Pitt Tonight host interviews Chancellor & AD about stadium & paying athletes

[Revenge Of The Noise]

How many fans were at the Pens game? 18,000....so what's your point?

A Stanley Cup champ playing a playoff game in a series one way from the Finals would have gotten 50,000 if they had the capacity that night.

Just like 2009 Pitt - Cincy game being played for the Big East title and Orange Bowl, in horrible weather, was basically SRO. That day for that game, we could have filled 100,000 seats.

IMPROVE THE FRIGGIN PRODUCT.

 

[KanePA]

My lord. Yes, the ideas that you listed, if you are serious, are that dumb and absolutely not doable and make absolute no sense. You can't be for real.

I'd be happy to go through each and explain why it is implausible or a money loser, but if you need an explanation about why Pitt can't hold an outdoor basketball game in a football stadium, or why arena shows don't just get plopped into 50K seat stadiums, or why a rugby or lax game wouldn't make money, I probably can't help you on why a half billion dollar project (at least) on an urban campus bursting at the seams of its 140 acres isn't a priority for a university or an athletic department at the bottom of revenue generation among the P5 schools when it uses a nicer facility than it would ever be able to build itself three miles down the road.

Man, resorting to personal insults because I have a different opinion than you is pretty low class. Progressive thinkers who are full of ideas are often trampled by people with low intelligence and a mindset that something is impossible to get done. Grow up Paco. It's a message board.

 

[CrazyPaco]

The crime is that in the late 90's, PITT had very viable plans to do a complete renovation of PITT Stadium and connect a new convocation center directly behind it. A significant amount of state funding for the convocation center portion already existed. Those same state funds also provided funding for both the PSU and Temple convocation centers.

At the same time all of this was going on, the Pirates were threatening to leave without a new stadium. The Steelers said what about us? The Steelers also wanted a new stadium in lieu of a renovated 3 rivers.

At the end, Pittsburgh and Philly each got two new stadiums, while the Panthers and the Owls became tenants.

Pitt actually was very close to tearing down Pitt Stadium in the late 60s and early 70s in order to move football into Three Rivers.

Pitt had a $92 million plan in the 80s to renovate and dome Pitt stadium and turn it into a multipurpose arena like the Carrier Dome. Fundraising failed, miserably, so it never even got to a public phase.

The plan for the convocation center on the OC dates to the early 80s and was to be a bit over half the size of what was to become the Pete (which was actually three separate projects rolled into one). There were several problems with the convocation center plan, including the hill site it was slated for, but even in the early days, the costs were understate for the project.

In 1992, the state had allocated $30 million for the $35 million cost of an events arena, and it similarly allocated money for new arenas at Penn State and Temple. Pitt tried to to fundraise for the difference, but couldn't raise enough to even get the project off the ground and into the initial phases. In order to help jump start the project, then chancellor Dennis O'Conner cut a deal with the state to take the $13 million from the state immediately putting the remaining burden of $22 million (again an underestimation) on Pitt. The agreement specifically stated that "The commonwealth shall not make any additional funds available to the project under any circumstances." Fundraising continued to flounder and eventually O'Conner was fired in 1995 with no progress on any front of any athletic facilities. This is also at a time when the athletic department was bleeding money, including the football program which was failing on epic levels on the field and stands, and the university itself was in shaky financial condition. Pitt other athletic facilities were worse than perhaps anywhere else in major sports, and worse than many Division 2 schools. Apathy abounded, and Pitt was in trouble not even considering the scope of conference realignment on the horizon.

The deal O'Conner cut with the state took substantial lobbying and dealing for the Nordenberg administration to unwind in the late 90s. They were able to get additional money for the project and increase its scope to include include a student rec center. Part of this had to do with playing ball with politicians to help push through the professional arena plans. Moving the arena site also reduced complications and costs with building on the OC lot site. The fact that it got done and they were able to get the state to put substantially more money into it was a minor miracle.

