Pitt football has always had somewhat of a regional recruiting base and the backbone to the program is keeping players in the state of Pennsylvania. Each coach has connections in different places, but New Jersey, New York, and Ohio have always been well represented on Pitt's roster over the years. It makes sense, the Big East region was well made up in those states, and it was easy to attract kids regionally. Now, Pitt finds itself in a new league, how will it change their recruiting territories?
Paul Chryst seems set on keeping Pennsylvania a priority, as well as using his Big Ten ties to snag a few players from the Midwest. Chryst is also slowly starting to take advantage of Pitt's new league. Pitt has already received a pledge for Virginia, and they are in the door with a few more prospects they likely never would have been able to go after in the Big East. Now Pitt is not going to have a team made up of Southern players all of the sudden, but it will likely not be uncommon to see players from Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, and even Georgia on the roster moving forward.
The football recruiting will likely see bigger dividends with new territories, but the basketball program may see some changes also. Jamie Dixon has won a lot of basketball games with players from Northern cities. Pitt typically has a roster filled with prospects from New York, Philadelphia, and Washington/Baltimore areas. I do not see that changing much. It will not be a problem to convince those kids to play in the best basketball league in the land. Still, Dixon and company may see a player or two from North Carolina or Virginia, just like in this past recruiting class with Josh Newkirk and Joe Uchebo.
The move gives Pitt more options with recruiting. The ACC is from Boston to Miami, and a lot of places in between. This gives all 15 members a chance to tap into talent rich states, and it allows for the recruits to try a new destination, with still playing the same teams they grew up watching. I see it as a huge upgrade for the Panthers.
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