Future of Pitt-Penn State among first talking points for Barbour, Lyke

Sandy Barbour and new Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke exchanged congrartulatory text messages when Lyke was hired in March.

Penn State’s athletic director said she welcomed Lyke to Pennsylvania and while the two have known each other for some time, soon enough they will have another conversation about their programs and of course that dialogue will be about the football series that’s lined up through 2019. However, don’t expect the series to take place between 2020 and 2025.

“We’re scheduled out through 2019 with Pitt every year. That’s our Power-5 slot,” Barbour said Wednesday afternoon during Penn State’s coaches caravan stop in Pittsburgh. “We are scheduled out in that Power-5 slot through 2025 so it’s certainly not going to be done before then. … Heather and I have not had that conversation. We’ve had the congratulations, welcome to the state of Pennsylvania and we both know we’ll get to that conversation fairly soon.”



And when the two athletic directors talk expect the first order of business to be about how both fan bases can try and create a healthy environment for the remaining games on the schedule between the two schools.

Barbour said she spoke with former Pitt athletic director Scott Barnes last year prior to the game about how both fan bases could respect one another, but said ultimately keeping the message about the players on the field will be something both she and Lyke will focus on in the coming months.

“[The athletic directors] have to respect each other, which we do. I think it starts there,” Barbour said. “I don’t think the Pitt fan base is going to listen to the Penn State athletic director and I don’t think the Penn State fan base is going to listen to the Pitt athletic director, but I think we can message and create expectations for our fan bases about what the game ought to be about, which is about the student-athletes.”

While this September’s game between the two schools will be at Beaver Stadium, James Franklin said during his Wednesday evening media session that he was unaware that Penn State plans to honor last season’s Big Ten championship team during the Pitt game. The Lions will add the 2016 year to the Beaver Stadium façade, joining all the program’s other conference championship teams, as well as the 2012 senior class.

“I’m not involved in those decisions,” Franklin said when asked if unveiling the number that day gives this game extra juice. “I’m really not concerned about that kind of stuff. The one I am aware of is the White Out. Besides that, there’s the stripe out, there’s senior day, there’s military day, there’s all kinds of days. Our big game is Akron. That’s who we open the season with.”

Regardless of what happens with the future of the series this is important recruiting territory for both Pitt and Penn State. The state that Franklin vowed to 'dominate' on the recruiting trail during his first day on the job has been very good to Penn State since his arrival.

The Lions snagged five-star Miles Sanders and cornerback Lamont Wade in each of the past two recruiting classes. They also added lineman CJ  Thorpe who arrives this summer.

Pitt flipped Aaron Mathews, once a Penn State verbal pledge in the 2016 class, after the Panthers allowed him to play receiver as opposed to defensive back, which was where Penn State wanted him. Mathews played at Clairton just like Wade did, which reaffirmed Franklin's belief that recruiting is more about building and maintaining relationships rather than worrying if they lost a kid from that school in the previous recruiting cycle or not. Defensive back Damar Hamlin elected to stay closer to home, as well in what was a huge get for Pitt.

"Western Pa. historically and I'd even say the past couple years has been really strong," Franklin said. "They're doing a great job there obviously, but for certain kids and certain families Pitt is a really good option as well. For us to go where we want to go we feel like we've got to keep all the best players in the state and all the best players in this region home. And when I say home that's Penn State. That's the land grant institution. That's the state school."

QUICK HITS

• Why is Penn State so mum on the status of coaching contracts? Well, Barbour said on Tuesday during the caravan stop that it was "very safe to assume" that changes were made to hockey coach Guy Gadowsky's contract following the Lions' berth in the NCAA Tournament and the team coming one win shy of the Frozen Four.

Wrestling coach Cael Sanderson, whose team won six of the last seven NCAA team titles, has a contract that is set to expire in June. Penn State hasn't publicly announced any changes for his contract either.

Last June it was Franklin who broke the news that all his assistant coaches received two-year contract extensions, which Penn State athletics never publicly announced or acknowledged. So, I asked Barbour why Penn State doesn't acknowledge these changes and it turns out that it's because Penn State's board only requires athletics to publicize the contracts of the head football coach, head men's basketball coach, head women's basketball coach and the athletic director.

So, if they're not required to make the information available, why would they?

With an offensive coordinator already mentioned to be among the top head coaching candidates in college football, Penn State doesn't have to publicize what Joe Moorhead or any other assistant is making. Franklin said when he arrived -- and reiterated it last summer -- that he wanted to make sure his coaches were compensated well and that their salaries fell in line with those around the country. They added titles to positions two winters ago, which seemingly would mean more pay for the assistant coach, but it also means when Penn State hires a 10th assistant coach next year don't expect to see any details of a contract announced.

• Penn State and West Virginia are set to play baseball Wednesday night at PNC Park during the same time as the caravan. Barbour said she planned to stop by the game at some point, presumably late in the evening, and would ride back on the bus to campus with Rob Cooper and the team.

• You'll have to excuse Franklin as he was a bit distracted during his fifth caravan media session since Monday. Like all of us connected to our cell phones around the clock, he experiences some panic when his beloved lifeline was momentarily misplaced. While his contacts are significantly more interesting than most of ours, Penn State didn't need a search committee to locate his missing device.

Turns out he was sitting on it.

"That was messing up my whole mojo," he joked after locating it.

• The caravan heads to Altoona for a Thursday lunch stop before concluding in Williamsport Thursday evening. I'll have coverage of both as I load up my notebook for the months ahead.