Pitt Stadium

[rmf05]

I loved Pitt Stadium. It's funny how people compare a stadium which was built in the 20's and that incompetent administrators failed to maintain for generations to modern stadiums.

A new Pitt stadium would need to be much smaller and have modern amenities. Also, Pitt stadium had an awesome architectural facade. I'd recapture that with the same gothic arches that the team incorporates in their uniforms.

 

[MalvernPanther]

Pitt stadium was a horrible stadium. Metal benches and troughs in the bathroom - track around the field kept you further from the action.
The only redeeming factor was to roll out of bed and down to the game from the top of the hill.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

I want dirt walls along the walkway to the stands; only then will I feel like I'm going to a Pitt game.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

My freshman year walking up the hill from the towers was way too much exercise for this 18 yr old with a belly full of Iron. The walk back was great!!

Pitt stadium was a horrible stadium. Metal benches and troughs in the bathroom - track around the field kept you further from the action.
The only redeeming factor was to roll out of bed and down to the game from the top of the hill.

 

[CaptainMurphy]

I'd love it if they could squeeze in a simple, small stadium somewhere. Two double decked grandstands, don't even need end zone seating. Pitt Stadium was great but not a great use of space.

 

[bwh05]

My best memories are not of Pitt Stadium (1976 on when I first started to attend Pitt games)… I recall that they played football games there and I remember watching quite a few...nothing great about the venue...(except maybe the troughs in the men's rooms?) It wasn't an issue of a great stadium...it was an issue of a great location!

My memories are of OAKLAND...

Luna's...Chief's...Zelda's...
And terrible parking...but I managed...

It was at the center of things...that's what was exciting.

Marino's first game on his 18th birthday...against Kansas...incomplete...interception...touchdown to Ralph Still (I think that's it). And then out to the streets of Oakland. No buses...no driving...WALKING! Out to the neighborhood...Oakland, where Pitt is.

That's what I miss.

I miss the energy of game day in Oakland pre and postgame. CJ Barney’s pre and post game!!! Haha

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

Pitt stadium was a horrible stadium. Metal benches and troughs in the bathroom - track around the field kept you further from the action.
The only redeeming factor was to roll out of bed and down to the game from the top of the hill.

Metal benches were and upgrade! They were previously very splintery wooden benches. Lots of newspapers with team rosters sold pre-game on the street ostensibly to be an alternative to buying an official program in the stadium. However, the newspapers sold really well because you could sit on them to avoid getting splinters in your rear and later to not roast your rear at September games or freeze your rear off at November games when they became metal (aluminum).

 

[HailtoPitt]

Most of the complaints about Pitt Stadium were a result of Pitt not doing much over the years to make it nice. Crappy bathrooms and bad bleachers are not a good reason to complain about a stadium. They are good reasons to complain about the caretaker of the stadium.

 

[CrazyPaco]

On-campus stadium talk? I’m surprised this is being discussed since we’re winning right now

If they're going to build it, they’re in a very unique time frame right now. They probably give it some pause right now with the pay for play issue arising (and all the uncertainty there) but you also need to have some urgency because 1) Heinz’s lease expires relatively soon and 2) the university is in the midst of a campus-wide master plan and you’d want to align any stadium with the rest of their plans.

If they bring football back to Oakland, it’d probably involve building a stadium where the current VA Hospital exists (which is unlikely with the amount of money they’ve put into renovations) or tearing down Posvar Hall, Holman Library, and the buildings immediately surrounding it and building one there.

I think the latter is actually more likely. Those buildings are extremely inefficient in terms of actual usage to square feet, and you could build new buildings that are more vertically-oriented as part of the master plan that would be easier to fit into Oakland. It’d be neat having a stadium there because of how close you are to the Cathedral and the lawn space surrounding that area (think of the tailgating/pregame festivity possibilities). You’re also closer to 376 and the proposed transit system that would connect South Oakland to the Hazelwood site, which would make getting in/out of Oakland easier. Maybe you could even restore Maz Field and turn it into a Forbes Field/Oakland museum.

The only other possibility I could see is if they build a new VA Hospital somewhere (near the airport?), they actually build a new basketball arena on that site since it’s a better fit for something of that scale and then build a new stadium where Pitt Stadium once stood.

