These numbers were taken from a thread on the free board, but they are real numbers. We always blast the fans, fanbase, etc.......like at some point, Pitt had this vibrant fanbase. If you look at these numbers, really nothing has moved the fanbase. Temporarily, the move to Heinz did, but the Pitting took care of that and well, the attendance has found its norm. It is what it is. There are 40-50K fans who will go to college football games in this city. So to think moving into a 65-70K stadium would be a good long term move well.....I'M AFRAID I GOT SOME BAAAAAD NEWS......
I likened this to having a 100 seat restaurant, and it only being 80% full, and then tearing it down and building a 200 seat restaurant. Heinz Field is too big. Pitt needs a 45K stadium. That's it. If ND or WVU comes to town, too bad, scalper's delight. And we know in the foreseeable future, the stadium is what it is. So......man, you have to tarp. If I am Heather Lyke I am showing Pat Narduzzi these numbers and say "Pat, deal with it", we are turning Heinz into a 50K seat stadium.
From 1973 to 1999, Pitt's average home attendance was 40,902. There were 158 home games played over those 27 years.
<30k: 23
30-40k: 49
40-50k: 40
50-60k: 41
>60k: 5
In 2000, Pitt played at Three Rivers Stadium and averaged 40,866.
<30k: 0
30-40k: 3
40-50k: 2
50-60k: 1
From 2001 to 2016, Pitt's average home attendance has been 46,298. There have been 104 home games over those 16 years.
<30k: 0
30-40k: 24
40-50k: 50
50-60k: 15
>60k: 15
There have been 20 home Pitt games played in front of 60,000+ fans since 1973... and 15 of those are in Heinz Field.
There have been 77 home Pitt games played in front of 50,000+ fans since 1973... and 30 of those have been in Heinz Field.
Here's Pitt's attendance by year, with stadium capacity in (), and record and final rank since 1973:
1973: 33,609 (56,500) 6-5-1
1974: 41,279 (56,500) 7-4-0
1975: 42,022 (56,500) 8-4-0 (#15)
1976: 45,405 (56,500) 12-0-0 (#1)
1977: 44,181 (56,500) 9-2-1 (#8)
1978: 49,472 (56,500) 8-4-0
1979: 41,029 (56,500) 11-1-0 (#7)
1980: 44,342 (56,500) 11-1-0 (#2)
1981: 50,854 (56,500) 11-1-0 (#4)
1982: 54,809 (56,500) 9-3-0 (#10)
1983: 49,905 (56,500) 8-3-1 (#18)
1984: 32,337 (56,500) 3-7-1
1985: 41,758 (56,500) 5-5-1
1986: 46,498 (56,500) 6-4-1
1987: 47,982 (56,500) 8-4-0
1988: 41,692 (56,500) 6-5-0
1989: 43,866 (56,500) 8-3-1 (#17)
1990: 38,290 (56,500) 3-7-1
1991: 36,362 (56,500) 6-5-0
1992: 32,687 (56,500) 3-9-0
1993: 30,184 (56,500) 3-8-0
1994: 31,566 (56,500) 3-8-0
1995: 33,145 (56,500) 2-9-0
1996: 30,796 (56,500) 4-7-0
1997: 39,710 (56,500) 6-6-0
1998: 39,433 (56,500) 2-9-0
1999: 41,138 (56,500) 5-6-0
2000: 40,866 (59,000) 7-5-0
2001: 48,915 (65,050) 7-4-0
2002: 44,424 (65,050) 9-4-0 (#19)
2003: 59,197 (65,050) 8-5-0
2004: 41,600 (65,050) 8-4-0 (#25)
2005: 40,272 (65,050) 5-6-0
2006: 43,305 (65,050) 6-6-0
2007: 33,314 (65,050) 5-7-0
2008: 49,352 (65,050) 9-4-0
2009: 53,438 (65,050) 10-3-0 (#15)
2010: 52,165 (65,050) 8-5-0
2011: 46,003 (65,050) 6-7-0
2012: 41,494 (65,050) 6-7-0
2013: 49,741 (65,050) 7-6-0
2014: 41,315 (65,050) 6-7-0
2015: 48,150 (68,400) 8-5-0
2016: 48,080 (68,400) 7-4-0
I likened this to having a 100 seat restaurant, and it only being 80% full, and then tearing it down and building a 200 seat restaurant. Heinz Field is too big. Pitt needs a 45K stadium. That's it. If ND or WVU comes to town, too bad, scalper's delight. And we know in the foreseeable future, the stadium is what it is. So......man, you have to tarp. If I am Heather Lyke I am showing Pat Narduzzi these numbers and say "Pat, deal with it", we are turning Heinz into a 50K seat stadium.
