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Pitt Stadium pic from the '80s

cbpitt2

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Sep 12, 2011
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I came across this picture on Facebook today stating it was from the '80s. Pitt Stadium full. Parking looks organized.

Z5YOavY.jpg
 
I came across this picture on Facebook today stating it was from the '80s. Pitt Stadium full. Parking looks organized.

Z5YOavY.jpg
Parking looks organized because so many fans are parked nowhere near Pitt Stadium.

They didn't call it "Cardiac Hill" for nothing! ;)
 
I came across this picture on Facebook today stating it was from the '80s. Pitt Stadium full. Parking looks organized.

Z5YOavY.jpg

Impossible. Some say parking would never work with a stadium in Oakland. I'm apathetic to it all now.
 
I came across this picture on Facebook today stating it was from the '80s. Pitt Stadium full. Parking looks organized.

Z5YOavY.jpg

There is obviously enough parking considering many more than 50K people make their way into Oakland to work and go to school on weekdays. College campuses werent built with infrastructures to support 50K, 60K, 100K people coming in for a football game. Its why at most of these places, you have to park very far away, ride shuttles, etc. Parking was never a reason we cant have a stadium.
 
There is obviously enough parking considering many more than 50K people make their way into Oakland to work and go to school on weekdays. College campuses werent built with infrastructures to support 50K, 60K, 100K people coming in for a football game. Its why at most of these places, you have to park very far away, ride shuttles, etc. Parking was never a reason we cant have a stadium.

That's a good thing. College campuses don't need huge seas or surface parking lots.
 
Man the number of buses lined up along the road above the stadium (Allequippa St. I believe) is insane. It looks like railroad cars.
 
I think this might actually be a photo from the 70s. Maybe even the '76 season.

The endzone has "PANTHERS" in yellow circles which I think they used in '76. By '77 or '78 I think they were using block "PANTHERS" in the enzone. I think the scoreboard that they put in after 76 would be more visible here. I don't see any evidence of Mervis Hall built in '83 peeking to the right of Posvar or the fraternity housing complexes which were built circa '84. The Barco Law building opened in winter '76 so it can't be older than the 1976 season.
 
I think this might actually be a photo from the 70s. Maybe even the '76 season.

The endzone has "PANTHERS" in yellow circles which I think they used in '76. By '77 or '78 I think they were using block "PANTHERS" in the enzone. I think the scoreboard that they put in after 76 would be more visible here. I don't see any evidence of Mervis Hall built in '83 peeking to the right of Posvar or the fraternity housing complexes which were built circa '84. The Barco Law building opened in winter '76 so it can't be older than the 1976 season.
There’s almost no soot visible on Barco. It looks pretty much brand new.
 
I think this might actually be a photo from the 70s. Maybe even the '76 season.

The endzone has "PANTHERS" in yellow circles which I think they used in '76. By '77 or '78 I think they were using block "PANTHERS" in the enzone. I think the scoreboard that they put in after 76 would be more visible here. I don't see any evidence of Mervis Hall built in '83 peeking to the right of Posvar or the fraternity housing complexes which were built circa '84. The Barco Law building opened in winter '76 so it can't be older than the 1976 season.
Agree. Looks to me like a late season 1976 game. (WVU maybe?) If there was more magnification and clarity, I might be able to ID my car. 😀 I know right where I always parked in the OC lot, and that area of the lot is included in that photo.
 
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Agree. Looks to me like a late season 1976 game. (WVU maybe?) If there was more magnification and clarity, I might be able to ID my car. 😀 I know right where I always parked in the OC lot, and that area of the lot is included in that photo.
I thought that was your car! 😉
 
I think this might actually be a photo from the 70s. Maybe even the '76 season.

The endzone has "PANTHERS" in yellow circles which I think they used in '76. By '77 or '78 I think they were using block "PANTHERS" in the enzone. I think the scoreboard that they put in after 76 would be more visible here. I don't see any evidence of Mervis Hall built in '83 peeking to the right of Posvar or the fraternity housing complexes which were built circa '84. The Barco Law building opened in winter '76 so it can't be older than the 1976 season.
Does rhe condition of Forbes Field provide any clues?
 
Does rhe condition of Forbes Field provide any clues?
Good point. Posvar looks close to finished, which opened in 1978. They started it in 1975, so I’d be a little surprised if the exterior was pretty much done by football season 1976.
 
