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Best Pitt game atmosphere

TD_istheman

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Nov 3, 2015
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I ever saw in person, I'm 45, last game at Pitt stadium against ND, that will be in my memory forever. Those that were there can relate I'm sure. I actually made a picture with frame from that day of the whole experience , from program to pictures of us carrying the goal post on the field, and the police horses coming at us lol
 
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I ever saw in person, I'm 45, last game at Pitt stadium against ND, that will be in my memory forever. Those that were there can relate I'm sure. I actually made a picture with frame from that day if the experience , from program to pictures of us carting the goal post on the field lol
PItt vs. cincy game, the wanny debacle game. That or Va Tech night game with LOUUUUUUUUU.. Pitt vs ND night game was bad ass too, the one where Baldwin had some nice catches.. Those 3 are far and away the best I can recall, at Heinz anyways..
 
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I ever saw in person, I'm 45, last game at Pitt stadium against ND, that will be in my memory forever. Those that were there can relate I'm sure. I actually made a picture with frame from that day of the whole experience , from program to pictures of us carrying the goal post on the field, and the police horses coming at us lol


I still have a piece of the field!
 
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Pitt/ND Pitt stadium 1975-Dorsett runs for over 300; Pitt/UPS-3 Rivers-1976-Pitt goes undefeated in regular season; Pitt/Georgia-Sugar Bowl -1981- Marino to Brown; Pitt/ND -Heinz at night- Dion Lewis runs wild; Pitt/WVU- Pitt comes back from a 35-8 deficit to stun the Snakes before a packed house; Pitt/VT -Heinz- Lousaka Polite compensates for a nonexistent Pitt run D and the Panthers pull out a thriller. I refuse to admit that the Pitt/Cinci game was ever played!
 
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In the Heinz Field era I'll make it easy, despite the outcome of the game, any game where Heinz was close to capacity let alone sold out.
 
Pitt - PSU, 1981, Pitt Stadium. There is no doubt in my mind that this game was the largest attended sporting event ever in the city (but could not be officially announced, due to fire code standards). If the official capacity of Pitt Stadium was 69,400, then there were easily more than 75,000 folks there that day. The student section was largely packed beyond reasonable, with folks standing/sitting in every aisle. There was a guy who hung out at Peter's Pub who supposedly made/sold several thousand bogus tickets himself. Hell, people climbed on top of the restrooms on the upper ring just to see, as they were like 5-6 deep packed in the walkway of the upper ring, above the bleachers. We were #1 in the country, and had already accepted the Sugar Bowl bid. Enormous game.

Still perhaps the most dejected I've ever been after a sporting event.
 
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Pitt - PSU, 1981, Pitt Stadium. There is no doubt in my mind that this game was the largest attended sporting event ever in the city (but could not be officially announced, due to fire code standards). If the official capacity of Pitt Stadium was 69,400, then there were easily more than 75,000 folks there that day. The student section was largely packed beyond reasonable, with folks standing/sitting in every aisle. There was a guy who hung out at Peter's Pub who supposedly made/sold several thousand bogus tickets himself. Hell, people climbed on top of the restrooms on the upper ring just to see, as they were like 5-6 deep packed in the walkway of the upper ring, above the bleachers. We were #1 in the country, and had already accepted the Sugar Bowl bid. Enormous game.

Still perhaps the most dejected I've ever been after a sporting event.
Pitt Stadium seated 56,500 and you could get that number bumped up to around 60k with standing room and chairs on the sidelines. How did u get 75k?
 
I ever saw in person, I'm 45, last game at Pitt stadium against ND, that will be in my memory forever. Those that were there can relate I'm sure. I actually made a picture with frame from that day of the whole experience , from program to pictures of us carrying the goal post on the field, and the police horses coming at us lol

That was my junior year and was an incredible game. Two other that stood out were obviously the 12-0 win over PSU in 2000 and beating Miami in 97. Yes, Miami went on to have a pretty bad season but it felt like a moment where Pitt dropped its status of total dumpster fire after the 96 season.
 
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I'll be the only one to list a game where Pitt got blown out.

The 37-10 loss to #1 Miami on a rainy evening on national TV had an electric atmosphere.

That Miami team was probably the most talented I ever saw in person, and Pitt hung with them most of the game. Ironhead was almost unstoppable in running for 254 against an incredible defense, Pitt just couldn't quite finish off their drives.

On a really crappy weather night the game still drew 55,000+.
 
