MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia-Pitt basketball series will be tagged as the "Backyard Brawl presented by EQT Corporation," both schools announced today.
 
The first meeting in the renewal of the series will be Saturday, Dec. 9 at Pitt. The game will tip off at 8 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN2.
 
"As I said when we announced this series more than a year ago, one of my first goals as athletic director was to reach out to Pitt about renewing the football and basketball series with the Panthers because I knew it would be good for both schools," WVU Director of Athletics Shane Lyons said. "We are excited to have EQT as a presenting sponsor for the four-game series in basketball. When WVU and Pitt play, it not only has interest from the schools' fan bases but interest on a national level. We are grateful to have EQT on board to be a part of the renewal of one of the best rivalries in college sports."
 
IMG College, the exclusive multimedia rights holder for West Virginia and Pitt Athletics, secured EQT Corporation as presenting sponsor of the series. The partnership includes EQT's corporate mark embedded in the series logo as well as various branding, social media, activation and community assets.
                         
"Traditionally pegged as a classic rivalry on the football field, the Pitt-West Virginia Backyard Brawl has a long history of inspiring generations of fans from across the region. Combine that with EQT's history of being a leading energy producer in the area, and we jumped at the chance to be a part of the series," said Natalie Cox, EQT's Corporate Director of Communications. "EQT is proud to be a strong community partner and support these two fantastic teams and the renewal of their exciting rivalry."
 
As part of the sponsorship, and together with both universities, the EQT Good Neighbors program will recognize a student group from both the Pitt and WVU campuses that support their local communities through service work or special projects. One group will be selected from each campus to receive a check in the sum of $5,000 to be used for the betterment and growth of their organization. Student groups who wish to enter EQT's Good Neighbors program can do so by visiting the WVU Athletics website at http://wvusports.com/eqt.  
 
"The renewal of the Backyard Brawl is an outstanding addition to our non-conference schedule and we are grateful to have EQT as a presenting sponsor for the four-game series," said Pitt Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. "The Pitt-West Virginia matchup is a marquee non-conference game that will garner significant attention locally as well as on the national stage. Scheduling this series and securing EQT as a corporate partner has been an excellent collaboration between Pitt and West Virginia."
 
West Virginia and Pitt have met 184 times on the hardwood with the Mountaineers leading the series 96-88. The two teams last met in Pittsburgh on Feb. 16, 2012, with the Mountaineers coming away with a 66-48 win.
 
The three remaining games in the series are scheduled for Dec. 8, 2018 in Morgantown, Dec. 7, 2019 in Pittsburgh and Dec. 12, 2020 in Morgantown.

About EQT Corporation
EQT Corporation is an integrated energy company with emphasis on Appalachian area natural gas production, gathering, and transmission. With more than 125 years of experience, EQT continues to be a leader in the use of advanced horizontal drilling technology – designed to minimize the potential impact of drilling-related activities and reduce the overall environmental footprint. Through safe and responsible operations, the Company is committed to meeting the country's growing demand for clean-burning energy, while continuing to provide a rewarding workplace and enrich the communities where its employees live and work. EQT also owns a 90% limited partner interest in EQT GP Holdings, LP. EQT GP Holdings, LP owns the general partner interest, all of the incentive distribution rights, and a portion of the limited partner interests in EQT Midstream Partners, LP.

Visit EQT Corporation at www.EQT.com.