On Campus Stadium-Pitt's lone solution

[Panther Al]

http://triblive.com/sports/robrossi/6952873-74/pitt-football-thursday.

About two years ago, Rob Rossi wrote this article and its more evident that he's a 100% correct. I've been in favor of an on campus stadium forever and after a strong Panther season along with missing out on a number of 4/5 star players, it's evident that we've seen enough of Heinz Field. Students continue to leave after the 3Q and we saw the lousy attendance/atmosphere vs VT at 5-2, vs Duke after the great Clemson win and Syracuse. As I've said over and over, you need 8 to 10 4/5 star players per class to compete for championships. We finally have a coach to be proud of and I'm not blaming him at all when it comes to recruiting. Barnes and his staff have tried hard but Heinz doesn't work for Pitt. We've also seen every school who plays off campus or in a pro stadium move back to campus such as Baylor, Minnesota, UCF, Colorado State (ready next year), Temple ( going to happen) and USF (in the strategic plans). Why? Because it doesn't work. No student likes going to Heinz because we've seen the mass exodus after the 3Q and we all know the bus issue has been nothing more than a complete failure. The bottom line is there is plenty of room right in Schenley park to build the stadium and if you don't believe me go look for yourself as you can also knock down Frick as well. I'm tired of the excuses of win and they'll come because that slogan is a joke. We had one of the most exciting offenses the school has ever seen so enough already. The Steelers are the Steelers. Pitt is Pitt. Time to build our own stadium and that would really change the landscape for Pitt football. My concern is we keep losing these recruiting battles because of atmosphere which will ultimately lead to Duzz's frustration and he moves on. Then you'll see fans an uproar. Gallagher has done a great job with Pitt football since he took over for the other fools who wrecked Pitt football. Time to take Pitt football to the next level which is compete for championships however we can't do it without the elite players who want atmosphere at an on campus stadium. H2P.

 

[ratking17]

Unless you can deal with geography and road/transportation infrastructure, you are not getting more people to show up for pitt games by making an on campus stadium. Students are not the issue. The Pitt alumni and the greater pittsburgh area are who don't show up. Pittsburgh is a pro town not a college town like clemson where people are willing to spend an entire day on campus.

 

[Piranha]

http://triblive.com/sports/robrossi/6952873-74/pitt-football-thursday.

About two years ago, Rob Rossi wrote this article and its more evident that he's a 100% correct. I've been in favor of an on campus stadium forever and after a strong Panther season along with missing out on a number of 4/5 star players, it's evident that we've seen enough of Heinz Field. Students continue to leave after the 3Q and we saw the lousy attendance/atmosphere vs VT at 5-2, vs Duke after the great Clemson win and Syracuse. As I've said over and over, you need 8 to 10 4/5 star players per class to compete for championships. We finally have a coach to be proud of and I'm not blaming him at all when it comes to recruiting. Barnes and his staff have tried hard but Heinz doesn't work for Pitt. We've also seen every school who plays off campus or in a pro stadium move back to campus such as Baylor, Minnesota, UCF, Colorado State (ready next year), Temple ( going to happen) and USF (in the strategic plans). Why? Because it doesn't work. No student likes going to Heinz because we've seen the mass exodus after the 3Q and we all know the bus issue has been nothing more than a complete failure. The bottom line is there is plenty of room right in Schenley park to build the stadium and if you don't believe me go look for yourself as you can also knock down Frick as well. I'm tired of the excuses of win and they'll come because that slogan is a joke. We had one of the most exciting offenses the school has ever seen so enough already. The Steelers are the Steelers. Pitt is Pitt. Time to build our own stadium and that would really change the landscape for Pitt football. My concern is we keep losing these recruiting battles because of atmosphere which will ultimately lead to Duzz's frustration and he moves on. Then you'll see fans an uproar. Gallagher has done a great job with Pitt football since he took over for the other fools who wrecked Pitt football. Time to take Pitt football to the next level which is compete for championships however we can't do it without the elite players who want atmosphere at an on campus stadium. H2P.

Why didn't students and fans show up to Pitt Stadium? Why did students and fans stop showing up to the Pete the last few years?

 

[DruidTM]

Why didn't students and fans show up to Pitt Stadium? Why did students and fans stop showing up to the Pete the last few years?

Pitt fans do didn't show up in great record setting numbers from 75-84 either..... the best modern day period of Pitt football...