Just my opinion, though.

Tearing down Posvar or Hillman is less likely than the VA, which is completely unlikely. Both facilities are undergoing $millions in extensive renovations and expansions and already house a huge chunk of the university.

For instance ...
Hillman: https://library.pitt.edu/hillmanreinvention
Posvar: https://www.fm.pitt.edu/projects/wesley-w-posvar-hall-renovation

 

[HailToPitt725]

Tearing down Posvar or Hillman is less likely than the VA, which is completely unlikely. Both facilities are undergoing $millions in extensive renovations and expansions and already house a huge chunk of the university.

For instance ...
Hillman: https://library.pitt.edu/hillmanreinvention
Posvar: https://www.fm.pitt.edu/projects/wesley-w-posvar-hall-renovation

You’d know more than I would, so that settles it. Just some educated guesses on my part. Wasn’t sure if they were doing anything to those buildings as part of the master plan.

 

[CrazyPaco]

You’d know more than I would, so that settles it. Just some educated guesses on my part. Wasn’t sure if they were doing anything to those buildings as part of the master plan.

Posvar's been slated for expansion for years. Had just undergone a major overhaul. Hillman is in the middle of a floor-by-floor overhaul. They are very high use buildings. Many Dietrich School departments are housed in Posvar, along with the School of Education, the School of General Studies, GSPIA, and multiple major centers like UCIS. It is stuffed.

 

[HailToPitt725]

Posvar's been slated for expansion for years. Had just undergone a major overhaul. Hillman is in the middle of a floor-by-floor overhaul. They are very high use buildings. Many Dietrich School departments are housed in Posvar, along with the School of Education, the School of General Studies, GSPIA, and multiple major centers like UCIS. It is stuffed.

Thanks. I guess I didn’t mean “inefficient” in the sense that they are underused, but that it’d be ideal if the buildings went up vertically instead of sprawling out horizontally. It’s a moot point, though.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Thanks. I guess I didn’t mean “inefficient” in the sense that they are underused, but that it’d be ideal if the buildings went up vertically instead of sprawling out horizontally. It’s a moot point, though.

That's sort of an ironic statement because the Cathedral has been lambasted since it went up for the inefficiency caused by its vertical construction.

Hillman certainly hasn't been underused and its renovations have been focused on making it even more used for current student trends in studying and group work. Foot traffic has actually been up there, even before the renovations, in the last decade, despite so much being available on-line.

Posvar isn't underused, but its gathering and study places have been (the "galaria" on the first and second floors). Those spaces, and the lecture halls, were the target of the recent renovations to improve student use and meeting space. The offices and classrooms have always been fully utilized.

This is the first floor of Posvar now (the new "Global Hub" area):

 

[HailToPitt725]

That's sort of an ironic statement because the Cathedral has been lambasted since it went up for the inefficiency caused by its vertical construction.

Hillman certainly hasn't been underused and its renovations have been focused on making it even more used for current student trends in studying and group work. Foot traffic has actually been up there, even before the renovations, in the last decade, despite so much being available on-line.
Posvar isn't underused, but its gathering and study places have been (the "galaria" on the first and second floors). Those spaces, and the lecture halls, were the target of the recent renovations to improve student use and meeting space. The offices and classrooms have always been fully utilized.

Agreed, I just meant that in terms of construction in Oakland, the buildings would be more efficient if they went vertically so that there would be more room to build additional facilities. I guess that’s life as an urban university.

 

[itsnillertime]

You’d know more than I would, so that settles it. Just some educated guesses on my part. Wasn’t sure if they were doing anything to those buildings as part of the master plan.

Is there a link depicting what this master plan is? I’m not familiar with it.

 

[HailToPitt725]

Is there a link depicting what this master plan is? I’m not familiar with it.

https://www.campusplan.pitt.edu/draft-campus-plan

 

[JSSTartan]

My dads first year in dental school he and a friend from Theta Chi snuck a keg into Pitt Stadium dressed as a fan. Honest to God. It was around ‘71.

 

[bwh05]

Most of the complaints about Pitt Stadium were a result of Pitt not doing much over the years to make it nice. Crappy bathrooms and bad bleachers are not a good reason to complain about a stadium. They are good reasons to complain about the caretaker of the stadium.

