Lyke interview with Andrew stockey (13 mins)
- Thread starter ratking17
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She made a good point when asked about how to increase attendance. She said they have to make coming to a Pitt game unique to Pittsburgh. But how do you do that? The world's largest family tailgate, a pregame band concert, and inflatable bounce houses don't do it. Pitt is Pittsburgh's minor league team which shares a stadium with the big boys, the team that people really care about.
Bottom line, there's nothing they can do to differentiate their brand.
As I've said a zillion times, the stadium is just fsr too big.
Bottom line, there's nothing they can do to differentiate their brand.
As I've said a zillion times, the stadium is just fsr too big.
The outside experience is fine. There are probably more options for fans pregame than most any other college game. Its when you walk in, the sea of yellow is deflating. The team comes out of tunnel and sees sea of yellow. No one thinks at that moment Pitt has avg 40-50k for 100 years and this is a 70k nfl stadium.
As you know, the Washington Wild Things draw very well considering the low level of play, which is much closer to the level of local adult baseball leagues than the majors. I've never been to a game but people tell me all the time how fun it is and that I should go. I respond by saying I dont like baseball enough to waste my time and what little amount of money it does cost to see players who are not even good enough to be on a minor league baseball roster. Point though is, in a congested pro sports market, the Wild Things offer something unique. A nice, cozy stadium, and a different kind of atmosphere.
If the Wild Things shared PNC Park, my feeling is they'd draw so poorly that they'd leave town in a year or 2. Who would want to see lower-level baseball at PNC Park when you can just watch the Pirates there. This is the Pitt/Heinz Field conondrum.
Actually they perennially have one of the lowest average attendances in their league. It's been a long time since they even averaged 2,000 fans per game.
A well thought out but still complete bs answer saying that a stadium on campus isn't a top priority. I guess she believes that answer pleases everyone, but in reality a stadium should be the TOP priority, or not a priority at all. Can't have your cake and eat it too in that position.
Good. Its about time they were exposed as garbage baseball. Maybe people decided to go watch Washington County legion ball instead for free which isn't that far off from the Pioneer League.
Anyone willing to cough up 50,000,000.00 to launch an on campus stadium please step up. The person willing to secure necessary legal expenses of 5,000,000.00 (conservative estimate), will have the honor of me buying them a drink. The third person willing to address the General Assembly seeking to foot the Lions share of the bill better have pictures of Mike Turzai with an animal. The list of hurdles would choke a Python.
Things like this only get done when a threat exists. There is no threat.
But there are dreams...so keep the flame flickering, click your heels 3 times and repeat these words "there's no place like an on campus stadium" until you return to Terra firma.
Like I said, either make it the top priority or not a priority at all. None of that stuff gets done unless it is very important. Just have the guts to say "It's not a priority" instead of "it's currently not a top priority, but please keep buying tickets and donating and we will continue to make you believe that your opinion of the stadium situation matters".
Saying it's not now a top priority is giving you the answer to your question.
In other words it's not even being thought about.
yeah but @HailtoPitt brings up a good point. Why not just flat out say "it's of no priority" or "not even being discussed." We fans are obviously obsessed with the topic so maybe we are nitpicking but when this topic comes up with the AD, her or former ones, they always seem to leave a little room for interpretation. Not sure why they do that. These are smart people, they know it's a point of interest for fans, no matter how unlikely.. Why not dismiss it all together, why give that glint of hope for us unrealists?
Hailtopitt is correct, either address it or tell us it's not gonna happen, flat out say it. maybe then, we'll shut up about it. I mean I doubt it but still, it would give the 4 fans of Heinz field on this board some ammo..
If She said, "This is not an issue being taken into consideration at this point" would that be so terrible? I mean, would the public backlash be that great? Of course not. And if things change 5-10 years down the road, fine, it happens. It's not like she'd paint herself in a corner with this, it's not like it would shut the door on it completely.
That's what I am saying. People need to read between the lines. Top priorities seem to be making the other sports average instead of making the football program good. Fine with me. They should have the guts to state it plainly.
She comes off rather personable figure though, lykable. Sorry, had too. Maybe it's coming after Pederson who has a face you want to punch and Barnes was kind of "stern faced," almost came off as a hard ass. Cant remember the Arkansas guy very well. it could be the fact I don't think I've seen an AD at Pitt actually smile, outside of Pederson's fake smirk of course..
