Has anyone noticed the average age of fans in their sections. Where we sit it seems to be in the 60's, my group included. As you know in order to increase the fan base you have to go after the young fan, they are the future. One of the members of our group thinks the ticket office should allocate so many tickets to give to high schools in the surrounding areas. Any suggestions?
Age of fans
- Thread starter pbrad
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Johnny Majors ineptness in mid 90's basically alienated a whole generation from rooting for pitt. If you were at an impressionable age from 94 - 96, and you saw pitt lose to tosu by 72, or ND by 50+, would you keep rooting for them or would you look east, west, or south as your team to root for??
I think some of this will naturally turn itself around due to Pitt being more and more a destination school rather than a commuter school. Most commuters never built that school loyalty that the on-campus crowd had/has--campus was a ghost town on weekends in the late 1960s and early 1970s when I was on campus (undergrad/grad). It was a much, much different environment when my daughter was a Pitt student (2007-2010). Many more dorm and south Oakland dwelling students and far, far fewer commuters.
I can see fan support getting closer to what I see Virginia Tech (lots of 20-somethings in my wife's family who are VA Tech alums) getting-- Lots of recent grads trekking back to campus for football game weekends, flags flying from their cars. I hope so anyway since the majority of Pitt students in my day seemed to have more loyalty to their hometown high school teams than to Pitt--I assume because they never were on campus on weekends (even the dorms emptied out).
I can see fan support getting closer to what I see Virginia Tech (lots of 20-somethings in my wife's family who are VA Tech alums) getting-- Lots of recent grads trekking back to campus for football game weekends, flags flying from their cars. I hope so anyway since the majority of Pitt students in my day seemed to have more loyalty to their hometown high school teams than to Pitt--I assume because they never were on campus on weekends (even the dorms emptied out).
I see what you are saying. I thought the Johnny Majors II hire was bad from the start. Jackie wanted the job and this was after he built A&M back up and put Miss State back on the map.Johnny Majors ineptness in mid 90's basically alienated a whole generation from rooting for pitt. If you were at an impressionable age from 94 - 96, and you saw pitt lose to tosu by 72, or ND by 50+, would you keep rooting for them or would you look east, west, or south as your team to root for??
Your opinion is the easy one to make but I disagree. Pitt's attention to focusing on kids could also lead to a lot of mediocrity and a game day experience that is too friendly. I have been to almost every single Pitt game at Heinz and only once have I seen Security being needed and it was because some guy got punched in the nose and he actually deserved it. We convinced the security guy the attack was justified and it had nothing to do with booze.
Football is a violent sport and Should Be an outlet for fans to blow off some steam after a long week of work. If we served mixed drinks, beer, hard cider, it would be tremendously beneficial to the enjoyment of the day for a lot of folks. It's an adult reward and treat for a lot of folks and I have noticed it makes people more boisterous which is contagious. Locals can get home by UBER or mass transit. Out of towers can stay the night or just choose not to drink.
Not having really young kids there would not be the worst thing in the world. My no scientific observation on when kids actually become Pitt fans is not until about 8 years old. Anything before that is just about getting cotton candy, a pizza or some fries during the game.
It makes money for Pitt so it makes sense. Steeler games some how don't lead to mass fatalities. The Casino hasn't led to mass crime as many thought it would. I doubt some booze will cause the problems many say it will.
There can certainly be a family friendly section. Give them that visitor section and make it an even better experience for kids in that section. Make it a free ticket for the kid and send the Panther there often with cheerleaders and even better food kids love delivered by vendors. For the other 90%, open the floodgates.
Someone is going to say you don't need booze to have fun and I agree. This past weekend I didn't have a sip and had a great time. This is my experience half the time because I'm driving several hours. The other half of the time, I have a few beers in the lot, at a restaraunt or after the game when I don't drive. That money I am spending would be better served inside the stadium. Much more expensive but I would not care.
