Another on campus stadium article

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Some really interesting tidbits and alot of things (complaints) that are more and more frequently and with more volume by Pitt fans that are weaved into this article in regards to deaf dumb and blind approach by administration towards football.

Fun read. This must be what our buddy on the freeboard MeToo is always squawking about. Hey, I don't care who the messenger is, just the message. And I agree with the message.

http://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2017/11/22/steigerwald-another-article-campus-stadium/

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

These articles don’t seem to recognize that Pitt stunk on campus too after Sherrill left.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Some really interesting tidbits and alot of things (complaints) that are more and more frequently and with more volume by Pitt fans that are weaved into this article in regards to deaf dumb and blind approach by administration towards football.

Fun read. This must be what our buddy on the freeboard MeToo is always squawking about. Hey, I don't care who the messenger is, just the message. And I agree with the message.

http://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2017/11/22/steigerwald-another-article-campus-stadium/

Steigerwald pretty much plagiarized one of my posts on this. As I said, a feasibility study needs to be completed, if only to show Pitt fans that it will cost 17 billion dollars to buy up land and build a stadium in Oakland.

Listen, Heinz Field absolutely sucks. I hate everything about it. Mainly, its way too big for a school the size of Pitt. The empty yellow seats are an embarrassment and more than anything, those empty yellows hurt this program. If we can't play in a right-sized stadium on-campus or not, Lyke owes it to Pitt fans to explain why we are stuck there forever.

In the short-term, tarps or not, Heinz needs to be reduced. Close the upper deck endzone and non-TV upper deck sideline. The place will look and feel more full. Pitt doesn't need a supply of 70K tickets

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

These articles don’t seem to recognize that Pitt stunk on campus too after Sherrill left. It could fix the empty seat issue but I’m not convinced that alone will make them a consistent winner.

It doesn't guarantee anything. It just helps and it gives you something every other P5 school except Miami and UCLA have.

 

[jaemoe76]

Doesnt Pitt average more fans per game at Heinz than they did at Pitt Stadium?

 

[Burgh15]

In the short-term, tarps or not, Heinz needs to be reduced. Close the upper deck endzone and non-TV upper deck sideline. The place will look and feel more full. Pitt doesn't need a supply of 70K tickets

It may seem like a minor detail to many, but the band plays to the home side and just about every part of the gameday experience is catered to the home side. If you are closing off a seating area in the upper deck, it'll need to be the away (TV side).

Anyway, the only thing about that article that I'm interested in is the design for the stadium. I want to see it.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

In the short-term, tarps or not, Heinz needs to be reduced. Close the upper deck endzone and non-TV upper deck sideline. The place will look and feel more full. Pitt doesn't need a supply of 70K tickets

It may seem like a minor detail to many, but the band plays to the home side and just about every part of the gameday experience is catered to the home side. If you are closing off a seating area in the upper deck, it'll need to be the away (TV side).

Anyway, the only thing about that article that I'm interested in is the design for the stadium. I want to see it.

If they close an upper deck side, it has to be the non-TV view side. That isn't even up for debate. You have to have the TV viewers see what seems like a full stadium. It its that big of a deal, have Pitt switch sidelines.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

tl;dr: Loser Pitt can’t fill a real stadium and needs a baby one to accommodate their terrible fan base.

Funny that crossed my mind as well. If the empty seats are being made fun of and brought up in recruiting this will too. Maybe it won’t be as severe but....yea...what you said.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

It doesn't guarantee anything. It just helps and it gives you something every other P5 school except Miami and UCLA have.

Of course it doesn’t guarantee anything but a lot of these articles and even some on here act as if it’s a panacea.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

The point for me , on campus , full game day experience. The game for us was a small part of those Saturdays. Love to tour the buildings , hit the stores, eat, see friends , campus was fun. When that goes you lose future fans that tie the school to the team. But whatever keep washing and towing company line

Anytime anyone has a different opinion they’re “washing”. Grow up. Or at least get something fresh.

And it’s toeing the line. Why am I not surprised....

 

[Parkview57]

While you are tarping off the visitors side build some removable platforms and put the TV camera's over there for the Pitt games.