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I'll be the only one to list a game where Pitt got blown out.

The 37-10 loss to #1 Miami on a rainy evening on national TV had an electric atmosphere.

That Miami team was probably the most talented I ever saw in person, and Pitt hung with them most of the game. Ironhead was almost unstoppable in running for 254 against an incredible defense, Pitt just couldn't quite finish off their drives.

On a really crappy weather night the game still drew 55,000+.
I think that was the first game back, nfl and college, after the 9/11 attacks. If we are talking about the same year. Lee freakin Greenwood singing with a 100 yard US flag, oh man, unreal. Then the game started and well, it was a great pre game at least..
 
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Pitt Stadium seated 56,500 and you could get that number bumped up to around 60k with standing room and chairs on the sidelines. How did u get 75k?

Yeah, according to Wikipedia Pitt Stadium had a 69,000 capacity from 1925 -1949, and a capacity of 54,500 from 1950 - 1999. I wonder if the largest Pittsburgh sporting event actually happened during the 30s or 40s?
 
Yeah, according to Wikipedia Pitt Stadium had a 69,000 capacity from 1925 -1949, and a capacity of 54,500 from 1950 - 1999. I wonder if the largest Pittsburgh sporting event actually happened during the 30s or 40s?

Yes, Pitt vs Fordham in 1938: 68,918....that was the record that was broken by this years Pitt vs PSU game.
 
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Pitt-Cincinnati in 2009 was without question the best atmosphere.

That stadium tried it's ass off to will that team to a conference title. It sounded like a Steelers playoff game. You didn't have to yell at the old heads to get up because they had gotten up before you. The night before I was driving in on the Turnpike and had a Pitt car flag. From Breezewood on I had people blowing car horns at me and giving thumbs up. I'd never seen that before.

Everyone was back on board for that game and of course we crapped our pants.
 
Wish we could have those atmospheres back again, have to win more games , to make the late ones important.

I really don't get excited for crap bowls at all, not even wanting to go to them. I love home games and some road games each year, but a game against Oregon St in texas, does ZILTCH for me, not a reward , punishment for being mediocre
 
Pitt-Cincinnati in 2009 was without question the best atmosphere.

That stadium tried it's ass off to will that team to a conference title. It sounded like a Steelers playoff game. You didn't have to yell at the old heads to get up because they had gotten up before you. The night before I was driving in on the Turnpike and had a Pitt car flag. From Breezewood on I had people blowing car horns at me and giving thumbs up. I'd never seen that before.

Everyone was back on board for that game and of course we crapped our pants.

Yeah travelling in on the turnpike lots of snow on road that day. Then in Pittsburgh soft snow showers just made an electric atmosphere. Crowd was standing most of the game. And then the punt that changed the course of wannys history
 
Yeah travelling in on the turnpike lots of snow on road that day. Then in Pittsburgh soft snow showers just made an electric atmosphere. Crowd was standing most of the game. And then the punt that changed the course of wannys history

Funny thing is, we were a Russell Wilson miracle comeback and three holds on Noel Devine's long run from being 11-0...that would have been nuts.
 
WVU in 2002 was damn good as well, as much as I dislike their behavior the 'Eer fans bring it.
 
I was at the 13-9 game, and prayed for my family's safety, but they wanted to kill RichRod more that evening , so all good.
 
Pitt - PSU, 1981, Pitt Stadium. There is no doubt in my mind that this game was the largest attended sporting event ever in the city (but could not be officially announced, due to fire code standards). If the official capacity of Pitt Stadium was 69,400, then there were easily more than 75,000 folks there that day. The student section was largely packed beyond reasonable, with folks standing/sitting in every aisle. There was a guy who hung out at Peter's Pub who supposedly made/sold several thousand bogus tickets himself. Hell, people climbed on top of the restrooms on the upper ring just to see, as they were like 5-6 deep packed in the walkway of the upper ring, above the bleachers. We were #1 in the country, and had already accepted the Sugar Bowl bid. Enormous game.

Still perhaps the most dejected I've ever been after a sporting event.

Pitt Stadiums capacity was 56,500 but you are correct that there was an overflow crowd that day as they put temporary bleachers on the track.
 
When the stadium was renovated (well, kinda) in 1949/1950 they removed a number of rows at the top of the stadium, and built what we knew as the walkway- all around.. That reduced the capacity from 69,400 to 56,500 and later the capacity was slightly reduced to 56,150 when the new team entrance was cut into the southeast corner of the stadium.
 
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