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Johnny Majors Classic, 2 prime-time games kick start Pitt's 2022 season | TribLIVE.com
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Johnny Majors Classic, 2 prime-time games kick start Pitt's 2022 season

Jerry DiPaola
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Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
Former Pitt coach Johnny Majors looks on during the Panthers’ spring game Saturday, April 14, 2018, at Heinz Field.

After finishing the 2021 season with 11 victories and ranked 13th in the final Associated Press poll, Pitt football will get additional opportunities to prove its national relevancy in the first three games of 2022.

Pitt will appear in prime time twice, sandwiched around a cross-sectional game against Tennessee that will be televised by ABC.

Pitt’s opener against West Virginia will be Sept. 1 at Heinz Field in the 105th Backyard Brawl. It will be the first time since 2011 that the Panthers and Mountaineers — two rivals separated by only 76 miles of highway — will meet on the football field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN.

The following game (Sept. 10) will be the second edition of the Johnny Majors Classic between Pitt and Tennessee, teams that previously were led by the legendary coach. Pitt won last year’s game in Knoxville, Tenn., 41-34.

Kickoff on ABC will be 3:30 p.m. on what promises to be a busy day on the North Shore. The Pittsburgh Pirates already had scheduled their final Fireworks Night of the season for that night. First pitch will be 6:35 p.m.

The West Virginia and Tennessee games will mark the first time since 1986 that Pitt will open against two Power 5 opponents. That season, the Panthers lost to Maryland, 10-7, and tied N.C. State, 14-14.

Pitt returns to prime time Sept. 17 against Western Michigan in the first road game of the season. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU. The Broncos won last year’s game, 44-41, at Heinz Field.

Start times for the remainder of the games will be announced at a later date.

Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.

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Categories: Pitt | Sports | WVU
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