 

[h2p_5150]

Pitt will stop playing football before they put a new stadium in Oakland

 

[HailToPitt725]

The point for me , on campus , full game day experience. The game for us was a small part of those Saturdays. Love to tour the buildings , hit the stores, eat, see friends , campus was fun. When that goes you lose future fans that tie the school to the team. But whatever keep washing and towing company line

Exactly. No one's saying that this alone will turn us into a Top 25 program, so I don't know why some are pointing out that we lost games on campus as well. What it will do is improve the atmosphere and experience, which could then help build up the fanbase . If done right, it can be a huge asset to athletics and the university as a whole.

 

[bwh05]

We could fit a stadium in the OC Lot, but the current plan is the build a new addition to Trees Hall that would be a competition venue for wrestling and volleyball.

 

[HailToPitt725]

Let me ask this: Would people favor/impose a smaller-sized stadium that Pitt owned, only it was off campus? For example, if the Steelers moved to the suburbs and Pitt built its own 45,000-seat stadium in its place, would the majority of Pitt fans be satisfied?

I'm just trying to see if the problem is being off campus or is it just playing in a stadium too large that's not ours?

 

[KanePA]

We could fit a stadium in the OC Lot, but the current plan is the build a new addition to Trees Hall that would be a competition venue for wrestling and volleyball.

Well, there ya go. That’ll make Pitt an athletic powerhouse.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

It doesn't guarantee anything. It just helps and it gives you something every other P5 school except Miami and UCLA have.

Of course it doesn’t guarantee anything but a lot of these articles and even some on here act as if it’s a panacea.

It gives Pitt a chance. Heinz Field is too big to give Pitt a chance.

 

[bwh05]

Well, there ya go. That’ll make Pitt an athletic powerhouse.

Really that’s the only place I know of that Pitt currently controls that could fit a football stadium. If the current plan comes to pass that space will be gone

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Let me ask this: Would people favor/impose a smaller-sized stadium that Pitt owned, only it was off campus? For example, if the Steelers moved to the suburbs and Pitt built its own 45,000-seat stadium in its place, would the majority of Pitt fans be satisfied?

I'm just trying to see if the problem is being off campus or is it just playing in a stadium too large that's not ours?

The biggest problem is the size of the stadium. If the Steelers moved out, Pitt should buy the stadium, tear out the upper deck endzone and cut out the top 20 or so rows of each upper deck sideline sections. Whatver makes 45K-50K seats. That would suffice

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

While you are tarping off the visitors side build some removable platforms and put the TV camera's over there for the Pitt games.

Or just move Pitt's bench to the other side

 

[HailtoPitt]

I love that this Steigerwald article will drive a few people here absolutely bonkers. Especially the quotes from DeFiore.

 

[FattCatt]

Some really interesting tidbits and alot of things (complaints) that are more and more frequently and with more volume by Pitt fans that are weaved into this article in regards to deaf dumb and blind approach by administration towards football.

Fun read. This must be what our buddy on the freeboard MeToo is always squawking about. Hey, I don't care who the messenger is, just the message. And I agree with the message.

http://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2017/11/22/steigerwald-another-article-campus-stadium/

Can’t wait to hear yinzer bitching about having to walk up Cardiac Hill x 2 as a reason for a half-filled 40,000 seat stadium.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

It gives Pitt a chance. Heinz Field is too big to give Pitt a chance.

So was the previous on campus stadium too big too then? That’s what was holding them back from having a chance?

And FWIW I’m not necessarily against it. I’m just skeptical that it changes much in terms of winning. Doesn’t mean I’m right of course. Just have a hard time seeing it.

 

[pittman71]

cant Pitt tear down the Pete and put a football stadium in that space?

 

[Panthergrowl13]

Pitt has a beautiful on campus basketball arena and we can't fill it to capacity and it only seats 12,500 fans.

Tarp (Right Size) Heinz Field.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Pitt has a beautiful on campus basketball arena and we can't fill it to capacity and it only seats 12,500 fans.

Tarp (Right Size) Heinz Field.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

Interesting you mention that. When they were winning it was packed. They year they finished against UConn and Marquette (Fields, Young and Blair) scalpers were all the way down to the entrance to Oakland. The Pete was ROCKING for those games as well as many others. I had seasons then but I’m guessing those were very tough tickets. If the football team won like they did there wouldn’t be as many yellow seats standing out.

 

[DiehardPanther]

It may seem like a minor detail to many, but the band plays to the home side and just about every part of the gameday experience is catered to the home side. If you are closing off a seating area in the upper deck, it'll need to be the away (TV side).

Anyway, the only thing about that article that I'm interested in is the design for the stadium. I want to see it.

