Penn State and Pittsburgh, two storied intrastate rivals, announced an agreement that would extend their non-conference series through 2019.

After initially scheduling a home-and-home in 2016 and 2017, the Nittany Lions and Panthers are now scheduled to meet annually on the gridiron through 2019. Pittsburgh will host Penn State in 2016 and 2018, while Beaver Stadium will be the site of the 2017 and 2019 games.

“We are excited to extend our upcoming series with Pitt to four consecutive years,” Athletic Director Joyner said via press release.  “The Penn State-Pitt game was a premier rivalry that was anticipated by college football fans across Pennsylvania and the nation. There are more than 50,000 Penn State alumni and fans in Western Pennsylvania and we look forward to playing in their backyard.”

The two teams have a rich history that began back in 1893 when they met for the first time at Beaver Field. Penn State currently owns a slight 48-42-4 series advantage over their rival to the West.

The next three years are very unknown for Penn State as the program tries to navigate through harsh NCAA sanctions. Pitt should serve as a good annual test for a team that’ll gradually be increasing in roster size over the course of the series.