Look at the crowds at any game this weekend and you will not see as many kids compared to a Pitt game and that's not a bad thing. College football at this level should be an aspirational experience for a young kid and their time will come. It does not have to be when their age is in the single digits because they just don't care what is going on with Pitt Football.
Booze could cut traffic or delay an exit as people will share rides or stay in Pittsburgh. It will certainly make the stadium more of a home field advantage.
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Yep, as pghfan indicated we lost 2 generations of fans. We are lucky that our school has also improved in size, quality ( I for now do not think I would get into Pitt today ) & on campus housing which means a lot more undergrad, full time students. We will add to our fan base if we keep playing like we have the last 2 games.
Those 60 year olds have children and grandchildren. Maybe we have a bring your grandchild(ren) to the game promotion.????
Those 60 year olds have children and grandchildren. Maybe we have a bring your grandchild(ren) to the game promotion.????
I'm in section 120 and there are a lot of young people. I'm assuming they are recent grads. It seems that I am one of the few people over 50 in my section. So it all falls on me to yell at everyone to sit down. Just kidding. Spent most of Saturday afternoon standing. Great atmosphere!
I am 46.. my son is a freshman 18.. and brought my 11 year old nephew to the game last week.. he had a blast.. I do whatever I can to make sure the little guy (nephew) is into Pitt as much as the usual suspects,. Steelers, etc
Joe, good post, start em young.. My first game was 1984 vs BYU. I remember about 3 seconds of that day, none of the game but I've been a fan ever since.. Of course we lost, and well it's been a tough 30 years but hey, im still coming back..
Most seated within reasonable proximity to my seats in 114, are alumni aged mid-30's-ish and bring their young kids to at least a couple games each year.
I sit in the East Club and find that a lot of the people up there tend to be in their 30-50s. There are always a ton of kids running around up there as well. I know we bring our 3 little ones to a few games a year (4,2,10 months). The 4 and 2 year old really enjoy the game day atmosphere. I agree there is a lost generation and that I'm probably on the older end (mid 30s) of the new generation of Pitt fan. I was in school to see the end of Pitt Stadium, the last Penn State game at Three Rivers, and the move to Heinz Field. My last year of grad school we went to the Fiesta Bowl. In basketball I watched Pitt go from dressing 6 players at the Fieldhouse to winning the Big East championship and making consistent Sweet 16 runs.
I see a lot of people my age at the games. I think the reason for this is the success we had during our time in school. If Pitt is able to get back to that level, competing for championships, then I think it will translate well in shaping the college experience for the current students, and in turn, keep them coming back as alumni.
I see a lot of people my age at the games. I think the reason for this is the success we had during our time in school. If Pitt is able to get back to that level, competing for championships, then I think it will translate well in shaping the college experience for the current students, and in turn, keep them coming back as alumni.
Hmmmm, not ringing a a bell... If his sits more than a few rows behind us, I might not see him regularly. Unless you are referring to 'Drunk Elvis' with his trademark sunglasses? He wears a cape at times and he is a celebrity among that entire section..
Its just a pro town. Young people are more than likely going to gravitate where the excitement is, and in Pittsburgh that is with the Steelers.
My pastor's son moved to the Burgh from Tennessee after college. He grew up a huge college football fan. I gave him some tickets that I was unable to use back in 2011 and it just didn't take. He's turned into a huge fan of the Steelers/Pirates/Pens, but doesn't seem to have a lot of interest in Pitt.
My pastor's son moved to the Burgh from Tennessee after college. He grew up a huge college football fan. I gave him some tickets that I was unable to use back in 2011 and it just didn't take. He's turned into a huge fan of the Steelers/Pirates/Pens, but doesn't seem to have a lot of interest in Pitt.
Yep that’s him. Crazy sun glasses I sat in that section once and he was very entertaining.