Switch sides - problem solved.

 

[DiehardPanther]

tl;dr: Loser Pitt can’t fill a real stadium and needs a baby one to accommodate their terrible fan base.

Disagree - TCU and Baylor play in similar size stadiums and get rave reviews.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

tl;dr: Loser Pitt can’t fill a real stadium and needs a baby one to accommodate their terrible fan base.

What is your problem? Why are you so angry? Why do you hate Pitt football so much? Isn't there an NBA game you can watch and marvel at the greatest athletes on earth?

 

[Panther_in_Kentucky]

Pitt has a beautiful on campus basketball arena and we can't fill it to capacity and it only seats 12,500 fans.

Tarp (Right Size) Heinz Field.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

Sure glad Pitt's Administration elected to tear down their historic football stadium to build a basketball arena. I can hardly wait to see how many fans Pitt hoops draws when they start their ACC schedule this year.

 

[pittman71]

should have built a domed stadium to house both Pitt football and basketball

 

[DiehardPanther]

should have built a domed stadium to house both Pitt football and basketball

Not only that, but you could hold other events and school related activities in a dome.

 

[oldpanther]

Some really interesting tidbits and alot of things (complaints) that are more and more frequently and with more volume by Pitt fans that are weaved into this article in regards to deaf dumb and blind approach by administration towards football.

Fun read. This must be what our buddy on the freeboard MeToo is always squawking about. Hey, I don't care who the messenger is, just the message. And I agree with the message.

http://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2017/11/22/steigerwald-another-article-campus-stadium/

Stiegerwald

These articles don’t seem to recognize that Pitt stunk on campus too after Sherrill left.

54000 was our best season average and I think the year was 1981. Stiegerwald claims Pitt owes the Alumni, that is absurd, half the fans that support football and basketball never attended Pitt. If the Alumni supported the sports programs Pitt would not be in last place for donations in the ACC and there would be less empty yellow seats. As for a 40000 seat on campus stadium all that means is when ND, WVU, ups are on the schedule you will probably be attending the game at Heinz Field a/c capacity. Pitt had an on campus stadium and it was seldom filled except for the above mentioned teams. Stiegerwald also suggested that Pitt got lucky during the 1970's for Dorset and Marino fell from the sky into the programs lap, if that is the case then Santa Claus must of delivered Hugh Green, Ricky Jackson, JimCovert, Bill Fralic, Jerry Boyarsky, Gordon Jones and many, many others. Without a total commitment by the Admin and a max effort to get the Alumni involved 15000 empty seats in a 40000 seat stadium is not going to look much better.

 

[Ski11585]

What is your problem? Why are you so angry? Why do you hate Pitt football so much? Isn't there an NBA game you can watch and marvel at the greatest athletes on earth?

Not angry at all. Just tired of reading the same thing over and over. It’s dull. I see no reason to think a stadium will be built. If by some chance it was, I don’t believe it would change anything substantive about the program or it’s fans.

And I think I made that post while watching the OKC-Golden State game. It was great! Adams had 14 and 12.

 

[Panther Al]

Happy Thanksgiving to all Panthers! As I've said and proven over and over, 4/5 star players want atmosphere and just look at the rivals recruiting rankings. None YTD and the Steelers relationship with Ben/AB/Bell is useless. Heinz is a morgue. To compete for championships because whether we like it or not, we compete with OSU, PSU, ND, UM and sometimes WVU for the elite 4/5 prospects. If you can't accept that fact, then move to the MAC. We need to change the philosophy and be committed like Baylor, Minn, UCF, Colorado State, etc. Temple, USF and the U are the next to follow soon with on campus stadiums. Read the articles. SP made the dumbest mistake in Pitt athletics history of knocking down the stadium in place of the Pete which could have been put elsewhere since its a smaller building. SP is also no longer welcome at his Alma mater in Lincoln, NE which he destroyed as well. Enough said on that clown for the few that actually support him. Since we receive 25M a year from the ACC because of football not BB, we need to figure out a way to prioritize our most profitable sport and make it happen. Tarping is an absolute joke and will lead to more negative recruiting just like what happened with Herby/Fowler last week on the ESPN playoff show. Sadly, this negative recruiting will continue after they see all the yellows at Heinz tomorrow. No offense to these sports, but Pitt athletics seem to care more about baseball, volleyball, wrestling, etc based on twitter. Last I checked, they make no $ for the school. The business plan of Heinz Field has failed ten times over and when a plan doesn't work in business, you will either go out of business or you try to fix it. Pitt isn't going out of business but they won't ever compete for championships at Heinz. H2P!

