Yankee Stadium Events announced that Yankee Stadium will host a college football matchup between ACC rivals Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh on Nov. 11, 2023. The game will be a rematch of the very first college football game played at the original Yankee Stadium 100 years ago on Oct. 20, 1923 — a 3-0 victory by the Orange. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the original Yankee Stadium, which took place on April 18, 1923, with a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox that included the building’s first home run — a three-run, third-inning shot by Babe Ruth.
Ticket information for the Nov. 11 game is not yet available, however fans may visit www.yankees.com/football and follow @yankeestadium on social media for updates. The start time of the game is also yet to be determined.
Syracuse has a rich history of collegiate matchups at the home of the Yankees, including participation in the most recent Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 29, 2022 vs. Minnesota, in which they lost a tight contest, 28-20. In total, Syracuse participated in six games at the original Yankee Stadium, going 5-1. At the current Stadium, they are 2-2, defeating Kansas State, 36-34, in the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl in 2010, and topping West Virginia, 38-14, in the third edition of the game in 2012. Additionally, on Nov. 17, 2018, then-No. 12 Syracuse played then-No. 3 Notre Dame in a regular season matchup, falling to the Fighting Irish, 36-3. The Orange finished their 2022 campaign with a 7-6 overall mark, including 4-4 in the ACC.
Pittsburgh will be playing its fourth game at the home of the Yankees, having split their two games at the original Stadium. In addition to the 1923 contest, the Panthers also defeated Army, 7-6, on Nov. 17, 1962. The Panthers have played once before at the current Stadium, falling to Northwestern, 31-24, in the 2016 Pinstripe Bowl. Pitt (9-4, 5-3 ACC in 2022) concluded their most recent campaign with five straight wins, including a 37-35 victory over UCLA in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, placing at No. 22 in the final AP Top 25 rankings. The Panthers have won a combined 20 games over the past two seasons, the first time achieving the 20- win mark over a two-year span since 1981-82.
Pitt and Syracuse have played every year since 1955, when both schools were independents. The teams have met 10 times as members of the ACC with six of those contests decided by 10 points or fewer. Over the last decade, Pittsburgh (Coastal) and Syracuse (Atlantic) have met as cross-divisional ACC opponents. That will change in 2023 with the league eliminating divisions in the upcoming season. Pitt and Syracuse will continue to meet each year as designated primary opponents in the ACC’s new 3-5-5 scheduling model.
“While we can’t bring back Babe Ruth, who hit the first home run at the original Yankee Stadium in 1923, we can bring back Pitt and Syracuse to celebrate 100 years of college football at the home of the Yankees,” said Mark Holtzman, Yankees Vice President of Non-Baseball Sports Events. “Syracuse and Pittsburgh have brought tremendous fan and alumni support in their prior games at the Stadium, and the atmosphere should be fantastic at that time of the year. Based on both teams’ strong outlooks for 2023, we are looking forward to hosting another classic matchup on our stage in the Bronx."