The Pitt Football Program went into decline under Chancellor Posvar when he appointed Bozo Bozik as AD a close friend and had to be later fired later for NCAA Violations.Johnny Majors ineptness in mid 90's basically alienated a whole generation from rooting for pitt. If you were at an impressionable age from 94 - 96, and you saw pitt lose to tosu by 72, or ND by 50+, would you keep rooting for them or would you look east, west, or south as your team to root for??
After that, Pitt lacked the Chancellor Vision and Support to rebuild its Football Program and chose Johnny Majors over Jackie Sherrill that also wanted to return being Head Coach, both admitting they made mistakes ever leaving Pitt.
It was Chancellor Nordenberg that recommitted to rebuild the Pitt FB Program that has less than 70 Scholarships being given out at that time, when most other Programs had 85 and he did? Yet, for 19 years Nordenberg nor Pederson and Long could rebuild Pitt into a Top 25 Program except for 1 or 2 years.
Walt Harris went 6-6 with Johnny Majors Recruits in his first year and after 2 years of losing with only 67 Scholarships produced Winning Seasons from 2000 to 2004! It was not until 2002 when Pitt finally had 80+ Scholarships.
Nordenberg then went back to bringing in Pitt Alumnus Wannstedt pretty much on his own as he did in appointing Jamie Dixon during a period of the ACC Expanding by inviting Miami, VT, and BC away from the Big East.
Wannstedt rebuilt recruiting relationships, help fund scholarships as a priority, up the pay of his Assistants, defeated WVU 13-9 as CoachRod left, and finally won 10 games something that did not happen since 1980s.
Pederson was back too after failing to maintain his own Alma Mater a Top 25 Program. Many Alumni and Contributors did not care for Pederson even in 1997 and it only got worse upon his return.
Few would support Pitt Football so long as Pederson was AD. Pederson made sure his consultants and himself always were taken care of more than than the Coaches, Alumni and Fans!
This was seen at Nebraska too but they fired Pederson and still are recovering from his tenure there not winning in the Top 25 like they were used to doing before Pederson! They return a few years under Osborne & Pelini, but Pederson's Personality Poison takes years to remove not one year?
Clearly, Nordenberg mission in my opinion was to get Pitt into a Power Conference and that happen and all involved deserve Credit including Pederson that was given another $5 Million for not working after he resigned?
All College Football Programs success and failures start and end with the Chancellor's Commitment and Vision to find the people that can embrace, support, and carry out that vision.
The TCU, Baylor, MSU, Missy State, UCLA, Athletic Directors will tell you that it starts and end with the College Chancellors/Presidents. All struggled with low Fan Base, Lack of Winning, and even less Traditions than Pitt Football History? Yet, they found the right people to revive their Programs!
It was not Johnny Majors few years of returning to Pitt that caused the Pitt Malaise among its Alumni and Fans, it was the Pederson's Personalty Poison over 19 Years that did it, and giving him another $5 Million of a Buyout by an outgoing Nordenberg turned off even more Alumni contributors when he did not deserves it!
Like Posvar before him that rebuilt Pitt Football into a National power only to overseeing Pitt's demise near the end of his Chancellorship due to choosing the wrong people under responsible. Nordenberg had a similar fate!
Nordenberg did rebuild the Pitt Football Program back to winning but not Top 25 Winning, and under him Pitt was invited to the ACC but still lost $7 million last year even with ACC money, much due to Pederson's $5 million Buyout! Again, Nordenbergs Decisions to bring back Wannstedt and then undercut him for Pederson Personality Poison that was proven he could not maintain a top 25 Program at Nebraska let alone build one at Pitt turned off even more Alumni and Fans than anything Majors ever did.
Alumni Contributors are not going to give money by having to buyout Wannstedt and Pederson's inability to attract any great coaches willing to work under him, and then have some very stupid Posters (Not You!) blaming the Alumni & Fans.
Chancellor Gallagher saw within 4 Months of his Tenure and has a different vision and commitment and have appointed better people than Nordenberg that re saddled with the Pederson Personality Poison still within the Pitt Program.