But at no time was there actually sufficient money available for the renovations that Pitt Stadium needed to bring it in line with peer facilities. It would have taken years and years to get that considering how poorly fundraising was at the time, and really still is, and in the mean time, the area project may have stayed stalled or died. The rest of Pitt's athletic facilities would have absolutely been pushed to the back burner. Things could have really panned out differently in the 2000s. I personally think it is possible Pitt might have been left out of conference realignment with the state of its facilities.

 

[KanePA]

You do understand the difference between professional sports teams owner's and a University, right? In that scenario I am not surprised at all with the results. And in the example of Pitt, even though UPMC is the region's leading employer, the city of Pittsburgh goes out of their way to hinder anything related to Pitt. Makes zero sense, but it's the reality.

As you said there was a plan out there to renovate Pitt Stadium. It didn't happen. That's why this whole argument is moot. That land is GONE. The University's academic needs at this point far outweigh building a stadium when we have a perfectly fine one 3 MILES AWAY.

Define perfectly fine. Duquesne has a perfectly fine stadium. The problems with Heinz Field are too numerous to list here, but you can start with that it feels like a funeral home on Saturday afternoons in the fall.

 

[CrazyPaco]

I have no idea why you think introducing rugby or lacrosse is so dumb? All the options I presented are both doable and make sense. And although you don't think they'll make money, you're likely wrong and would make Pitt a decent amount of money.

Man, resorting to personal insults because I have a different opinion than you is pretty low class. Progressive thinkers who are full of ideas are often trampled by people with low intelligence and a mindset that something is impossible to get done. Grow up Paco. It's a message board.

I quoted your own words. You want me to lie to you and tell you that your ideas aren't dumb, are doable, and make sense and that you clearly understand anything that you are talking about? Honestly, I thought you might be employing sarcasm because that's how incredibly uninformed your posts on this have been.

I find it sad people won't move on and keep the pathetic grass is greener perspective that actually is incredibly unhelpful for the actual athletic programs they avow to support. It's been this way for 17 years. It will be for the next 17 too. There's no argument to win. You either accept reality and make the best of what you have, or you continue the incessant pinning for something that has no chance of happening and play right into Pitt's rivals hands.

 

[DiehardPanther]

Pitt actually was very close to tearing down Pitt Stadium in the late 60s and early 70s in order to move football into Three Rivers.

Pitt had a $92 million plan in the 80s to renovate and dome Pitt stadium and turn it into a multipurpose arena like the Carrier Dome. Fundraising failed, miserably, so it never even got to a public phase.

The plan for the convocation center on the OC dates to the early 80s and was to be a bit over half the size of what was to become the Pete (which was actually three separate projects rolled into one). There were several problems with the convocation center plan, including the hill site it was slated for, but even in the early days, the costs were understate for the project.

In 1992, the state had allocated $30 million for the $35 million cost of an events arena, and it similarly allocated money for new arenas at Penn State and Temple. Pitt tried to to fundraise for the difference, but couldn't raise enough to even get the project off the ground and into the initial phases. In order to help jump start the project, then chancellor Dennis O'Conner cut a deal with the state to take the $13 million from the state immediately putting the remaining burden of $22 million (again an underestimation) on Pitt. The agreement specifically stated that "The commonwealth shall not make any additional funds available to the project under any circumstances." Fundraising continued to flounder and eventually O'Conner was fired in 1995 with no progress on any front of any athletic facilities. This is also at a time when the athletic department was bleeding money, including the football program which was failing on epic levels on the field and stands, and the university itself was in shaky financial condition. Pitt other athletic facilities were worse than perhaps anywhere else in major sports, and worse than many Division 2 schools. Apathy abounded, and Pitt was in trouble not even considering the scope of conference realignment on the horizon.