From 1973 to 1999, Pitt's average home attendance was 40,902. There were 158 home games played over those 27 years.
<30k: 23
30-40k: 49
40-50k: 40
50-60k: 41
>60k: 5
In 2000, Pitt played at Three Rivers Stadium and averaged 40,866.
<30k: 0
30-40k: 3
40-50k: 2
50-60k: 1
From 2001 to 2016, Pitt's average home attendance has been 46,298. There have been 104 home games over those 16 years.
<30k: 0
30-40k: 24
40-50k: 50
50-60k: 15
>60k: 15
There have been 20 home Pitt games played in front of 60,000+ fans since 1973... and 15 of those are in Heinz Field.
There have been 77 home Pitt games played in front of 50,000+ fans since 1973... and 30 of those have been in Heinz Field.
Here's Pitt's attendance by year, with stadium capacity in (), and record and final rank since 1973:
1973: 33,609 (56,500) 6-5-1
1974: 41,279 (56,500) 7-4-0
1975: 42,022 (56,500) 8-4-0 (#15)
1976: 45,405 (56,500) 12-0-0 (#1)
1977: 44,181 (56,500) 9-2-1 (#8)
1978: 49,472 (56,500) 8-4-0
1979: 41,029 (56,500) 11-1-0 (#7)
1980: 44,342 (56,500) 11-1-0 (#2)
1981: 50,854 (56,500) 11-1-0 (#4)
1982: 54,809 (56,500) 9-3-0 (#10)
1983: 49,905 (56,500) 8-3-1 (#18)
1984: 32,337 (56,500) 3-7-1
1985: 41,758 (56,500) 5-5-1
1986: 46,498 (56,500) 6-4-1
1987: 47,982 (56,500) 8-4-0
1988: 41,692 (56,500) 6-5-0
1989: 43,866 (56,500) 8-3-1 (#17)
1990: 38,290 (56,500) 3-7-1
1991: 36,362 (56,500) 6-5-0
1992: 32,687 (56,500) 3-9-0
1993: 30,184 (56,500) 3-8-0
1994: 31,566 (56,500) 3-8-0
1995: 33,145 (56,500) 2-9-0
1996: 30,796 (56,500) 4-7-0
1997: 39,710 (56,500) 6-6-0
1998: 39,433 (56,500) 2-9-0
1999: 41,138 (56,500) 5-6-0
2000: 40,866 (59,000) 7-5-0
2001: 48,915 (65,050) 7-4-0
2002: 44,424 (65,050) 9-4-0 (#19)
2003: 59,197 (65,050) 8-5-0
2004: 41,600 (65,050) 8-4-0 (#25)
2005: 40,272 (65,050) 5-6-0
2006: 43,305 (65,050) 6-6-0
2007: 33,314 (65,050) 5-7-0
2008: 49,352 (65,050) 9-4-0
2009: 53,438 (65,050) 10-3-0 (#15)
2010: 52,165 (65,050) 8-5-0
2011: 46,003 (65,050) 6-7-0
2012: 41,494 (65,050) 6-7-0
2013: 49,741 (65,050) 7-6-0
2014: 41,315 (65,050) 6-7-0
2015: 48,150 (68,400) 8-5-0
2016: 48,080 (68,400) 7-4-0