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

cant Pitt tear down the Pete and put a football stadium in that space?

This is what I've said. Build a smaller right-sized arena (9K-10K) on the Syria Mosque site or somewhere else and build the new football stadium on the Pete site.

I would also tear down decrepid old Trees Hall and build a new olympic sports/IM/recreation facility in its place.

 

[TD_istheman]

This is what I've said. Build a smaller right-sized arena (9K-10K) on the Syria Mosque site or somewhere else and build the new football stadium on the Pete site.

I would also tear down decrepid old Trees Hall and build a new olympic sports/IM/recreation facility in its place.

There is room for it and ways to get it done. The rest that you here from some is EXCUSES

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Not angry at all. Just tired of reading the same thing over and over. It’s dull. I see no reason to think a stadium will be built. If by some chance it was, I don’t believe it would change anything substantive about the program or it’s fans.

And I think I made that post while watching the OKC-Golden State game. It was great! Adams had 14 and 12.

But it is apparent that Heinz Field is a failure that is getting worse year by year. There is about a core of 45K Pitt fans, probably a real strong core of 30K. If Pitt is good, they can drag along maybe 5-10K more, and if it is a school like PSU or ND where they bring 15-20K, that is the only time Heinz will ever be filled.

The optics and bad publicity is really hurting recruiting now, as we see it mostly with the local kids. Most urban school's have figured this out and have built stadiums now in the 40-50K range because they compete against the NFL (and alot of other things) and Pitt being located where it is, probably competes against more external sports entities than anyone else in P5.

We have become a joke. You can say "Pitt fans suck" and I am not going to argue, I suck as a Pitt fan, but much of this is self inflicted and now empirical history of underachieving and disappointment. It is like my analogy to a restaurant again. A huge 500 seat restaurant is tough to fill night in and night out, save for those days like Mothers Day and certain holidays. It has huge rent, when it is half empty, it is hard to plan menus, people don't need reservations so you don't know who is coming, you cut corners, the food sucks, then attendance and reservations further wane, people, casual people don't want to sit in a dining room where only 2-3 other tables are filled because a) it is not fun and b) you wonder why no one is there, assume the food sucks and it becomes this death spiral. That is where Pitt is at. The end result for restaurants like this is called "closed". For a football program like Pitt it becomes "Temple".

I guess that is why I am adamant about this. There is just a common sense angle to this and the fact that a sucky fan like me can see this, and I see from this school, this Administration no real skin in the game, no real solutions, no real effort or at least a plan, that how in the hell can you expect me to buy season tickets let alone donate? If Pitt shows they are serious, I will reciprocate.

 

[Burgh15]

Tarping is an absolute joke and will lead to more negative recruiting just like what happened with Herby/Fowler last week on the ESPN playoff show. Sadly, this negative recruiting will continue after they see all the yellows at Heinz tomorrow.

I really don't understand this. Everyone knows even Pitt at its best isn't going to fill 68,000+ seats every week. There are good programs that have capacities under 50,000. Is tarping off Heinz Field to lower the capacity any different than a coach saying "oh look, Pitt had to build a 40,000 seat on campus stadium because they have no fan support." Same difference.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I really don't understand this. Everyone knows even Pitt at its best isn't going to fill 68,000+ seats every week. There are good programs that have capacities under 50,000. Is tarping off Heinz Field to lower the capacity any different than a coach saying "oh look, Pitt had to build a 40,000 seat on campus stadium because they have no fan support." Same difference.

Really? Why then did Stanford SUCK and I have made the analogy with the records before and after many times, I am not going to do it again, tear down their 80K seat stadium and replace it with a 50K seat stadium? How was that used against them? Stanford was a joke before this, and have become a top 20 and sometimes top 10 team since. How did this hurt them?

See...alot of you get caught up in the PSU narrative. It is not really "numbers" that matter in a stadium it is the environment and atmosphere. Switch over to basketball, does Rupp Arena with its 22K seats have a better atmosphere than Cameron at Duke with its 9K? Oregon's Autzen Stadium seats like 53K. Does anyone poke fun of it, and then champion Brice Williams Stadium in Columbia SC because it seats 85K?

Don't get caught up in numbers...it is atmosphere. It is empty seats.