PITTSBURGH — Pitt has chosen not to participate in a bowl game this season.
The decision to decline a postseason invitation was "made by the team and fully supported by the university," according to a Friday evening statement by Pitt.
The Panthers wrapped up their regular season with a 34-20 win at Georgia Tech on Thursday night, finishing with a 6-5 record. Pitt was projected to receive a bowl invitation even before its win, filling one of the ACC's bowl slots. Instead, the Panthers join Boston College in opting to end their pandemic-affected 2020 season early.
"Our football student-athletes’ sacrifice and commitment have been extraordinary,” Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke said. “This season has been an especially taxing experience, physically and mentally, on and off the field. Despite this unprecedented environment, our team finished strong concluding with last night’s win at Georgia Tech. We are thankful and proud of how they handled the past six months and want them to have a well-deserved restful holiday season with their families and loved ones."
Head coach Pat Narduzzi added that Pitt's 2020 team has his "eternal gratitude and respect" for the way it persevered through its 11-game schedule.
"In my three decades as a coach, I’ve never been around a group of players who have faced greater challenges beyond the field than our team this year,” Narduzzi said. “And yet, from the time they arrived back on campus in early June, these young men never wavered—not in the face of rigorous health protocols, multiple rounds of COVID testing each week or while handling the mental and physical challenges of playing 11 games in a pandemic."
