Luck Wants Backyard Brawl To Resume - WVU Football, WVU Basketball, News - Mountaineer Sports

There is one big absence from the West Virginia University football and basketball schedules. For the first time since 1942, WVU and Pitt will not meet in football. This will also be the first season since the 1916-1917 men's basketball season that the two schools do not meet on the hardwood.

Conference realignment is the culprit. Pitt is leaving the Big East for the ACC in 2013 while West Virginia just left the Big East for the Big 12 in July.

"They are going into the ACC next year," Luck said. "We will go through our first Big 12 season and see how rough the conference schedule is going to be."

WVU Athletic Director Oliver Luck believes it is not a matter of if the Backyard Brawl will resume, but when.

"It's something I would love to do," Luck stated. "Scheduling is a bilateral activity. I can't just put Pitt into the schedule without their approval."

There are other factors that play into when the rivalry may resume. One of them deals with the questions surrounding the postseason format.

"I think everybody, Pitt and West Virginia included, we are all waiting on the details of this playoff system and does it really reward playing tough non-conference games," Luck said.

At this point, Pitt does not appear on any future schedules. East Carolina University will be on the schedule from 2013 through 2018. Maryland returned to the non-conference schedule in 2012 and is set to remain there through 2017. Other non-conference opponents include William & Mary in 2013, Alabama and Towson in 2014, Liberty in 2015 and BYU in 2016.

There could certainly be changes to that. It would not be uncommon and unprecedented. WVU removed Florida State from its 2012 schedule following the move to the Big 12.

"I think every Mountaineer and every Panther would be united in their viewpoint that you don't want to go 10-12 years and not have played at least a couple of football games," Luck stated. "We will see how it works out."