River City Rivalry is the name given to the Cincinnati – Pittsburgh football rivalry . It was an annual game played between former Big East rivals University of Pittsburgh and University of Cincinnati . The rivalry itself was relatively brief , played annually from 2005 , during which season the rivalry trophy was introduced . Before the rivalry was titled , the two teams played each other in 1921 , 1922 , 1979 , and 1981 . The rivalry went on hiatus , like many others throughout the country , in the aftermath of the 2010 – 14 NCAA conference realignment , which left the programs in separate leagues . However , the two teams are scheduled to meet in a home-and-home series for the 2023 and 2024 seasons
Big East
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
River City Rivalry