 

[Panther Al]

Pro town stuff is nonsense. College football popularity is through the roof since the Pitt stadium days. Look at the attendance figures and stadium expansions since1995 which is when I graduated. There was no college game day back then. The popularity of the sport is through the roof and has become an event at schools. Why do you think Pitt now gets $25M a year from the ACC. FOOTBALL!

 

[Delpanther]

Why didn't students and fans show up to Pitt Stadium? Why did students and fans stop showing up to the Pete the last few years?

Because we stunk!!!!! For 25 years because we had and admin. who didn't give a rat's behind about FB. And spare me the stats on 76-81 because just when we started to get some momentum, guess what happened? The Incompetent boobs running Pitt blew up the FB program YET AGAIN! Fans stopped going to hoops games because Rainman sucked the life out of the BB program with boring BB, poor scheduling and lousy recruiting.

 

[HailtoPitt]

As long as Pitt fans can roll down from Cranbury on the HOV lane and into the stadium parking lot, they will be too stupid to realize that an on campus stadium is better.

 

[Panther Al]

When a business model doesn't work and they've exhausted all efforts, its time to move on. SP made the worst move and should have renovated Pitt stadium which is what all colleges do. Why are all of these other schools who play in pro stadiums moving back to on campus? Because the model doesn't work. Period! We compete with ND, OSU, PSU and UM for top players. We need to step it up or we'll continue to lose 4/5 star players to these schools.

 

[Tiger Paul Lives]

Ummm...pretty sure Schenley Park is out of the question as that land was given with a stipulation that it remains as is or something like that. I don't remember the details.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

I'm a huge proponent of paragraphs.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

Pro town stuff is nonsense. College football popularity is through the roof since the Pitt stadium days. Look at the attendance figures and stadium expansions since1995 which is when I graduated. There was no college game day back then. The popularity of the sport is through the roof and has become an event at schools. Why do you think Pitt now gets $25M a year from the ACC. FOOTBALL!

College football attendance is down for six straight seasons. Also, playing in the pro sports town is definitely a hindrance to the University of Pittsburgh.

 

[NTOP]

Pro town stuff is nonsense. College football popularity is through the roof since the Pitt stadium days. Look at the attendance figures and stadium expansions since1995 which is when I graduated. There was no college game day back then. The popularity of the sport is through the roof and has become an event at schools. Why do you think Pitt now gets $25M a year from the ACC. FOOTBALL!

Hey Al....why is attendance down for college sports?? Oh, and nothing would ever surpass a handwritten letter.....or a long distance phone call....or adjusting the antenna on the roof.....or the newspaper. Why put up with the traffic, cost and time lost if you can sit on your ass at home?
The numbers don't work. I said in 1998 that on-campus football was gone forever for Pitt.

 

[pittguy81]

http://triblive.com/sports/robrossi/6952873-74/pitt-football-thursday.

About two years ago, Rob Rossi wrote this article and its more evident that he's a 100% correct. I've been in favor of an on campus stadium forever and after a strong Panther season along with missing out on a number of 4/5 star players, it's evident that we've seen enough of Heinz Field. Students continue to leave after the 3Q and we saw the lousy attendance/atmosphere vs VT at 5-2, vs Duke after the great Clemson win and Syracuse. As I've said over and over, you need 8 to 10 4/5 star players per class to compete for championships. We finally have a coach to be proud of and I'm not blaming him at all when it comes to recruiting. Barnes and his staff have tried hard but Heinz doesn't work for Pitt. We've also seen every school who plays off campus or in a pro stadium move back to campus such as Baylor, Minnesota, UCF, Colorado State (ready next year), Temple ( going to happen) and USF (in the strategic plans). Why? Because it doesn't work. No student likes going to Heinz because we've seen the mass exodus after the 3Q and we all know the bus issue has been nothing more than a complete failure. The bottom line is there is plenty of room right in Schenley park to build the stadium and if you don't believe me go look for yourself as you can also knock down Frick as well. I'm tired of the excuses of win and they'll come because that slogan is a joke. We had one of the most exciting offenses the school has ever seen so enough already. The Steelers are the Steelers. Pitt is Pitt. Time to build our own stadium and that would really change the landscape for Pitt football. My concern is we keep losing these recruiting battles because of atmosphere which will ultimately lead to Duzz's frustration and he moves on. Then you'll see fans an uproar. Gallagher has done a great job with Pitt football since he took over for the other fools who wrecked Pitt football. Time to take Pitt football to the next level which is compete for championships however we can't do it without the elite players who want atmosphere at an on campus stadium. H2P.

