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Rick, Richard Pitino Bet on Lesnar vs. McIntyre WWE WrestleMania 36 Match

Tim Daniels@TimDanielsBRX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistApril 5, 2020

Panathinaikos coach Rick Pitino directs players during a Euroleague basketball match between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos in Piraeus near Athens, on Friday, Jan. 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Petros Giannakouris/Associated Press

Iona Gaels head coach Rick Pitino and his son, Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Richard Pitino, are attempting to finalize a friendly wager on the WWE Championship match between Brock Lesnar and Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36 on Sunday night.

At stake is a home game during the 2020-21 college basketball season, but final terms of the agreement are still up in the air:

Richard Pitino @CoachPitinoMN

How about you reverse that and it’s a deal. Can’t root against a Gopher https://t.co/9jrj5FJ5AX

WWE taped WrestleMania last week to prevent potential problems with trying to hold the Showcase of the Immortals live amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The company has done an outstanding job of protecting the results against spoilers, however, and the title clash between Lesnar and McIntyre remains a true toss-up match.

McIntyre has done everything in his power since the Royal Rumble to prove he's ready for a run as one of WWE's top champions. It would complete a remarkable rise to prominence after fading to the fringe of pay-per-view cards during his first run with the company.

WWE has been reluctant to move away from Lesnar as the face of Raw, though. He's a proven draw with mainstream appeal, which has led Vince McMahon and Co. to lean heavily on him despite his part-time status and fans' concerns about a top title-holder not always appearing on weekly television.

So it's difficult to predict who'll come out on top Sunday at WrestleMania.

That said, it's a win-win situation for the elder Pitino, who was hired to take over the Iona program in March.

Even if his wrestler loses, the Gaels will get a game on their schedule against an opponent from a Power Five conference next season. Those are crucial scheduling opportunities for a mid-major program, and it's all the better if the Gophers end up visiting the Hynes Athletic Center.

The second night of WrestleMania 36 kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on the WWE Network.