![]() View from southwest corner in 1998 | |
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Location | Terrace Street Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
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Coordinates | 40°26′38″N79°57′43″W / 40.444°N 79.962°W |
Owner | University of Pittsburgh |
Operator | University of Pittsburgh |
Capacity | 56,500 (c. 1949–1999) 69,400 (1925–c. 1949) |
Surface | AstroTurf (1990–1999) SuperTurf (1984–1989) AstroTurf (1970–1983) Natural grass (1925–1969) |
Construction | |
Broke ground | August 7, 1924 |
Opened | September 1, 1925 |
Closed | November 13, 1999 |
Demolished | December 1999 |
Construction cost | $2.1 million ($36.5 million in 2023 [1] ) |
Architect | W. S. Hindman |
Main contractors | Turner Construction |
Tenants | |
Pittsburgh Panthers (NCAA) football, soccer, track & field (1925–1999) basketball (1925–1951) Baseball (1939–1969) Carnegie Tech Tartans (NCAA) (1929–1943) Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) (1964–1969) Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (1946–1958) |
Pitt Stadium was an outdoor athletic stadium in the eastern United States, located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1925, it served primarily as the home of the university's Pittsburgh Panthers football team through 1999. It was also used for other sporting events, including basketball, soccer, baseball, track and field, rifle, and gymnastics.
Designed by University of Pittsburgh graduate W. S. Hindman, the $2.1 million stadium was built after the seating capacity of the Panthers' previous home, Forbes Field, was deemed inadequate in light of the growing popularity of college football. Pitt Stadium also served as the second home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League (NFL) franchise. After demolition, the Pittsburgh Panthers football team played home games at Three Rivers Stadium in 2000, before moving to the new Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium) in 2001, where the Panthers have played their home games ever since.
The Pittsburgh Panthers played home football games at the Pittsburgh Pirates' Forbes Field from 1909 to 1924. In the 1910s and 1920s, Pitt football achieved great success under head coach Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner, completing several undefeated seasons and claiming several national championships. The popularity of college football was rising across the country and in Pittsburgh. Subsequently, due to tickets reserved for alumni and students, the general public's demand for tickets to see Pitt play at Forbes Field surpassed supply. In the early 1920s, the university administration decided to build an on-campus stadium to alleviate the seating problem. It purchased nine acres of land adjacent to university property for the Pitt Stadium site; university and private funding provided $2.1 million for site acquisition and construction. W. S. Hindman, a Pitt graduate, was the stadium's designer and engineer.
The Turner Construction Company built the stadium from August 7, 1924 to September 1, 1925. The 791-by-691-foot (241 by 211 m) venue was designed to hold a capacity of 69,400, with provisions for an upper deck that could provide for an additional 30,000 seats. [2] On September 26, 1925, Pitt played its first football game at the new Pitt Stadium, [3] a 26–0 victory over Washington and Lee.
Starting in 1929, the stadium also hosted the football team of the Carnegie Tech Tartans, which played their home games there on a split schedule with the Panthers until 1943. [4] [5]
By the 1940s, new safety rules from the city fire marshal prohibited temporary bleacher seats on the rim of the stadium and in the track area. In order to provide comfort to larger spectators, the Department of Athletics also widened seats from 16 to 18 inches (41 to 46 cm), reducing the final capacity to 56,500. [6] The original grass surface was replaced with AstroTurf in 1970. SuperTurf was installed in 1984, but after six years AstroTurf returned. In the late 1970s, the original 17 miles (27 km) of wood seating was replaced with metal bleachers. Temporary lighting was installed at Pitt Stadium in 1985, but was made permanent before the 1987 season. A scoreboard was installed at the eastern end of the stadium in 1995; this was followed in 1997 with the installation of the PantherVision videoboard, which allowed fans to see instant replays of the games. [7] The highest attended game was in 1938, when 68,918 saw the Panthers defeat Fordham 24–13 on October 29. [8] [9] [10]
The NFL's Steelers played home games at Forbes Field from their 1933 inception to 1957. They first played at Pitt Stadium in 1942, in an exhibition match for U.S.O. charity against the Fort Knox "Armoraiders" on November 15. [11] From 1958 to 1963, the Steelers split home games between Forbes Field and Pitt Stadium. Fans were able to purchase season ticket packages for one site or the other. In 1964, the Steelers began to play home games exclusively at Pitt Stadium, which they continued until moving to the new Three Rivers Stadium in 1970. [12] Of historic note, the iconic photo of New York Giants quarterback Y. A. Tittle, helmet-less, bloodied and kneeling, was taken at Pitt Stadium in 1964 following a Giants' loss to the Steelers on September 20. The photo, taken by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette photographer Morris Berman, [13] now hangs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In the late 1980s, then athletic director Ed Bozik unveiled a massive overhaul plan for Pitt Stadium that entailed gutting the stadium and rebuilding it from the ground up. In addition to luxury boxes, the $55 million renovation would have added a dome to the stadium. [14]
