The schedule wasn’t really a shock to anyone. Pitt figured to have one of the tougher schedules, as a conference favorite and with expected TV exposure.

Dixon said Pitt’s schedule revealed few surprises. He said discussions at league meetings centered around playing teams at venues on an every other year basis and that’s exactly how Pitt’s schedule turned out. Pitt will play Connecticut, Louisville and St. John’s at home this season after playing road games at those schools last season. In contrast, the Panthers will play road games at Cincinnati, DePaul, Seton Hall and Syracuse after playing host to those teams this past season.

“Everything came out how I expected it,” Dixon said. “I figured we’d get Connecticut at home. This was all talked about at the league meetings. Everything went as planned.”

Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said keeping natural or traditional rivals was an important part of the schedule in addition to the television games. Pitt, for example, will play West Virginia twice even though the Mountaineers are expected to be in a rebuilding year. Other schools playing twice include Connecticut and Syracuse, Rutgers and Seton Hall and Notre Dame and DePaul.

“This schedule is more balanced competitively than last year,” Tranghese said in a statement. “With the strength and depth we’ve shown as a 16-team league, we were still able to produce a large number of marquee matchups without simply forcing the perceived top three or four teams to play one another twice.”

I guess “natural or traditional rivals” wasn’t applicable to the C-USA crowd when Cinci and Louisville only meet once.

The P-G article also noted that Dave Cox should officially be named Director of Basketball Operations next week.

At least there’s no whining about the conference slate for Pitt.

The Pitt Panthers, who return eight of their top 10 players from a men’s basketball team that won 25 games and reached the NCAA Tournament for a fifth consecutive year, will face a brutal conference schedule again this season.
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“When you’ve had the type of success that our program has enjoyed, you have to expect that you’re going to be challenged,” Dixon said. “The benefits far outweigh the negatives. You’re on TV often, and there are monetary reasons for it, too.”

No word, though, on the non-con at this point.

Pitt isn’t expected to announce its entire schedule until late summer or early fall.

Among the Panthers’ confirmed non-conference opponents are Duquesne, Auburn, Dayton, Wisconsin and South Carolina, whom the Panthers will face at Madison Square Garden in New York as part of a doubleheader that also will feature Duke against Gonzaga.

Pitt also may host a holiday tournament at Petersen Events Center, but Dixon couldn’t provide any details.

“There’s still plenty of slots left on the schedule,” he said. “Once it all comes out, it’ll again be the toughest schedule we’ve had to face since I’ve been here.”

That’s probably my favorite quote of the day. “…it’ll again be the toughest schedule we’ve had to face…” Can’t wait to see that in a press release.

Again, give Mississippi State a call.

Now, here’s something else to ponder. Should Pitt consider playing someone like Witchita St.? The Shockers are considered in some early prognostications as a top-25 team. They are a top-level mid-major, but the flip side is no one will play them in a home-and-home for that very reason. Should Pitt consider it? Or should Pitt play it safe?

One other schedule thing. Even West Virginia knows it caught a break on the schedule this season.

For the Mountaineers, who must replace five of their top six scorers from a team that reached the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 two years in a row, the schedule appears to be a kind one. Defending Big East champion Syracuse and Louisville are expected to be upper division teams again next season.

Not only that, but three other teams expected to be serious contenders for NCAA tournament berths (if not the league title) next season visit the Coliseum — Pitt, Connecticut and Villanova.

Starting in 2007, the Big East will go to an 18 game conference schedule. All teams playing once and 3 home-and-homes.