The deal O'Conner cut with the state took substantial lobbying and dealing for the Nordenberg administration to unwind in the late 90s. They were able to get additional money for the project and increase its scope to include include a student rec center. Part of this had to do with playing ball with politicians to help push through the professional arena plans. Moving the arena site also reduced complications and costs with building on the OC lot site. The fact that it got done and they were able to get the state to put substantially more money into it was a minor miracle.

But at no time was there actually sufficient money available for the renovations that Pitt Stadium needed to bring it in line with peer facilities. It would have taken years and years to get that considering how poorly fundraising was at the time, and really still is, and in the mean time, the area project may have stayed stalled or died. The rest of Pitt's athletic facilities would have absolutely been pushed to the back burner. Things could have really panned out differently in the 2000s. I personally think it is possible Pitt might have been left out of conference realignment with the state of its facilities.

True - Nordenberg and Steve P. deserve a ton of credit for the job they did in the late 90's- early 2000's.

 

[CrazyPaco]

True - Nordenberg and Steve P. deserve a ton of credit for the job they did in the late 90's- early 2000's.

They do. But the stadium decision will always be controversial. I was actually against tearing down the stadium at the time, but one actually has to consider the circumstances of the moment to understand why it happened. It's hard to predict what may or may not have happened if different decisions were made. But they were made, and it is absolutely over.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

Define perfectly fine. Duquesne has a perfectly fine stadium. The problems with Heinz Field are too numerous to list here, but you can start with that it feels like a funeral home on Saturday afternoons in the fall.

I'm sure it felt like a funeral home to you last fall when PSU was playing Pitt.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Duquesne has a perfectly fine stadium.

Duquesne's "stadium" doesn't even have 1,000 seats in it. It is actually a lesser "stadium", in fact a much lesser "stadium", than your average western PA high school has.

The one and only part of the facility that can be accurately described as "perfectly fine" is the actual turf. Because I believe it is relatively new. The rest of it? One can only assume that you've never been there before.

 

[KanePA]

I quoted your own words. You want me to lie to you and tell you that your ideas and points aren't some of the dumbest and most ignorant ever posted on this board about this topic?

It is sad people won't move on. It's been this way for 17 years. It will be for the next 17 too. There's no argument to win. You either accept reality or not.

The reality is that Pitt is a 2nd rate school near the bottom of all P5 schools in athletics. No one goes to games, no one donates to the program, next to no one really cares. The reality is also that Heinz Field is a giant anchor around the waist of a program striving to keep students there for more than 3 quarters. Pitt will never be an above average program athletically. Who's to blame? Well, look in the mirror, and then look at the 15,000 people that show up on a Saturday.

Again, I never personally insulted you. Do everyone a favor and stop that trash.

 

[CrazyPaco]

The reality is that Pitt is a 2nd rate school near the bottom of all P5 schools in athletics. No one goes to games, no one donates to the program, next to no one really cares. The reality is also that Heinz Field is a giant anchor around the waist of a program striving to keep students there for more than 3 quarters. Pitt will never be an above average program athletically. Who's to blame? Well, look in the mirror, and then look at the 15,000 people that show up on a Saturday.

Again, I never personally insulted you. Do everyone a favor and stop that trash.

Yeah, your colors are coming out aren't they? Seems my insults weren't nearly big enough.

Ignorant trash goes on ignore. Bye trash.

 

[pitt-girl]

The reality is that Pitt is a 2nd rate school near the bottom of all P5 schools in athletics. No one goes to games, no one donates to the program, next to no one really cares. The reality is also that Heinz Field is a giant anchor around the waist of a program striving to keep students there for more than 3 quarters. Pitt will never be an above average program athletically. Who's to blame? Well, look in the mirror, and then look at the 15,000 people that show up on a Saturday.

Again, I never personally insulted you. Do everyone a favor and stop that trash.

So, the students stayed all 4 quarters at Pitt Stadium. On campus.

Or maybe we should talk about how they couldn't sell out that stadium (on campus) except for certain games. Funny how time dulls memories.