First of all attendance at Pitt Stadium was as mediocre as the attendance at Heinz. Secondly where is the money coming from? Third, where in congested Oakland would it be built? Who pays for workable ingress and egress routes? Lots of others but I'll start there.

 

[MarySki]

Unless you can deal with geography and road/transportation infrastructure, you are not getting more people to show up for pitt games by making an on campus stadium. Students are not the issue. The Pitt alumni and the greater pittsburgh area are who don't show up. Pittsburgh is a pro town not a college town like clemson where people are willing to spend an entire day on campus.

Out of my group of 25, only two are alumni and other are just Pitt supporters. Just sayin'

 

[MartyInLawrenceville]

Attendance is NEVER going to be great for Pitt football. Sure, I can see a bump here or there, but to think that they will regularly draw 60K + is ridiculous. Whether they have 40K or 50K in Heinz Field, the empty yellow seats on the lower level look hideous. Attendance isn't the problem, the venue they play in is.

Temporary fix could include switching the cameras to the visitor side of the field so that the seats behind the Pitt bench, which are pretty much full every game are the ones shown.

 

[jtownknowitall]

An on campus stadium would draw how many more fans? 10? 100? 1000? Or 10,000? In all likelihood, the answer is 0 and in fact 10 to 100 fewer fans may show up.

My guess is Pitt counts far more on non-alumni than many of you think. Going 11-0 still may not have translated to more fans in the seats for the Syracuse game. Non-alumni go to games when their schedules and the weather allow them to go.

 

[HailtoPitt]

The numbers don't work.

I understand that's what you were told, but really how could we know when Nordy and Steve were hitched to the Heinz wagon no matter what. It really depends on the amount Pitt could get from major donors. Unfortunately, we've pissed off many donors going back decades.

 

[androcles]

... you're right, Pitt is sort of land-locked in Oakland if Schenley Park land is not available..
...is there a possibility of getting enough land in the adjacent Hill District or even perhaps some riverfront land along the Parkway that is probably now mostly warehouse usage...?

 

[NTOP]

I understand that's what you were told, but really how could we know when Nordy and Steve were hitched to the Heinz wagon no matter what. It really depends on the amount Pitt could get from major donors. Unfortunately, we've pissed off many donors going back decades.

If someone was dumb enough to pony up the cash...I'd still be against it......our situation just can't justify it. I cried walking out of Pitt stadium that last time....but times have changed.

 

[PittHOFs]

I couldn't agree with the OP any more. It's atmosphere and perception more than anything folks. A smaller on-campus stadium will do wonders for Pitt. If Pitt's core fanbase is around 35 - 40k imagine how much better that will look in a 45-50k seat stadium. I would think a new venue alone would increase season ticket sales by around 5k. Then with some winning and consistency the increase in ticket sales will more than likely stick around and increase from there as more and more kids will like Pitt as their parents are bringing them to games since they were young. That's how you build up the fanbase.

Atmosphere does more for recruiting then anything else. I remember Narduzzi during the signing day party clamoring for a big turnout at the spring game. He understand that attendance and atmosphere more than anything helps him recruit. It's only a matter of time before he becomes frustrated with the support.

 

[jtownknowitall]

Where are these 5K more fans now? Where will they come from?

 

[CorsosRevenge]

I think in the next 20 years you'll see a stadium. I don't know how and I sure as hell don't know where, but Minnesota, Houston, UCF and even Tulane have invested money in on campus facilities - and Tulane nearly dropped football 15 years ago because it was broke. USF is also exploring it and they're not even a P5 school. The only reason Miami hasn't is there's no way ritzy ass Coral gables would allow it.

 

[mehinpgh]

I am so sick of the lack of common sense with these endless on campus stadium threads. The next time someone feels the need to post another one of these, do these things first:

1. Consider the state of Pennsylvania is bordering on broke. Where is the $500,000,000 to over a billion dollars going to come from to acquire the land and build the stadium?
2. Also consider this stadium would be used 6 or 7 times a year for football games. Total. 6 or 7 times a year for over half A BILLION DOLLARS
3. Consider the fact that any land to build an on campus stadium would still be off campus. The students will not be able to walk, they will need to take a shuttle or drive, just like they do now. So it makes sense to break a great deal with the Steelers (which actually is the closer with many of our recruits that they get exposure at the practice facility with the Steelers) so we can have a 45,000 seat stadium that will be too small when we play big time opponents?
4. Consider that the grid to get to Oakland or a neighboring area sucks! Who wants to sit an hour getting into the area and two hours getting out???
5. Tailgating in a parking garage also sucks! This talk is just a complete waste of air and time for everyone.

