Dukes AD, Keith Dambrot sound off as City Game between Pitt, Duquesne not on schedule
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The City Game, which used to be an annual grudge match between Pitt and Duquesne, has been kicked off the area sports calendar again.
Pitt coach Jeff Capel said Thursday the Dukes won’t be on his nonconference schedule for the second year in a row.
When asked if Pitt will play Duquesne this season, Capel said, “No.”
He declined further comment.
Duquesne and Pitt, separated by 2 miles on Forbes Avenue, have met 87 times, with Pitt holding a 55-32 edge, including 17-1 dating to 2001. The series was discontinued last year for the first time since 1969, but a public statement from both schools at the time suggested it would resume in 2020-21.
Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot said he spoke to Capel about continuing the series and was told it was “a date issue.” Capel said Thursday there is one open spot on Pitt’s nonconference schedule.
“I’d be fine if I thought the only reason was it’s in the best interest of their program and him in particular,” Dambrot said. “If they would have told us that, I could live with it. I would have gone away quietly. But that’s not really what they told us.
“Ultimately, he has to do what’s best for his program. Nobody understands that better than me.”
Duquesne athletic director Dave Harper said in a statement Thursday that Pitt did not want to play the game at PPG Paints Arena. Before last year, it had been played there or at Consol Energy Center/Mellon Arena every year since 2009.
Harper said he also offered to play the game at Petersen Events Center “for no guarantee fee, no ticket allotment or any special considerations.” Pitt declined, he said.
The guarantee fee often is at least $80,000.
Dambrot is most upset Pitt verbally agreed to resume the series and then decided against it.
“I’m not trying to be difficult. I get it,” he said. “Just be honest. Don’t commit to something a year before and then break your commitment.”
Duquesne’s program is on the rise under Dambrot, who completed his third season this year with 21 victories, marking the first time in 49 years the Dukes have won at least 19 games in consecutive seasons. Duquesne’s NCAA Net rankings was 94 this season, 15 spots ahead of Pitt.
Dambrot holds no resentment toward Pitt, especially because his son, Rob, played soccer there.
“My son is a pro soccer player because of coach (Jay) Vidovich and Pitt soccer,” he said. “I have a debt to Pitt. I feel good about Pitt, but I don’t think they handled this very well.
“In fairness to Coach Capel, he never said (he wouldn’t play Duquesne). He always said, ‘I’m in charge of the scheduling.’ “
Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke issued a statement later Thursday, saying she has offered a contract to play the game at the Pete during the 2021-22 season.
Harper said Duquesne is “considering” that offer.
Said Dambrot: “They left 20-21 open, too. Why 21-22 and not 20-21?”
“This is an event that is annually anticipated by the City of Pittsburgh and was well on its way to growing back to being a great college basketball rivalry,” Harper said in his statement. “We have worked hard to build our program into a postseason contender. We finished 94th in the 2020 NET rankings and anticipate having an even better ranking in 2020-21, which makes us a quality nonconference opponent for any program with postseason aspirations.
“The NCAA selection committee values Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, and we are actively seeking games against Power 5 opponents and have secured them.”
Duquesne will play at Maryland in 2020.
In her statement, Lyke mentioned the ACC’s shift from 18 to 20 conference games and how it affects the non-conference schedule.
“Coach Capel and I regularly discuss non-conference scheduling,” Lyke said in a statement, “and how to balance it against 20 ACC games, the ACC-Big Ten Challenge as well as special opportunities like this year’s Myrtle Beach Invitational. A game with Duquesne this season did not fit with our non-ACC scheduling model.”
Dambrot said not playing the game hurts three separate entities.
“What happens is the players get hurt, the fans get hurt,” he said, “and the city gets hurt.”