Other longstanding rivals include Notre Dame and Syracuse ; both schools are tied as the third most played rivalry for Pitt . The series with Notre Dame began in 1909 , and since that time no more than two consecutive seasons have passed without the teams meeting each other with the exception of the periods from 1913 – 1929 , 1938 – 1942 , and 1979 – 1981 . Notre Dame currently leads the series 48 – 21 – 1 . Games between Pitt and the Irish had typically been scheduled annually , however , Notre Dame 's agreement to play five ACC opponents each year starting in 2014 precluded annual games , so Pitt and Notre Dame will meet no more than twice during a three-year period . The rivalry with fellow ACC conference member Syracuse began in 1916 , and has been played annually since 1955 , with the Panthers leading the series 37 – 31 – 3 . Pitt and Syracuse also shared membership in the Big East Conference from 1991 to 2012 before both schools simultaneously moved to the ACC where they are designated as cross-divisional rivals and are scheduled to meet annually
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Pittsburgh Panthers football