Okay, I am done, people that continue with these endless "we need an on campus stadium" threads are either stupid or not based in reality.

 

[hermdigity]

Pittsburgh is a pro sports town!

If you look at the fanbases of PSU, WVU, Ohio St, ND, they have one type of fan that Pitt lacks, and that is the hardcore college football fan that didn't attend the school they root for.

On a day those schools have home games, how many fans are non-student/non-alums? % is higher than Pitts

The few fans that root for Pitt that are non-alums/students are passionate about the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates more. They don't want to go see Pitt play live unless the game has a lot of meaning.

 

[Panther Parrothead]

Pro town stuff is nonsense. College football popularity is through the roof since the Pitt stadium days. Look at the attendance figures and stadium expansions since1995 which is when I graduated. There was no college game day back then. The popularity of the sport is through the roof and has become an event at schools. Why do you think Pitt now gets $25M a year from the ACC. FOOTBALL!

Don't let those "damn facts" stand in the way of a raving narrative:

http://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...-2016-crowds-decline-for-sixth-straight-year/

 

[JHud986]

No one is arguing that we have attendance issues.
Instead of arguing lets look for solutions.
How many colleges are in the area.
Maybe offer them student tickets at the same rete as our students.

Recent graduates offer them a year at a reduced rate on season tickets.
2nd year at 50% of cost
3rd year at 75% of cost
4th year at 100%.

Add concern event to the end of a game.
Tie a attendance promotion to a event at the Pete.
But ticket must be redeemed at stadium to get the discount at the Pete.

Just some thoughts

 

[ratking17]

Jhud. I have always maintained Duquesne and Bobby mo should get tie ins. Every college near psu acts like psu fans.

 

[CorsosRevenge]

I am so sick of the lack of common sense with these endless on campus stadium threads. Me too! The next time someone feels the need to post another one of these, do these things first:

1. Consider the state of Pennsylvania is bordering on broke. Where is the $500,000,000 to over a billion dollars going to come from to acquire the land and build the stadium? It would costhalf that. University of Houston built its stadium for $170 million. No money came from the state.
2. Also consider this stadium would be used 6 or 7 times a year for football games. And countless times for soccer, lacrosse, high school sports and band tournaments and something called commencement Total. 6 or 7 times a year for over half A BILLION DOLLARS $225 million tops
3. Consider the fact that any land to build an on campus stadium would still be off campus. The students will not be able to walk, they will need to take a shuttle or drive, just like they do now. So it makes sense to break a great deal with the Steelers (which actually is the closer with many of our recruits that they get exposure at the practice facility with the Steelers Then why isnt our recruiting better? Face it- no one cares) so we can have a 45,000 seat stadium that will be too small when we play big time opponents? And the right size the other 90-percent of the time
4. Consider that the grid to get to Oakland or a neighboring area sucks! Who wants to sit an hour getting into the area and two hours getting out??? They clearly have no issue with it at Clemson, or Penn State, or dozens of other places.
5. Tailgating in a parking garage also sucks! This talk is just a complete waste of air and time for everyone. We tailgate in garages now.

Okay, I am done, people that continue with these endless "we need an on campus stadium" threads are either stupid or not based in reality. DUDE I KNOW! [/QUOTE]

 

[androcles]

...I would certainly agree with your "hard core" fan base description for Notre Dame - with their vaunted subway alum base in large cities like NYC, Chicago and Philadelphia where you receive an automatic application for the ND Alumni Assn the day of your first Holy Communion...
...but I don't think the same applies to WVU, Ohio State and Penn State where the universities are essentially the town's economic base... and OSU and PSU are very large schools with 15-20,000 graduates each year - which provides a large potential fan base for the future ... and a lot of them stay in their school's state when they graduate...
...I would not be surprised if there were actually more PSU graduates living in the Pittsburgh area than Pitt graduates...

 

[CorsosRevenge]

...I would not be surprised if there were actually more PSU graduates living in the Pittsburgh area than Pitt graduates...

