The Last Basketball Backyard Brawl? Don't Count On It.

With news of West Virginia heading to the Big 12 next season, cue the panic that the Backyard Brawl is done after tonight's game. Football is an entirely different animal with only three non-conference games, but basketball? With so many non-conference games available, barring a Hatfield-McCoy type feud between the two schools, the Brawl is almost assuredly going to continue.

For starters, Pitt has made it a point to play a school like Robert Morris every season. That's obviously because it's a local game, but I can't imagine that game would be as important to the athletic department as a game against the Mountaineers. The game against the Colonials isn't anything like the City Game, which is steeped in tradition. I'm not calling for the Robert Morris games to end, I'm merely pointing out that if Pitt can find room to play the Colonials, they can certainly find room for a great rivalry like West Virginia.

Then throw in all of the other fluff non-con games out there every year. The bottom line is that Pitt has plenty of opportunities to find room for WVU.

And I think it will happen.

Count Bob Huggins as one who 'gets it':

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said Tuesday he planned to talk with Dixon after the season is over about continuing the series. He said he would be surprised if the two parties could not find a way to play the game.

"I'd be shocked," he said. "We've been playing since 1904. We're all looking for good non-conference games."