I believe that is the Law School directly across from the Towers which opened for classes in January 1976. Cant tell if the building totally finished
 
Good point. Posvar looks close to finished, which opened in 1978. They started it in 1975, so I’d be a little surprised if the exterior was pretty much done by football season 1976.
Even though it wasn't dedicated until '78, Posvar's exterior was formed by spring of 76, so it could be consistent the photo dating to the fall of 76.

And confirm by YouTube video, block "PANTHERS" in the endzone by the end of the 77 season, and also a mid-field script Pitt. Doesn't look like that is the case in this photo.
 
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Even though it wasn't dedicated until '78, Posvar's exterior was formed by spring of 76, so it could be consistent the photo dating to the fall of 76.

And confirm by YouTube video, block "PANTHERS" in the endzone by the end of the 77 season, and also a mid-field script Pitt. Doesn't look like that is the case in this photo.

The other thing I'm trying to figure out is what game this could be. From the trees which look mostly still green (but with maybe some brown), it looks to be September to mid October. Also, the stadium appears to be completely packed/sold out which from my memory, which wasn't the case accept in the biggest games. (Although much of the 76 season may have been nearly sold out from what I remember).

From my "seasonal judgement," the applicable 76 games could be:

Temple on Sept 25 (not likely full). Louisville on Oct 9 (not likely full), Miami on Oct 16 or Syracuse on October 30.

Possible 77 games could be:

Notre Dame on Sept 10 (seems very possible), William & Mary on Sept 17 (not likely full), or Navy on October 15.
 
Temple on Sept 25 (not likely full). Louisville on Oct 9 (not likely full), Miami on Oct 16 or Syracuse on October 30.

In order, 38,500, 34,000, 42,434 and 50,399. So if it was one of those it was Syracuse. But even that seems unlikely, because if there were 6,000 empty seats they would have mostly been in that east end zone, and it's full.

So I'm guessing Notre Dame in 1977.
 
In order, 38,500, 34,000, 42,434 and 50,399. So if it was one of those it was Syracuse. But even that seems unlikely, because if there were 6,000 empty seats they would have mostly been in that east end zone, and it's full.

So I'm guessing Notre Dame in 1977.

Notre Dame in 77 is my best guess also.
 
Agree. Looks to me like a late season 1976 game. (WVU maybe?) If there was more magnification and clarity, I might be able to ID my car. 😀 I know right where I always parked in the OC lot, and that area of the lot is included in that photo.
The WVU game in 76 was on November 13. It would seen to me that the trees look too green for it to be that late.
 
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Notre Dame in 77 is my best guess also.


Endzones for 77 SU game have block "PANTHERS" in what looks like white paint.

I don't think that is what is shown in the photo if you zoom in on it....seems like it is Panthers with each letter in a gold circle in west endzone; east endzone blue circles with "PANTHERS."

See the '76 SU game here and east enzone of the stadium looks packed:
 
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Endzones have block "PANTHERS" in what looks like white paint. I don't think that is what is shown in the photo if you zoom in on it....seems like it is Panthers with each letter in a gold circle.
I see your point. But as we’ve mentioned, there are questions about 76 games too.
 
I see your point. But as we’ve mentioned, there are questions about 76 games too.
See the above edit with the SU game clips pasted in.

Not sure how you get past the endzone differences thus not sure how it could be 77.
 
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I have a poster of the last Pitt game played in Pitt stadium vs ND. I was there with my wife and oldest daughter. Some of my buddies who played were honored at halftime. Look at it every day because my golf clubs are stored underneath it.
 
See the above edit with the SU game clips pasted in.

Not sure how you get past the endzone differences thus not sure how it could be 77.
Don’t get me wrong — I’m convinced it’s not 77.
 
The WVU game in 76 was on November 13. It would seen to me that the trees look too green for it to be that late.
The grass is green in the photo, but the trees definitely do not look green to me.

It has to be a game prior to 1977 because of the end zone decoration. (As Crazy Paco correctly stated). And they never used those types of end zone decorations again.

That, plus the crowd and the low sun angle/clear skies are why I’m thinking WVU 1976. Could also possibly be ND in 1975. That was TD’s 303 yd rushing game.

