Welcome back. 

 

It’s been a long five years since we’ve been able to watch a Backyard Brawl. 

 

The basketBrawl version (see what I did there?) returns tonight at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh. 

 

Conference realignment has been difficult on multiple levels, but the biggest fail has to be the loss of the Pitt-WVU series. 

 

This is a rivalry that should have continued uninterrupted even after Pitt fled the Big East. It didn’t and there’s plenty of blame to go around on why it took so long to resume. That’s a story for another day. 

For now, I’m just thankful it’s back. 

 

Every generation has their memories of this basketball series. Mine immediately go to the win at the Pete in 2005. West Virginia was down by as many as 14 points in the second half, but came roaring back for the win. I can picture Kevin Pittsnogle’s jump hook from the right elbow of the lane (an unheard of distance for that kind of shot) as if it happened last week, not nearly eight years ago. 

 

I remember that big win in the 2009 BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Devin Ebanks scored 20 points, Alex Ruoff had 18 and Da'Sean Butler had 16 in a 74-60 victory. That win helped set the stage for the run to the BIG EAST Tournament title a year later. 

 

Unfortunately, I also remember Ronald Ramon drilling a three from the left side of the floor in 2008 to steal a win for Pitt, 55-54.

 

I could go on and on with great memories from the Brawl. 

 

As much as the individual games stand out, so does the overall atmosphere and buzz around the games. Sellouts were common. Ear-splitting noise was the norm in both the Coliseum and the Petersen Events Center. 

 

It may not be that way tonight.

 

Pitt has fallen on hard times since Jamie Dixon left for TCU. The lowest average attendance in the history of the Petersen Events Center came last year.

 

This season may be worse. 

 

Pitt set an all-time low for single game attendance this week in a win over Mount St. Mary's. Only 2,333 fans showed up for the game against the 'other' Mountaineers. 

 

That historic attendance low eclipsed the previous low for the Pete, set just last week against High Point. Only 2,399 fans attended that game, meaning just 19 percent of the seats in the arena were filled according to CardiacHill.com.

 

Think about that. What was once one of the tougher places to play in America has become an afterthought. 

 

West Virginia fans have long bragged about their ability to outnumber Pitt fans during football games at Heinz Field.

 

That may be the case tonight inside the Peterson Events Center. 

 

Regardless of the crowd, this one will be fun to see again. It's a resumption of a series that shouldn't have taken this long.

 

But, wait no more Mountaineer fans.

 

The Backyard Brawl is back.

 

Editor's Note: Photos are courtesy of WVU Sports Communications Department. Top photo of Da'Sean Butler by Charles Leclair, followed by photos of P.G. Greene and Kevin Pittsnoggle. Photo above the text is of current WVU Coach Bob Huggins in action against the Panthers from the 1970s, while the bottom photo shows the late Hot Rod Hundley enjoying time on the court against the Panthers from deaces ago.