Hope she does well, I hoped all of our ADs did well but rooting for her especially.
Hope she does well, I hoped all of our ADs did well but rooting for her especially.
I have family in Washington County. People that attend Wild Things games are hillbillies that are afraid to enter the city limits. Going there is no different than taking the kids to laser tag or bowling.
This is a fan base that bitched and moaned for more than a decade about what font we use to spell our name with. The notion that the AD saying "look, this just isn't going to happen" is going to shut everyone up is a fantasy.
What is "good"? Some may believe it is going 8-5 consistently. Others believe it is contending for a Natonal Championship.
Better than 8-5. That's about average considering all of the gimme games teams play every year.
I figured between a different font and beer sales we have enough to succeed.
On campus stadium didn't help us most of our history
but do they make good programs better? I don't know. Can pitt be very good, a consistent 9-10 winner, a program that competes for the coastal year in and year out. I know we'll never be a bama/tosu but can we be a team that gets to 10-2 more often than not, while at Heinz? Does Heinz hold us back from being that program and would a stadium of our own, DONE RIGHT, help get us there.
All questions that im sure we will never find out or be able to answer..
well come on Souf, it's a grand scheme thing. it helps with ambience which helps with recruiting which in turn gets you better players which in turn leads to better on field performance. I am not saying that you take the same pitt team and move them from Heinz to our mythical Oakland stadium, they go out and win 10 games when they would have won 7 in the North Shore..
OK, im not necessarily sure I disagree with you. I've stated before, I don't believe Heinz is that much of a detriment to Pitt football. the good and bad seem to balance out..
They are telling you straight up it's not on their radar. I think most people get that. They aren't hiding anything.
Sure they do. If Pitt moved all home games to North Allegheny Stadium, are they going to be winning any games 4 years from now?
Except they aren't telling people straight up, which is the point I made. Straight up would be "we aren't going to build an on campus stadium and will be at Heinz Field for the next 50 years".
They may not know they will be at Heinz the next 50 years.
Again, most people realize that there is not going to be an on campus stadium anytime in the foreseeable future. But they are not going to say anything definitively on timeline because no one knows exactly what the future holds.
They are not going to go out of their way to word it specifically for some fan that just doesn't get it. The majority of sane people do get it.
http://triblive.com/sports/college/...-says-no-plans-for-on-campus-football-stadium
"Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke said Tuesday there is usable land on the school's upper campus to ease “a facility need,” but there are no plans to convert it into a football stadium.
“I don't see that as an initial priority right now from the facilities standpoint,” she said during a roundtable discussion with reporters at Petersen Events Center. “We have some teams that don't have adequate practice and competition facilities.”
Again, she should just say that "there are no plans, zero chance, of an on campus stadium. We don't have the space. We don't have the money. We are going to remain the epitome of mediocre football in a big ugly yellow seated Steelers stadium, so be happy with that and stop asking me about it" instead of telling people that it's "not an initial priority".
this would be in regards to track, right? A facility need would mean track I would assume. everything else seems to be taken care of. bball, softball and soccer got their new fields, wrestling and volleyball is in pete. only ones I can think of is tennis and track and field. think tennis does something off campus, off of 28 I believe.
Because they aren't saying Radical Islamic Terrorism rather than terrorism?
Get a grip
They've said iT
You just refuse to listen
Gallagher said "I'm certainly not looking at an on-site [stadium]. I'm sure to the dismay of some."
Got it??
I'm pretty sure she did say there are no plans to convert it into a football stadium. At least that's what I read.
I figure no means no. I'm not going to try to read anything in it that isn't there; at least as far as I can see.
They have an open piece of land, and they are in need of facilities for sporting events not called football. I would go along w/ Swervin27 to think that track would be one of those sporting events that could fit nicely on that piece of land. Tennis, maybe, but I would think track would be a higher priority.
Hail to Pitt is spot regarding his comments. Most that don't want a NEW stadium or are in excuse mode are likely Steeler fans who are in complete denial that the Steelers/Heinz Field has been a complete failure on all levels for Pitt football. Just look at recruiting. H2P
Well, Pitt averaged a national title every 10 seasons playing in an on campus stadium over a 90 year period. They average 0 national titles playing in an off campus stadium over a 23 year period.
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Virginia has played in an on campus stadium since 1888 and has no national championships.
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