The 1980 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

as an

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during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. Despite losing one game, the Panthers were named national champion by NCAA-designated major selectors

DeVold System A national championship in the highest level of college football in the United States, currently the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), is a designation awarded annually by various organizations to their selection of the best coll ...

, Football Research, and ''

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'', while also named co-national champion by

Rothman (FACT) David Rothman (August 9, 1935 – June 12, 2004) was an American statistician, public policy advisor, and the creator of a computerized college football ranking system. Rothman was the founder and executive director of the Foundation for the An ...

and Sagarin. The university does not claim a national championship for this season, nor are the Panthers popularly recognized for winning that year's national championship. Pitt was awarded the

Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy The Lambert Trophy is an annual award given to the best team in the East in Division I FBS (formerly I-A) college football. In affiliation with the Metropolitan New York Football Writers (founded 1935), the Lambert Trophy was established by brother ...

as the champion of the

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. The team is noteworthy for featuring four future members of the

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: Linebacker

Rickey Jackson Rickey Anderson Jackson (born March 20, 1958) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints (1981–1993) and the San Francisco 49ers (1994–1995). He led the team's Dome P ...

, Center

Russ Grimm Russell Scott Grimm (born May 2, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a guard for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He has also served as an assistant coach for the Redskins, Pittsburgh St ...

, Tackle

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, and quarterback Dan Marino. Several other players on the team, including

Mark May Mark Eric May (born November 2, 1959) is a former American college and professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. May played college football for the University ...

and Hugh Green, would go on to be

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NFL stars.

Championship selections

Selectors that named Pitt the 1980 national champion: *1st-N-Goal *Angelo Louisa *ARGH Power Ratings *

College Football Researchers Association The College Football Researchers Association (CFRA) was founded in 1982 by Anthony Cusher of Reeder, North Dakota, and Robert Kirlin of Spokane, Washington. The CFRA took a vote of its members from 1982 to 1992 to select an annual college football n ...

*Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments *Harry DeVold *James Howell *Jeff Self *''

'' *Quality Champions *Sagarin Ratings *Steve Eck *The Fleming System

Schedule

Roster

Coaching staff

Season summary

Boston College

at Kansas

Temple

Maryland

at #11 Florida State

West Virginia

Starting free safety Rick Trocano moved over to offense in the second quarter to replace the injured Dan Marino. Previously the starter at QB in 1978, Trocano led Pitt to four second-quarter touchdowns during the Panthers' win at Pitt Stadium.

at Tennessee

at Syracuse

Louisville

at Army

at #5 Penn State

vs. #18 South Carolina (Gator Bowl)

Team players drafted into the NFL

Awards and honors

*Hugh Green, Walter Camp Award *Hugh Green, Lombardi Award *Hugh Green, Maxwell Award *Mark May, Outland Trophy

Media

Radio

References

{{Pittsburgh Panthers football navbox

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

Pittsburgh Panthers football seasons Gator Bowl champion seasons Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy seasons

Pittsburgh Panthers football The Pittsburgh Panthers football program is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has ...

1980s in Pittsburgh