People act like Pitt Stadium was unique with bleachers and crappy bathrooms. Newsflash-they were all like that at one time. We just never spent the $$ to modernize a facility built in 1925. It would have been fine if Pitt ever took their head out of their ass long enough to think about the future.

 

[NCLee]

Forbes Quad is a dump and waste of space.

 

[NTOP]

People act like Pitt Stadium was unique when bleachers and crappy bathrooms. Newsflash-they were all like that at one time. We just never spent the $$ to modernize a facility built in 1925. It would have been fine if Pitt ever took their head out of their ass long enough to think about the future.

Too busy stocking Bozik & Posvar's bar.

 

[NCLee]

Thats why I will never give old Wesley any credit. Dude was a fraud.

 

[HailtoPitt]

People act like Pitt Stadium was unique when bleachers and crappy bathrooms. Newsflash-they were all like that at one time. We just never spent the $$ to modernize a facility built in 1925. It would have been fine if Pitt ever took their head out of their ass long enough to think about the future.

Exactly. What did Pitt do when the iron was hot at a time when other schools were putting money into their programs and stadiums? Nothing. We are still dealing with the consequences.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

Forbes Quad is a dump and waste of space.

And any money dumped into that dump is a waste. It's an eyesore that looks like a giant parking garage, and an embarrassment to campus.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

People act like Pitt Stadium was unique when bleachers and crappy bathrooms. Newsflash-they were all like that at one time. We just never spent the $$ to modernize a facility built in 1925. It would have been fine if Pitt ever took their head out of their ass long enough to think about the future.

most still are. Beaver stadium is a high school stadium on steroids, so is UCF. Don't really need lots of bells and whistles.

 

[TimWVU01]

most still are. Beaver stadium is a high school stadium on steroids, so is UCF. Don't really need lots of bells and whistles.

As a WVU guy -- on Beaver stadium we can agree. Looks like an erector set on steroids... I believe the metal substructure for that place was actually in a different part of campus in the 50's and they disassembled it and moved it to its current location. Looks like some engineer said -- "hey let's throw some seating here or how about over there".... never been impressed. Holds a lot of people sure but as a facility -- bleh.....

 

[upj87]

Pitt stadium was a horrible stadium. Metal benches and troughs in the bathroom - track around the field kept you further from the action.
The only redeeming factor was to roll out of bed and down to the game from the top of the hill.

and troughs in the bathroom...looks like you have yet to pop your Heinz piss cherry yet...

 

[pparkins]

Pitt stadium was a horrible stadium. Metal benches and troughs in the bathroom - track around the field kept you further from the action.
The only redeeming factor was to roll out of bed and down to the game from the top of the hill.

 

[pittdan77]

2. The surface was a bad rug that was hard as a rock. That would of course be different today.

Actually, Pitt had a pretty decent surface by the late '80's. Felt like you were playing on a bed.

 

[pparkins]

There was not a bad seat in the stadium. Yes it needed upgraded, a new press box and more bathrooms. It was built the same year as tOSU stadium and at the Ohio stadium there were seats where you couldn't see the scoreboard, however they spent money and upgraded their stadium and it is now one of the best stadiums.PITT could and should have done the same thing. While talking about stadiums go to a Penn State gaame and sit in one their "half "bench seats.The people complaining about Pitt Stadiium were mostly the media because of the press box and I am tired of them referring to it as a "dump"Putting money into Pitt Stadiiuim meant we had a track, a place for outdoor intramurals, a place for the Band to practice etc. and although we have all of that now in the long run it would have been cheaper to remodel the Stadium.This was One of Nordenberg's big mistakes besides tearing down Syria Mosque which would have been a great place for convocations and also our Military Ball was held there as well as others. social events, meetings etc.


t

 

[Dointhatrag]

Ghostbusters was out and you always had some yahoo calling out "Don't cross the streams!"