By the mid-1990s, it was apparent that Pitt Stadium needed further renovations to keep up with the times. When the cost of the needed renovations proved prohibitive, athletic director Steve Pederson decided to demolish the stadium and replace it with a long-awaited convocation center and basketball arena on its footprint. [15]
The final game at Pitt Stadium took place on November 13, 1999, when the Panthers defeated Notre Dame 37–27. [16] The final touchdown in Pitt Stadium was scored by Kevan Barlow at 7:06 pm, just minutes prior to fans rushing onto the field. [17] Some of the 60,190 spectators—the largest crowd in 16 years [18] —ran onto the field with nine seconds remaining in the game, tearing down both goal posts and removing pieces of turf. [19] The Panthers played their home games of the 2000 season at Three Rivers Stadium, before moving to Heinz Field in 2001. Demolition of Pitt Stadium began in December 1999. Concrete from the stadium was ground and left on site for use in the Petersen Events Center and student housing which was built at the site; construction began in June 2000 and the Petersen Events Center opened up in April 2002. [20]
The Pitt Pavilion, located beneath the ramps inside Gate 2 of Pitt Stadium, was the home of the Panthers basketball team from January 6, 1925 (with a loss to Geneva College) to February 26, 1951 with a Backyard Brawl victory. The Pavilion contained both permanent and temporary bleachers for a capacity of approximately 4,000 spectators. [7] However, with only one dressing room, visiting teams were forced to use the visitors' football locker room to dress and then walk 60-yards outdoors to get to the basketball court. [21] Future coach John Wooden and Notre Dame's Moose Krause were basketball stars that played against the Panthers at the Pavilion. While there, the Panthers themselves featured several All-Americans, including Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Hyatt, and recorded the school's only undefeated season in 1928. On February 26, 1951, the Panthers won the final game at the Pavilion, defeating rival West Virginia 74-72 on a last-second shot by Scott Phillips, his only points in the game. [22] The basketball team moved to the Fitzgerald Field House for the 1951-52 season. The Pavilion also hosted WPIAL playoff games and pre-season games of the American Basketball League's Pittsburgh Rens. The Pitt Pavilion was removed in 1994 when ground was broken for the stadium's Duratz Athletic Complex. [23]
Acrisure Stadium, formerly known as Heinz Field, is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panthers of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The stadium opened in 2001 as Heinz Field, following the controlled implosion of the teams' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium. In 2021, the owners of the Heinz name, now owned by Kraft Heinz declined to renew the stadium's naming rights. The City of Pittsburgh green-lit Acrisure's bid to purchase the rights in 2022.
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to June 28, 1970. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League (NFL) franchise. From 1909 to 1924, the stadium also served as the home football field for the University of Pittsburgh "Pitt" Panthers. The stadium sat on Forbes Avenue, named for British general John Forbes, who fought in the French and Indian War and named the city in 1758.
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).
The Petersen Events Center is a 12,508-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland neighborhood. The arena is named for philanthropists John Petersen and his wife Gertrude, who donated $10 million for its construction. John Petersen, a Pitt alumnus, is a native of nearby Erie and is the retired president and CEO of Erie Insurance Group. The Petersen Events Center was winner of the 2003 Innovative Architecture & Design Honor Award from Recreation Management magazine.
The Backyard Brawl is an American college football rivalry between the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the West Virginia University Mountaineers. The term "Backyard Brawl" has also been used to refer to college basketball games played annually or semi-annually and may also be used to refer to other athletic competitions between the two schools. It is a registered trademark for both universities, and refers to the close proximity of the two universities, separated by 75 miles (105 km) along Interstate 79.
The Pittsburgh Panthers, commonly also referred to as the Pitt Panthers, are the athletic teams representing the University of Pittsburgh, although the term is colloquially used to refer to other aspects of the university such as alumni, faculty, and students. Pitt fields 19 university-sponsored varsity teams at the highest level of competitive collegiate athletics in the United States: the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for American football.
