Men’s Basketball: Big East releases 18-game conference schedule for Pitt

The Pitt men’s basketball team recently found out what teams it will play during what could be the program’s final season in the Big East Conference.

On June 28, the Big East released its 2012-2013 conference matchup schedule for all 15 of its teams, sticking to an 18-game regular-season schedule despite recently losing West Virginia to the Big 12 conference.

Panther fans will be excited to see that Pitt has been given several home games against the conference’s elite teams, with Connecticut, Marquette, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Villanova all scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh to face head coach Jamie Dixon’s team.

Cincinnati, DePaul, Seton Hall and South Florida are the other Big East teams that will visit the Petersen Events Center this season.

Each team in the conference must face four teams twice, and Pitt will face Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette and Villanova both at home and away.

If the Panthers do leave the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference after this season, it will mean that Pitt fans will never again see Georgetown, Louisville, Providence, Rutgers or St. John’s visit the Petersen Events Center for a Big East Conference game.

Exact dates and times for Pitt’s conference and non-conference schedule will be released at a later date.