 

[superstein61a]

The people complaining about Pitt Stadiium were mostly the media because of the press box and I am tired of them referring to it as a "dump"

Sometimes the truth hurts - it was a dump. Good riddance. Fans who pay the bills prefer modern amenities like at Heinz. It may not be the best solution for hungover students to crawl out of bed and walk to the stadium, but Heinz is the better solution for the vast majority of other fans (except for those who wax nostalgic over a dump)

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

There was not a bad seat in the stadium. Yes it needed upgraded, a new press box and more bathrooms. It was built the same year as tOSU stadium and at the Ohio stadium there were seats where you couldn't see the scoreboard, however they spent money and upgraded their stadium and it is now one of the best stadiums.PITT could and should have done the same thing. While talking about stadiums go to a Penn State gaame and sit in one their "half "bench seats.The people complaining about Pitt Stadiium were mostly the media because of the press box and I am tired of them referring to it as a "dump"Putting money into Pitt Stadiiuim meant we had a track, a place for outdoor intramurals, a place for the Band to practice etc. and although we have all of that now in the long run it would have been cheaper to remodel the Stadium.This was One of Nordenberg's big mistakes besides tearing down Syria Mosque which would have been a great place for convocations and also our Military Ball was held there as well as others. social events, meetings etc.


t

there was not a bad seat in the stadium? Dude, there wasn't a good seat in the stadium. if you were 1/2 way up on the 50, you were a quarter mile from the field..

 

[JSSTartan]

I have extremely fond memories of spending many, many Saturdays there with my dad. I enjoy seeing these old pictures. Truth be told, it was tough to actually see what was happening on the field due to the distance between the seating and the field.

Nostalgia is a powerful thing. It cannot be used to properly analyze current opportunities however.

I’d absolutely love an on campus or near campus intimate setting for Pitt football and other athletics; however, unless something dramatic happens, they funding it would take would be much better invested in other aspects of the athletic teams and in particular football.

 

[runshadyrun]

there was not a bad seat in the stadium? Dude, there wasn't a good seat in the stadium. if you were 1/2 way up on the 50, you were a quarter mile from the field..

I agree, track was a killer

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

I agree, track was a killer

look at the space behind the endzones. that's like another 60+ yards from endzone to the first row behind the endzones, lol.

 

[pittdan77]

and troughs in the bathroom...looks like you have yet to pop your Heinz piss cherry yet...

Troughs are way better. Harder to miss when you're drunk.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Troughs are way better. Harder to miss when you're drunk.

Never understood men complaining about troughs. Freakin weird. Is taking a leak in a urinal that much more enjoyable? You take a leak, who cares where it goes or the shape of the object it goes in.

no one is looking at your junk. No one cares if you get stage fright. Whats wrong with you people?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

there was not a bad seat in the stadium? Dude, there wasn't a good seat in the stadium. if you were 1/2 way up on the 50, you were a quarter mile from the field..

It's amazing the way that people allow their nostalgia for that stadium to overwhelm the obvious facts about the place. I mean seriously, not a bad seat in the house? Could anyone who had ever watched a game there say something like that and claim to be serious?

 

[Franb]

It's amazing the way that people allow their nostalgia for that stadium to overwhelm the obvious facts about the place. I mean seriously, not a bad seat in the house? Could anyone who had ever watched a game there say something like that and claim to be serious?

The only good seats were the ones near the kegs that we snuck in.

 

[CrazyPaco]

There was not a bad seat in the stadium. Yes it needed upgraded, a new press box and more bathrooms. It was built the same year as tOSU stadium and at the Ohio stadium there were seats where you couldn't see the scoreboard, however they spent money and upgraded their stadium and it is now one of the best stadiums.PITT could and should have done the same thing. While talking about stadiums go to a Penn State gaame and sit in one their "half "bench seats.The people complaining about Pitt Stadiium were mostly the media because of the press box and I am tired of them referring to it as a "dump"Putting money into Pitt Stadiiuim meant we had a track, a place for outdoor intramurals, a place for the Band to practice etc. and although we have all of that now in the long run it would have been cheaper to remodel the Stadium.This was One of Nordenberg's big mistakes besides tearing down Syria Mosque which would have been a great place for convocations and also our Military Ball was held there as well as others. social events, meetings etc.


t

Pitt didn’t demo the Syria Mosque. UPMC did. Pitt was outbid for it, and wanted to renovate it as a convocation/event space for the university. UPMC and Pitt didn’t know the other was bidding on it.