If the photo is indeed from the ‘76 WVU game, it was quite a battle. Hard fought and chippy. Tony D got thrown out near the end for retaliating to yet another late blow to his head. Fortunately, that was after scoring the winning touchdown on a great run around end down the left sideline in the 4Q.
 
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The grass is green in the photo, but the trees definitely do not look green to me.

It has to be a game prior to 1977 because of the end zone decoration. (As Crazy Paco correctly stated). And they never used those types of end zone decorations again.

That, plus the crowd and the low sun angle/clear skies are why I’m thinking WVU 1976. Could also possibly be ND in 1975. That was TD’s 303 yd rushing game.

If the photo is indeed from the ‘76 WVU game, it was quite a battle. Hard fought and chippy. Tony D got thrown out near the end for retaliating to yet another late blow to his head. Fortunately, that was after scoring the winning touchdown on a great run around end down the right sideline in the 4Q.
I'm looking at the trees in Schenley Park. They look green to me. But like Paco said, it's not 1977.
 
The grass is green in the photo, but the trees definitely do not look green to me.

It has to be a game prior to 1977 because of the end zone decoration. (As Crazy Paco correctly stated). And they never used those types of end zone decorations again.

That, plus the crowd and the low sun angle/clear skies are why I’m thinking WVU 1976. Could also possibly be ND in 1975. That was TD’s 303 yd rushing game.

If the photo is indeed from the ‘76 WVU game, it was quite a battle. Hard fought and chippy. Tony D got thrown out near the end for retaliating to yet another late blow to his head. Fortunately, that was after scoring the winning touchdown on a great run around end down the right sideline in the 4Q.
Almost has to be the WVU game in '76. I don't think Barco and Posvar halls would look as complete in '75, or at least there would be cranes. Also, regarding 77, the old Pennsylvania Hall was painted with the Pitt (pink panther version) Panther for the 1st game that year...'76 no paint on that building as in the photo.

In the photo, the trees in the foreground look fairly, but not completely, bare. Highlight clips from Miami game earlier in the '76 season show a much more sparsely populated east endzone.

Also, check out white banner placement in the blue painted sideline wall in the east endzone...plus the bunched up people (band?) standing in front of the wall from that endzone to the 20 yard line...it's a match to the below game tape for WVU (and does not match SU game posted above)!:



That sort of clinches it for me. November 13, 1976 Pitt vs WVU. ABC game, last game of the season at Pitt Stadium, Pitt newly ranked #1...also a good reason to send a plane, helicopter, or blimp up to snap an aerial photo of that game.
 
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Don't think it's WVU in 1976. I looked at the weather and it was cloudy and cold. It had been pretty cold many times over the previous 4 weeks as 21 of the 27 previous days had lows of freezing or below. There's clearly color on a lot of the trees in Schenley, and there's little chance that would be there on 11/13/76.

It's either a different game, or the picture was enhanced or digitally modified.
 
Don't think it's WVU in 1976. I looked at the weather and it was cloudy and cold. It had been pretty cold many times over the previous 4 weeks as 21 of the 27 previous days had lows of freezing or below. There's clearly color on a lot of the trees in Schenley, and there's little chance that would be there on 11/13/76.

It's either a different game, or the picture was enhanced or digitally modified.
Look at the shadows in some part of the WVU game...like the 39:41 mark. Clearly was sunny during some stretches. And the sharp west to east shadows of players also match the shadows of the trees in Schenley Park and Tower C (sun moving to the west).

But primarily, crowd and fan banner placement are matches as well, and they don't match the early SU game (which appeared to be cloudy the whole game).
 
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I agree with those that say the trees do not look green -- they look like November trees to me. For example, the trees lining Schenley drive in front of Phipps look like you can see right through them as if all of their leaves are gone.
 
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Look at the shadows in some part of the WVU game...like the 39:41 mark. Clearly was sunny during some stretches. And the sharp west to east shadows of players also match the shadows of the trees in Schenley Park and Tower C (sun moving to the west).

But primarily, crowd and fan banner placement are matches as well, and they don't match the early SU game (which appeared to be cloudy the whole game).
Didn't watch the video, but you're right there are periods of sun.
 
1975 (ND) or 1976 (WVU) are great educated guesses. Note that Pennsylvania Hall at the upper left did not yet have that painted mural on the side that first appeared in ‘77.
 
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