Pickett’s accomplishments put an arguably irrelevant Pitt football program back into the national spotlight for the first time in decades. With all the success Pickett had throughout his tenure at Pitt, it seems obvious that the program would retire his number, eight, in honor of this legend, right?

The Pitt News has compiled a list of must-watch sporting events for the fall semester. Only the football and volleyball teams have released their 2022 schedules, so here are a few can’t-miss events from those two programs.

After less than one year since the NCAA instituted new NIL rules allowing players to capitalize on their name, image and likeness, college athletics finds itself in murky waters. 

Pitt wrestling faced a disappointing end to its 2021-22 season at the NCAA National Championship in Detroit this weekend. The Panthers finished 24th nationally, a regression from last year’s performance.

Felix Wolter was the lone Panther in attendance at NCAA Championships last weekend, and he finished 12th in the men’s heptathlon. Texas’ men and Florida's women won the overall championships.

Three former Panthers — Kenny Pickett, Damari Mathis and Cal Adomitis — all have a lot to gain and lose from their performances at the 2022 NFL combine this week.

Being a Pitt fan is an emotional roller coaster and the Panthers can often drive their fans to the bottle. Big wins have caused them to pop champagne in celebration, but others compel them to down shots in defeat.

The Blue Devils prevailed over the Panthers 54-39 in a low-scoring game with plenty of turnovers. This loss marks the Panther’s fourth loss in their last five games.

The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of construction on Pitt’s Victory Heights project. With construction expected to begin this year, Pitt band, one of the beneficiaries, eagerly awaits the new practice facility promised in the plan.

As the spring semester gets underway, winter sports are beginning to heat up. This weekend featured key conference and non-conference matchups for several Pitt programs. Some teams rose to the occasion against their conference opponents while others fell.