No. 22 West Virginia wrestling team is set for a Top 25 clash in the Backyard Brawl against bitter rival No. 18 Pitt. The action is set to take place on Sunday, Jan. 12, at the WVU Coliseum, with the match beginning at 1 P.M. EST.
"We have a big match on Sunday," head coach Tim Flynn said. "A highly ranked team and it's a rivalry. It can't get much bigger than that."
The rivalry battle will also carry a Coal Rush theme to honor the state of West Virginia's ties to the coal mining industry, and fans attending the action are encouraged to wear black.
The Mountaineers will enter their second consecutive Top 25 matchup after a heartbreaking 24-18 loss to No. 13 Iowa State earlier in the week. WVU will be led in the match by fifth-year senior Peyton Hall, who enters Sunday undefeated on the season at 19-0 and ranked No. 3 nationally in the 165-pound weight class.
The match marks the first edition of the rivalry since 2023 -- that round of action saw the Mountaineers best the panthers 24-11 in Pitt's home arena. The Mountaineers host the rivalry for the first time since 2020, when they were felled by a No. 10 Pitt team in a 29-6 defeat.
The contest will not be televised but can be streamed live on ESPN+ for anyone with a subscription.