 

[CrazyPaco]

So, the students stayed all 4 quarters at Pitt Stadium. On campus.

6 posts. Insulted the chancellor. Insults Pitt. Thinks Pitt only gets 15K a game. Displays little knowledge of Pittsburgh or anything else. Sounds like a cult nitter piece of trash to me. At least he's revealed the worth of his posts early for the sake of ignore.

 

[ERICCARTMAN]

"we have a perfectly fine one 3 MILES AWAY." Thanks, I needed a good laugh on a Saturday night.

Earth to Pitt-girl, One of of benefits of an on-campus stadium is it affords a significant number of alumni an opportunity to reconnect with where they went to school. "3 miles away"...Heinz Field might as well be 3,000 miles from Oakland.

Oh, I'm well aware that ship had sailed regarding an on-campus stadium when the Rooney's brokered the stadium deal and Nordenberg did not understand the significance of what he was agreeing to.

Well... let's hope the current regime understands what it will take to retain Coach Narduzzi for a long time. .

 

[CrazyPaco]

"we have a perfectly fine one 3 MILES AWAY." Thanks, I needed a good laugh on a Saturday night.

Earth to Pitt-girl, One of of benefits of an on-campus stadium is it affords a significant number of alumni an opportunity to reconnect with where they went to school. "3 miles away"...Heinz Field might as well be 3,000 miles from Oakland.

Oh, I'm well aware that ship had sailed regarding an on-campus stadium when the Rooney's brokered the stadium deal and Nordenberg did not understand the significance of what he was agreeing to.

Well... let's hope the current regime understands what it will take to retain Coach Narduzzi for a long time. .

You don't think there is a difference between 3-4 miles and, say, the 21 miles from Coral Gables to Hard Rock Stadium, or the 26 miles between Westwood and Pasadena? There's a difference, trust me. Heinz is about the same distance from NC State's campus to Carter-Finley. It's not as easy as already being on campus, but it isn't that difficult to stop in Oakland after the game if someone wanted to.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

You don't think there is a difference between 3-4 miles and, say, the 21 miles from Coral Gables to Hard Rock Stadium, or the 26 miles between Westwood and Pasadena? There's a difference, trust me. Heinz is about the same distance from NC State's campus to Carter-Finley. It's not as easy as already being on campus, but it isn't that difficult to stop in Oakland after the game if someone wanted to.

Fun Fact: NCSU has sold out Carter-Finley for the last nine years - with the teams they've had.

Wake me when we average 57,500 for nine years.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

You mean the state university of a large and growing state? Okay that comparison is logical.

Fun Fact: NCSU has sold out Carter-Finley for the last nine years - with the teams they've had.

Wake me when we average 57,500 for nine years.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

Here's a two part series Cardiac Hill wrote a few years ago that looks at Pitt's attendance.

http://www.cardiachill.com/2014/6/9...dium-three-rivers-stadium-pittsburgh-panthers

http://www.cardiachill.com/2014/6/1...um-three-rivers-stadium-pittsburgh-panthers-2

 

[RaleighPittFan]

You mean the state university of a large and growing state? Okay that comparison is logical.

With two other Power 5 schools in the same metro area.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

IMPROVE THE FRIGGIN PRODUCT.

 

[Swervin27]

Pitt made colossal mistake with the Peterson events center, in every way possible. Usage of land is comical, just due a satellite image to get a good laugh, to de prioritizing a sport that should be your biggest resource to building a modern facility that needed upgraded and modernized 15 years after its inception.

Sadly, that mistake has hamstrung Pitt and football and will continue to do so. But don't worry, there is still enough room in Oakland for chain hotels.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

Pitt made colossal mistake with the Peterson events center, in every way possible. Usage of land is comical, just due a satellite image to get a good laugh, to de prioritizing a sport that should be your biggest resource to building a modern facility that needed upgraded and modernized 15 years after its inception.

