Pitt books home-and-home series with Western Michigan

Pitt and Western Michigan have scheduled a home-and-home series for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, according to Kevin Kelley of FBSchedules.com. The arrangement will see the Panthers host the Broncos at Heinz Field on Sept. 18, 2021, then head to Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo on Sept. 17, 2022.

Neither Pitt nor Western Michigan publicly announced that they had agreed to the series, but Kelley learned that the two sides had signed a binding contract through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Pitt and Western Michigan have never faced each other before, so the 2021 matchup will be the first meeting between the two teams. However, the Panthers have a track record of success against the Mid-American Conference, as they’ve gone 25-3 against MAC opponents.

Given that fact, the addition of Western Michigan represents a softening of Pitt’s nonconference schedule, which has included Central Florida, Penn State, Notre Dame and Oklahoma State in recent years. It’s also part of a growing trend, as Pitt is slated to play MAC representatives Ohio and Miami (Ohio) in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

For its part, Western Michigan hasn’t shied away from Power Five competition, as it has scheduled at least one such team in each of the last 10 seasons. With that said, the Broncos have struggled to a 2-21 record in those games, which bodes well for a Panthers team seeking a few September reprieves in years when they will face Clemson, Tennessee and West Virginia in the early goings.

With the addition of Western Michigan to its 2021 and 2022 schedules, Pitt has just one open slot remaining in each of those seasons.