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The ACC released its 2025 conference football schedule on Monday, meaning its member schools also completed their 2025 schedules as well. While creative schedule release formats are nothing new in the age of social media, the Pitt Panthers put out one of the best that we’ve ever seen on Tuesday morning.
The program’s social media accounts partnered with a local Pittsburgh staple, Caliente Pizza and Draft House, to create a themed pizza for each opponent on the schedule. Now, as someone who lived there for a couple of years, I feel confident saying that the Pittsburgh pizza scene is far from outstanding. But some of these pies sounded absolutely delicious.
The Panthers start the season against in-city foe Duquesne. To represent that, the Panther ordered a pie with pierogi, french fries and coleslaw, which sounds absolutely delightful. In week two they face the Central Michigan Chippewas. The corresponding pizza had potato chips and barbecue sauce. Not my style, but how bad could it be?
Then came perhaps the best addition to the bit. The Panthers take on West Virginia in Backyard Brawl in the third game of the season. To represent this, they had a traditional West Virginia pepperoni roll that cost just $13.09, representing Pitt’s 13-9 victory in 2007 that ruined the Mountaineer’s national title hopes.
Game four brings Louisville to do and perhaps my favorite pizza on the list, topped with bourbon-glazed fried chicken, candied pecans and spinach. Game five is against Boston College and brings forth another delicious pie, this time with crab, garlic butter and roasted peppers.
The Panthers go on the road for game No. 6 against Florida State, so you know they had to have a pizza topped with crab legs to honor the one and only Jameis Winston. They then head north to take on the Syracuse Orange. This pizza includes orange chicken, fried rice and orange slices…and I gotta say, I don’t hate it!
We went a little more tradition with NC State coming to town. “The Wolf” pizza has pulled pork bacon and Carolina BBQ sauce. Yes please. Things get a little too healthy for me when the Panthers travel to Stanford. The Cardinal had a very Californian pizza with a Cali cheese blend, arugula and avocado.
Notre Dame’s pizza for Game 10 included banger sausage, mashed potatoes and something called “Irish Sauce” which we can only imagine to akin to gravy. Listen, it sounds a bit heavy. But I’m not gonna say “no.”
“The Yellow Jacket” takes center stage for Game 11 against Georgia Tech. This pizza features peaches and hot honey, both of which are absolutely delicious on pizza. Throw some prosciutto on there and maybe a little ricotta and we are seriously in business.
And finally, Pitt welcomes Miami with the tradition Cubano turned into a pizza. The pie is topped with pork, ham, swiss and pickles. Could maybe use some mustard here, but again, it’s probably delicious.
All told, Caliente’s should probably actually make these pizza on gameday, because I would like to try one of each. Well done, Pitt.