Sports in Pittsburgh have been played dating back to the American Civil War. Baseball, hockey, and the first professional American football game had been played in the city by 1892. Pittsburgh was first known as the "City of Champions" when the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Panthers football team, and Pittsburgh Steelers won multiple championships in the 1970s. Today, the city has three major professional sports franchises, the Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins; while the University of Pittsburgh Panthers compete in a Division I Power Five conference, the highest level of collegiate athletics in the United States, in both football and basketball. Local universities Duquesne and Robert Morris also field Division I teams in men's and women's basketball and Division I FCS teams in football. Robert Morris also fields Division I men's and women's ice hockey teams.
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 played at the highest level of American college football competition, now termed the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, since the beginning of the school's official sponsorship of the sport in 1890. Pitt competes as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and plays their home games in the Petersen Events Center. The Panthers were retroactively recognized as the pre-NCAA tournament national champion twice by the Helms Athletic Foundation and once by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. Pitt has reached one Final Four, received 15 First Team All-American selections, appeared in 27 NCAA tournaments through the 2022–23 season, and has recorded 1,674 victories against 1,232 losses since their inaugural season of 1905–06.
The Charles L. Cost Sports Center is a multi-purpose indoor sports complex at the University of Pittsburgh and located at its upper campus area above and behind the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Cost Sports Center sits on top of the seven-story University's Tower View Parking garage directly above Pitt's Trees Field, the university's former baseball and softball facilities as well as the school's intramural fields. The fields, planned to be converted into a new track and field complex, can be reached via elevator from within the Cost Sports Center.
The City Game is an annual college basketball game between the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the Duquesne University Dukes. The term "City Game" is also used refer to women's basketball games played annually between the two universities and may also be used to refer to other athletic competitions between the two schools.
Steve Pederson was athletic director (AD) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Pittsburgh. He began his career as a college football recruiting coordinator at Ohio State, Tennessee, and Nebraska, where he assembled No. 1 ranked recruiting classes. He has worked with five College Football Hall of Fame football coaches.
The Petersen Sports Complex (PSC) is a 12.32-acre (4.99 ha) multi-sport athletic facility on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It houses Charles L. Cost Field, Vartabedian Field, and Ambrose Urbanic Field, the respective home practice and competition venues of the university's NCAA Division I varsity athletic baseball, softball, and men's and women's soccer teams. Known as the Pittsburgh (Pitt) Panthers, these teams compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The complex is located adjacent to the school's Trees Hall and Cost Sports Center near the remainder of the university's other upper campus athletic facilities.
American football in Western Pennsylvania, featuring the city of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, has had a long and storied history, dating back to the early days of the sport. All levels of football, including high school football and college football, are followed passionately, and the area's National Football League (NFL) team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, is consistently one of the sport's most popular teams. Many of the NFL's top stars have come from the region as well, especially those that play quarterback, earning Western Pennsylvania the nickname "Cradle of Quarterbacks".
Pittsburgh Panthers men's soccer is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's soccer team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's soccer competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and plays their home games at Ambrose Urbanic Field in the university's Petersen Sports Complex. Pitt soccer players have had eight selections as All-Americans and multiple former Panthers have gone on to play professionally. The Panthers have appeared in seven NCAA tournaments and have reached the College Cup twice. The Panthers have been coached by Jay Vidovich since 2015.
The 1918 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1918 college football season. In a season cut short by the Spanish flu pandemic, coach Pop Warner led the Panthers in a schedule played all in one month, including a convincing victory in a highly publicized game over defending national champion and unscored-upon Georgia Tech. A highly controversial loss ended the season and snapped a 32-game Pitt winning streak, but the Panthers outscored opponents 140–16 in that short season and were retroactively selected as the national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation and Houlgate System and as a co-national champion with Michigan by the National Championship Foundation.
The 1925 Pittsburgh Panthers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Pittsburgh as an independent during the 1925 college football season. In its second season under head coach Jock Sutherland, the team compiled an 8–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 151 to 34. The team was ranked No. 10 in the nation in the Dickinson System ratings released in January 1926. This was the Panthers' first season at Pitt Stadium, and the team played eight of its nine games there.
The 1921 Pittsburgh Panthers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Pittsburgh as an independent during the 1921 college football season. In its seventh season under head coach Pop Warner, the team compiled a 5–3–1 record and outscored all opponents by a total of 133 to 50. The team played its home games at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
The 1923 Pittsburgh Panthers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Pittsburgh as an independent during the 1923 college football season. In its ninth and final season under head coach Pop Warner, the team compiled a 5–4 record and outscored opponents by a total of 83 to 45. The team played its home games at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
The 1924 Pittsburgh Panthers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Pittsburgh as an independent during the 1924 college football season. In its first season under head coach Jock Sutherland, the team compiled a 5–3–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 98 to 43. The team played its home games at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.