Pitt will not be playing Penn State until Paterno is gone.

As state politicians got involved in Virginia Tech’s ACC romance, Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris could use similar help with the disappearing Pitt-Penn State rivalry. “They should be forced to play us,” he says. Penn State recently added games against Central Florida, Cincinnati and Notre Dame to future schedules, but it continues to duck rival Pitt, which it last played in 2000. In some instances — the annual Florida-Florida State game is a prime example — schools are bound by state law to play every season.

I remember around the final time Pitt played Penn State — Pitt won 12-0 in 2000 — I think some state legislator proposed a requirement, but it failed. I did not know that Florida has that law.

Even the editor of the PSU bible concedes that Paterno is an idiot for not playing Pitt (of course he would still, rather blame Pitt).

Neil:
Speaking of non-conference rivalries, it’s a shame that Pitt and PSU don’t hook up in a season like this. While both schools play the Central Florida types every year anyway, there is simply no excuse not to continue the old rivalry for the benefit of both schools as well as for greater Pennsylvania.
Alan Saltzman
Atlanta

Alan:
Second. In the end, being able to wipe out the Pitt series will be a black mark on Joe’s career. At the same time, Pitt arguably should have followed PSU’s lead toward an Eastern Conference in the early ’80s.

Even Neil Rudel, has to admit the series ended because of a unilateral Paterno decision.