Pitt football scheduling question for the old-timers here

[cbpitt2]

Maybe Crazy Paco would have a guess....

In looking at Pitt football’s schedules in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Pitt played
UCLA every year from 1958-1972 except for 1965. Of those 14
meetings, eight were at UCLA in ’58, ’60, ’61, ’63, ’66, ’68, ’69 and ’71.
They also made the trip to the west coast four times to play USC in
1954, ’57, ‘59 and ’65 with USC only playing at Pitt in 1961. Pitt also
made a trip to Seattle to play Washington in 1961.

Pitt was an independent back then and there were no big conference
TV contracts like there are today with millions of dollars going to each
school. I would think that tickets sold was the primary source of
revenue for the football program.

Typically, Pitt played Army, Navy, Notre Dame, Penn State, Syracuse,
and West Virginia every year. All fairly reasonable trips and distances.
With all those costly trips to the west coast, was there a university
administrator or someone in the athletic department that wanted to
make all those trips to the west coast? Why make all those costly trips?

 

[GreatBear71]

Maybe Crazy Paco would have a guess....

In looking at Pitt football’s schedules in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Pitt played
UCLA every year from 1958-1972 except for 1965. Of those 14
meetings, eight were at UCLA in ’58, ’60, ’61, ’63, ’66, ’68, ’69 and ’71.
They also made the trip to the west coast four times to play USC in
1954, ’57, ‘59 and ’65 with USC only playing at Pitt in 1961. Pitt also
made a trip to Seattle to play Washington in 1961.

Pitt was an independent back then and there were no big conference
TV contracts like there are today with millions of dollars going to each
school. I would think that tickets sold was the primary source of
revenue for the football program.

Typically, Pitt played Army, Navy, Notre Dame, Penn State, Syracuse,
and West Virginia every year. All fairly reasonable trips and distances.
With all those costly trips to the west coast, was there a university
administrator or someone in the athletic department that wanted to
make all those trips to the west coast? Why make all those costly trips?

There was an administrator who took a job at UCLA that scheduled Pitt.

 

[Parkview57]

Why make all those costly trips?

1. i doubt things cost as much as today, relatively speaking 2. A perk, or enjoyable, educational experience for players. 3. A carried over sense from the 30's of being nationally relevant 4. No title IX financial drain. 5 Any or all of the above.

 

[CrazyPaco]

I don't have any good answers.

 

[Saboteur II]

Maybe Crazy Paco would have a guess....

In looking at Pitt football’s schedules in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Pitt played
UCLA every year from 1958-1972 except for 1965. Of those 14
meetings, eight were at UCLA in ’58, ’60, ’61, ’63, ’66, ’68, ’69 and ’71.
They also made the trip to the west coast four times to play USC in
1954, ’57, ‘59 and ’65 with USC only playing at Pitt in 1961. Pitt also
made a trip to Seattle to play Washington in 1961.

Pitt was an independent back then and there were no big conference
TV contracts like there are today with millions of dollars going to each
school. I would think that tickets sold was the primary source of
revenue for the football program.

Typically, Pitt played Army, Navy, Notre Dame, Penn State, Syracuse,
and West Virginia every year. All fairly reasonable trips and distances.
With all those costly trips to the west coast, was there a university
administrator or someone in the athletic department that wanted to
make all those trips to the west coast? Why make all those costly trips?

You’ll notice the lack of Big Ten foes. Big Ten schools did not want to help Pitt by scheduling them. Better to recruit the area and not compete.
PITT wanted national publicity and tended to play schools (outside of eastern foes) in metro areas.
In ‘59 they played Marquette in Milwaukee, USC and UCLA.
In ‘60 they played UCLA, Miami and TCU.
61 Washington (Seattle), UCLA, USC, Miami.
Remember that the PAC 10 was a different name with 6 member, Miami was independent.
The costs did get out of hand especially when Pitt ran its football program like a bar room darts program.

 

[mike 301]

1. i doubt things cost as much as today, relatively speaking 2. A perk, or enjoyable, educational experience for players. 3. A carried over sense from the 30's of being nationally relevant 4. No title IX financial drain. 5 Any or all of the above.

#2 I'd say . Back then , who wouldn't want to visit the left coast . Today ? No thanks ...

 

[PITT PRIDE]

Also, we really couldnt go South to the SEC cause they were reluctant to schedule teams from North

 

[GreatBear71]

You’ll notice the lack of Big Ten foes. Big Ten schools did not want to help Pitt by scheduling them. Better to recruit the area and not compete.
PITT wanted national publicity and tended to play schools (outside of eastern foes) in metro areas.
In ‘59 they played Marquette in Milwaukee, USC and UCLA.
In ‘60 they played UCLA, Miami and TCU.
61 Washington (Seattle), UCLA, USC, Miami.
Remember that the PAC 10 was a different name with 6 member, Miami was independent.
The costs did get out of hand especially when Pitt ran its football program like a bar room darts program.

I have given you the answer. Someone left from the Pitt Athletic Dept, got a job at UCLA, then scheduled Pitt for around 14 yrs. Pitt then scheduled Southern Cal 4 times I believe in the same time period. It was that symple. The other theories people are suggesting are based off of today, outside of the Big Ten not wanating to help Pitt.

 

[GreatBear71]

I have given you the answer. Someone left from the Pitt Athletic Dept, got a job at UCLA, then scheduled Pitt for around 14 yrs. Pitt then scheduled Southern Cal 4 times I believe in the same time period. It was that symple. The other theories people are suggesting are based off of today, outside of the Big Ten not wanating to help Pitt.

This was during my childhood, so I remember this first hand

 

[GreatBear71]

Things were SO MUCH SiMPLER. Only Bowls were the Rose, Cotton, Sugar, Cotton, and Gator Bowl. Maybe a couple more.

 

[GreatBear71]

I have given you the answer. Someone left from the Pitt Athletic Dept, got a job at UCLA, then scheduled Pitt for around 14 yrs. Pitt then scheduled Southern Cal 4 times I believe in the same time period. It was that symple. The other theories people are suggesting are based off of today, outside of the Big Ten not wanating to help Pitt.

simple Typing error

 

[GreatBear71]

This was during my childhood, so I remember this first hand

wanting Typing error

 

[Pitt79]

Also, we really couldnt go South to the SEC cause they were reluctant to schedule teams from North

They didn't want to mix races, they were pissed when we sent a black guy to the Sugar Bowl.