Marshall scores a victory over Pitt in court

A jury determined that the University of Pittsburgh breached its contract with Marshall University after it canceled and never rescheduled a 2020 football game — marking Pitt’s second court loss regarding the matter.

Marshall University officials confirmed to the Post-Gazette that the case they filed in Cabell Circuit Court in Huntington, W.Va., ended in their favor on Friday.

“Marshall University is pleased that the jury focused on the merits of this case and decided in Marshall’s favor, and we thank them for their time, attention and service throughout this proceeding,” Marshall University spokeswoman Leah Payne said in a statement to the Post-Gazette.

The case stemmed from Marshall’s complaint that Pitt breached a 2014 agreement between the two universities for a home-and-home series of football games. Per the agreement, Marshall would travel to Pittsburgh for a game in 2016 and Pitt would play at Marshall’s home field in Huntington, W.Va., in 2020.

The first matchup took place as scheduled, but Pitt canceled its game in Huntington, citing rules related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After “talks to reschedule the contest in Huntington failed to bear fruit,” according to court records, Marshall sent a letter to Pitt in 2024 demanding the rescheduling of a replacement game or payment of $1 million in liquidated damages.

In response, Pitt sued Marshall in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, asking the court to rule that Pitt did not breach its agreement, did not have to reschedule the event and owed no money.

That case was thrown out in September 2025 when a judge agreed with Marshall, which argued it was legally protected under sovereign immunity — meaning that because the university is part of the state government of West Virginia, it cannot be sued without its permission.

Pitt later filed an appeal in Pennsylvania Superior Court, which was turned down last month due to Pitt’s “failure to establish that West Virginia expressed consent to be sued in Pennsylvania for a declaration of its contractual rights,” according to court records.

Jared Stonesifer, head of external communications and media relations at Pitt, told the Post-Gazette the university is “disappointed” by the jury’s verdict in the Cabell Court case and plans to ap-peal the decision.