the country. That will certainly be on display when we renew ties this September at Heinz Field in front of a national television audience."

Said Shane Lyons, WVU athletic director: "The Backyard Brawl is one of the best rivalries in college football, and it is important that it continues into the future. Mountaineer Nation couldn't be more excited that the renewal of this great rivalry starts this September after an 11-year hiatus."

Here's a look at upcoming Backyard Brawl games:

• Sept. 13, 2025: at West Virginia

• Sept. 8, 2029: at Pitt

• Sept. 7, 2030: at West Virginia

• Sept. 6, 2031: at Pitt

• Sept. 11, 2032: at West Virginia

Pitt-West Virginia series record

• Series record: Pitt leads 62-41-3

• Pitt's last win: 2022 (38-31)

• West Virginia's last win: 2023 (17-6)

• Pitt longest win streak: 15 games (1929-46)

• WVU longest win streak: Five games (1992-96)

• Biggest Pitt win: 42-0 (1960)

• Biggest WVU win: 52-14 (1998)

Pitt leads the all-time series 62-41-3 after losing four of the last five games vs. West Virginia, including the Mountaineers' 17-6 win in 2023.

The Panthers dominated the rivalry series in the 1930s through the '40s, ripping off 15 consecutive wins against the Mountaineers from 1929 through 1946. In that stretch, Pitt shutout West Virginia 10 times and outscored the Mountaineers 381-39. The Mountaineers' longest winning streak in the Backyard Brawl is five games, with WVU winning from 1992 through 1996. West Virginia has had a pair of three-game winning streaks throughout the years as well.

Here's the results from past Backyard Brawl games:

• 2023: West Virginia 17, Pitt 6

• 2022: Pitt 38, West Virginia 31

• 2011: West Virginia 21, Pitt 20

• 2010: West Virginia 35, Pitt 10

• 2009: West Virginia 19, Pitt 16

• 2008: Pitt 19, West Virginia 15

• 2007: Pitt, 13 West Virginia 9

• 2006: West Virginia 45, Pitt 27

• 2005: West Virginia 45, Pitt 13

• 2004: Pitt 16, West Virginia 13

• 2003: West Virginia 52, Pitt 31

• 2002: West Virginia 24, Pitt 17

• 2001: Pitt 23, West Virginia 17

• 2000: Pitt 38, West Virginia 28

• 1999: West Virginia 52, Pitt 21

• 1998: West Virginia, 52 Pitt 14

• 1997: Pitt 41, West Virginia 38

• 1996: West Virginia 34, Pitt 0

• 1995: West Virginia, 21 Pitt 0

• 1994: West Virginia 47, Pitt 41

• 1993: West Virginia 42, Pitt 21

• 1992: West Virginia 44, Pitt 6

• 1991: Pitt 34, West Virginia 3

• 1990: West Virginia 38, Pitt 24

Click here to view the full results of the Backyard Brawl

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Backyard Brawl: Pitt-WVU football rivalry history, series record, more