This has been proven to be a myth so many times I've lost track.

 

[Piranha]

Attendance is NEVER going to be great for Pitt football. Sure, I can see a bump here or there, but to think that they will regularly draw 60K + is ridiculous. Whether they have 40K or 50K in Heinz Field, the empty yellow seats on the lower level look hideous. Attendance isn't the problem, the venue they play in is.

Temporary fix could include switching the cameras to the visitor side of the field so that the seats behind the Pitt bench, which are pretty much full every game are the ones shown.

Tarp off the upper deck opposite the camera.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

No one is arguing that we have attendance issues.
Instead of arguing lets look for solutions.
How many colleges are in the area.
Maybe offer them student tickets at the same rete as our students.

Recent graduates offer them a year at a reduced rate on season tickets.
2nd year at 50% of cost
3rd year at 75% of cost
4th year at 100%.

Add concern event to the end of a game.
Tie a attendance promotion to a event at the Pete.
But ticket must be redeemed at stadium to get the discount at the Pete.

Just some thoughts

To add to your ideas!

Tie in all the colleges in a 60 mile range?

Link in with youth sports ( not just football) programs for every game. Give them free tickets when they're available maybe so concession stand coupons. I remember the PENS did that for the colleges back in the early 2000's when our kids attended PITT. Now in their 30's they and their friends are PENS season ticket holders. Work to build a loyal fanbase!

Promise fireworks at all night games. Pittburghers love fireworks.

Partner with car dealers, local merchants, local companies ( Dicks Sporting Goods etc.) to offer a giveaway after each game but you have to be present to win?
Not sure how it would be tracked but if you attend every home game you're in a pool of fans eligible for a car at the end of the season? or money? or PENS season tickets, Steelers season tickets, PITT club seats, something like that.

Free food for the students I think they might do that now.

Familes register on gameday and a family is picked to have pictures with their favorite Panther, sideline passes or seats behing the PITT bench.

Out of the box stuff to get people to the stadium. Once it becomes a habit attendance will increase. Got to get the ball rolling to add to the 30k die hard PITT fans!

 

[Palm Beach Panther]

Could we turn the Southside practice fields into a stadium?

 

[sonofabit]

But where do local kids attend college and where do they settle down after graduation? Locals who attend Pitt must be captured as lifelong fans. There just aren't enough of them--locals who attend Pitt and become the annual influx of new lifetime donors and supporters.
Not sure of the demographics, but where are Pitt students coming from? More importantly where are they going after school? Are Pitt students football fans in general? Gotta be fans of the sport to begin with, don't ya think?

 

[HailToPitt725]

I used to be a big fan for an on-campus stadium, but there's just too many problems that would arise. Even with some of the ideas, such as the one where I suggested we build in South Oakland, there'd just be too many issues and the cost would be through the roof. All of our attendance records have been broken at Heinz Field. I think what we need to do is:

1) Buy Heinz Field after the Steelers leave. Begin to save money to add some big renovations, such as new seats, Great Hall with all Pitt and WPA, new suites and scoreboard, etc.
2) Expand signage on the North Shore for game days. This is something we could do right now that would would do a long way to making it feel like a true home game.
3) Expand Pitt's foot print on the North Shore. Not sure this has been mentioned, but I think adding a Pitt-themed restaurant or store or even a classroom would make it feel a lot more like home.
4) Work with the city to get plans started for expanding the T to Oakland. Officially linking the two would allow allow more travel back and fourth and would make it easier for fans and alums to visit the campus. It'd also make it easier for Oakland residents to get to games while giving students another form of transportation.

All of these would be more realistic than tearing down parts of Oakland or the campus just to add the stadium, when we could use those resources for other projects that would be more possible to complete.

 

[Piranha]

To add to your ideas!

Tie in all the colleges in a 60 mile range?

Link in with youth sports ( not just football) programs for every game. Give them free tickets when they're available maybe so concession stand coupons. I remember the PENS did that for the colleges back in the early 2000's when our kids attended PITT. Now in their 30's they and their friends are PENS season ticket holders. Work to build a loyal fanbase!

Promise fireworks at all night games. Pittburghers love fireworks.

Partner with car dealers, local merchants, local companies ( Dicks Sporting Goods etc.) to offer a giveaway after each game but you have to be present to win?
Not sure how it would be tracked but if you attend every home game you're in a pool of fans eligible for a car at the end of the season? or money? or PENS season tickets, Steelers season tickets, PITT club seats, something like that.