Gallagher, Barnes, Dixon, Narduzzi and others are working hard to remove the Pederson Poison of 19 years, not Johnny Majors 4 Return Years that happen before Johnny Majors ever returned, and way back in 1990-1996?
Any Doctor will tell you when you get a Poisonous Snake Bite, Poisonous Spider Bite, Tick Lyme Disease Bite, or have a Blood Infection Poisoning, one can't blame the victim, and it takes time to get that bad blood out or an Anti-Venom, Antidote, Antibiotic to get remove the Poison before it hits your nerves, liver, brain, or heart!
Pitt Alumni and Fans are still shy and will wait and see until Gallagher Decisions were the right ones to remove the poison buy winning under people who wants to be at Pitt and rebuild Pitt Sports, not fill his pockets and those of his consultants!
Chancellor Gallagher Vision has to be committed to rebuilding Pitt Football into a Top 25 Program and finding the right people that believe in it and can do it!
TCU, Baylor, MSU, Missy State, and UCLA have done it!
Not just the Fans! A good Chancellor & AD can attract and chooses a Great Coach that returns the program back to winning, often with far less Fans in the stands until he proves he can do it?
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Its worse at bball games which seem to require an AARO card to get in. We have a very old fanbase. The youngins are Pens fans during bball season. They love that hockey!
Hmmmnnn...UCLA is now a Top 25 Program winning in the Top 25 again and is a Pro Town of multiple Sports and Football soon returning. USC still has over 80,000 attending games too in the same town?
Northwestern is winning in Chicago, TCU in Forth Worth, and Miami is trying to come back to the Top 25. All did it by having the College President Visions of making Football a priority and choosing the people that believe and will demand execution of that visions and most of those schools seldom play before more than 50,000 Fans!
Yes, it is harder to rebuild an urban College Football program in a Pro Sports City and competing for the Sports Entertainment Dollars, but choosing the right people that can find the right coaches that stay and win at those Programs is being done elsewhere and can be done at Pitt too! Pitt did it before and can do it again, especially with ACC Money!
News for you......every College Football Program has an Old Fan Base, same with Pros too. College Kids with $50,00 to 100,000+ Loans are not the ones supporting the Luxury Suites?
Many more young people are playing Fantasy Football but watching that on TV as well. The Big Money always comes from the older Contributors and Attendance Expenses cost far more than TV Money and that is where the Bigger Revenues are now? Empty seats even at 90,000 Stadiums hurt more when not filled but TV Money is now paying most of the Bills!
Nothwestern, Miami, and TCU aren't exactly drawing huge crowds. LA is the exception and they have been without a pro team for a long time?
Captn, Traditionally, big city schools have trouble hanging on to successful head coaches for the long haul. Also, usually when the big city schools enter into a 'golden era' so to speak, there are usually rogue boosters involved in some way. At least it seems that way.
Cap'n I don't think you can ignore the horrible tenure of O'Connor. I believe his 5 years at Pitt in retrospect were a disaster from both an athletic and academic perspective. That Nordenberg was able to redefine this school into a world class University with a vibrant athletic department (at least vibrant enough to get us into the ACC) after that debacle is extraordinary.
I would counter that "golden years" of any school require a certain amount of finesse when it comes to NCAA regulations. Too many schools competing for the same thing requires setting themselves apart in some way. For example, take the unfolding Louisville basketball allegations. It happens everywhere, big city or small town and the argument can be made it is worse in the small towns as it can be covered up with more ease.
Makes sense IMO. My godmother's daughters went to Pitt in like 2000 I believe, so I started watching about 1999 when I was 8 going on 9. Luckily, being just a young lad, I did not see or remember seeing the Ohio State blowout. That being said, being when I was in middle school Penn State was horrendous and Larry was here, with my cousins still being at Pitt then, it was obvious that was going to be my team.
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