Free food for the students I think they might do that now.

Familes register on gameday and a family is picked to have pictures with their favorite Panther, sideline passes or seats behing the PITT bench.

Out of the box stuff to get people to the stadium. Once it becomes a habit attendance will increase. Got to get the ball rolling to add to the 30k die hard PITT fans!

I wholeheartedly agree with both of your posts. Pitt must turn this into an event. What they have been doing is not working, so you must think outside the box. You guys should share your thoughts with those in charge.

 

[Piranha]

I used to be a big fan for an on-campus stadium, but there's just too many problems that would arise. Even with some of the ideas, such as the one where I suggested we build in South Oakland, there'd just be too many issues and the cost would be through the roof. All of our attendance records have been broken at Heinz Field. I think what we need to do is:

1) Buy Heinz Field after the Steelers leave. Begin to save money to add some big renovations, such as new seats, Great Hall with all Pitt and WPA, new suites and scoreboard, etc.
2) Expand signage on the North Shore for game days. This is something we could do right now that would would do a long way to making it feel like a true home game.
3) Expand Pitt's foot print on the North Shore. Not sure this has been mentioned, but I think adding a Pitt-themed restaurant or store or even a classroom would make it feel a lot more like home.
4) Work with the city to get plans started for expanding the T to Oakland. Officially linking the two would allow allow more travel back and fourth and would make it easier for fans and alums to visit the campus. It'd also make it easier for Oakland residents to get to games while giving students another form of transportation.

All of these would be more realistic than tearing down parts of Oakland or the campus just to add the stadium, when we could use those resources for other projects that would be more possible to complete.

Another good post.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

I am so sick of the lack of common sense with these endless on campus stadium threads. The next time someone feels the need to post another one of these, do these things first:

1. Consider the state of Pennsylvania is bordering on broke. Where is the $500,000,000 to over a billion dollars going to come from to acquire the land and build the stadium?
2. Also consider this stadium would be used 6 or 7 times a year for football games. Total. 6 or 7 times a year for over half A BILLION DOLLARS
3. Consider the fact that any land to build an on campus stadium would still be off campus. The students will not be able to walk, they will need to take a shuttle or drive, just like they do now. So it makes sense to break a great deal with the Steelers (which actually is the closer with many of our recruits that they get exposure at the practice facility with the Steelers) so we can have a 45,000 seat stadium that will be too small when we play big time opponents?
4. Consider that the grid to get to Oakland or a neighboring area sucks! Who wants to sit an hour getting into the area and two hours getting out???
5. Tailgating in a parking garage also sucks! This talk is just a complete waste of air and time for everyone.

Okay, I am done, people that continue with these endless "we need an on campus stadium" threads are either stupid or not based in reality.

Way too many assumptions to take seriously. This is no better than the pie in the sky on campus stadium threads.

 

[runshadyrun]

Promise fireworks at all night games. Pittburghers love fireworks.

Pitt did a fireworks night this year, stadium was nearly empty by the time the fireworks came.

If they had waited to play Sweet Caroline until after the fireworks, probably would have been better. People (not just students) think that song means it's time to leave.

 

[Delpanther]

I am so sick of the lack of common sense with these endless on campus stadium threads. The next time someone feels the need to post another one of these, do these things first:

1. Consider the state of Pennsylvania is bordering on broke. Where is the $500,000,000 to over a billion dollars going to come from to acquire the land and build the stadium?
2. Also consider this stadium would be used 6 or 7 times a year for football games. Total. 6 or 7 times a year for over half A BILLION DOLLARS
3. Consider the fact that any land to build an on campus stadium would still be off campus. The students will not be able to walk, they will need to take a shuttle or drive, just like they do now. So it makes sense to break a great deal with the Steelers (which actually is the closer with many of our recruits that they get exposure at the practice facility with the Steelers) so we can have a 45,000 seat stadium that will be too small when we play big time opponents?
4. Consider that the grid to get to Oakland or a neighboring area sucks! Who wants to sit an hour getting into the area and two hours getting out???
5. Tailgating in a parking garage also sucks! This talk is just a complete waste of air and time for everyone.

Okay, I am done, people that continue with these endless "we need an on campus stadium" threads are either stupid or not based in reality.

Nah, we'll move FB back on campus. Sorry.