Sadly, that mistake has hamstrung Pitt and football and will continue to do so. But don't worry, there is still enough room in Oakland for chain hotels.

Agreed on one point. Throwing in behind basketball and then starving it of resources and letting it go to hell was abysmal management.

 

[Spindler]

It is not unusual for Universities to share a stadium - look at UCLA and USC with the Rose Bowl. Pitt should buy the football stadium and athletic complex at CMU expanding it to 50,000 seats and allowing CMU to play it's games there. CMU already has a 700 car parking garage adjacent to their stadium too.
This move would put the new Pitt Stadium in Oakland vicinity, almost on campus. Alums could attend the football games and wonder back to the Pitt campus very easily afterwards. Additional parking would obviously need to be explored with shuttle service being introduced. It would give us an Oakland campus feel for football game days and a chance to revisit the Pitt campus regularly.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

Define perfectly fine. Duquesne has a perfectly fine stadium. The problems with Heinz Field are too numerous to list here, but you can start with that it feels like a funeral home on Saturday afternoons in the fall.

Nothing you say or can say will change reality and logic. An on-campus stadium at Pitt isn't going to happen. There are much higher priorities at Pitt and those take a lot more money than a stadium that takes up too much room and is only used for a few Saturdays or an occasional Thursday night in the fall. Besides, those other priorities are a lot more important than a new stadium.

Heinz Field is the best option we have for the foreseeable future. It's not a great college stadium and not perfect, but it's what we have and will have until it falls down or they tear it down. Just accept it and move on. Doing otherwise just makes you look foolish.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

It is not unusual for Universities to share a stadium - look at UCLA and USC with the Rose Bowl. Pitt should buy the football stadium and athletic complex at CMU expanding it to 50,000 seats and allowing CMU to play it's games there. CMU already has a 700 car parking garage adjacent to their stadium too.
This move would put the new Pitt Stadium in Oakland vicinity, almost on campus. Alums could attend the football games and wonder back to the Pitt campus very easily afterwards. Additional parking would obviously need to be explored with shuttle service being introduced. It would give us an Oakland campus feel for football game days and a chance to revisit the Pitt campus regularly.

At least with that idea, we'd have the 50,000 seats that are more appropriate for Pitt. Anything more than that and we have a lot of empty seats. I think additional parking would need to be found or built, though. And the infrastructure, roads and access, would need changed to accomodate traffic.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

You you hang on a PITT board at 11:00 on a Saturday night to troll.......loser

The reality is that Pitt is a 2nd rate school near the bottom of all P5 schools in athletics. No one goes to games, no one donates to the program, next to no one really cares. The reality is also that Heinz Field is a giant anchor around the waist of a program striving to keep students there for more than 3 quarters. Pitt will never be an above average program athletically. Who's to blame? Well, look in the mirror, and then look at the 15,000 people that show up on a Saturday.

Again, I never personally insulted you. Do everyone a favor and stop that trash.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

The reality is that Pitt is a 2nd rate school near the bottom of all P5 schools in athletics. No one goes to games, no one donates to the program, next to no one really cares. The reality is also that Heinz Field is a giant anchor around the waist of a program striving to keep students there for more than 3 quarters. Pitt will never be an above average program athletically. Who's to blame? Well, look in the mirror, and then look at the 15,000 people that show up on a Saturday.

Again, I never personally insulted you. Do everyone a favor and stop that trash.

Message board, and athletic message boards in particular, sure do attract a lot of riff-raff and trash. You're probably an admirer of that piece of garbage school that condones and promotes child rape by its coaches and administration. Now there's a top notch school! Go play with your PoopPants cut out and jerk off to him. That's your style.

 

[Saboteur]

The crime is that in the late 90's, PITT had very viable plans to do a complete renovation of PITT Stadium and connect a new convocation center directly behind it. A significant amount of state funding for the convocation center portion already existed. Those same state funds also provided funding for both the PSU and Temple convocation centers.

At the same time all of this was going on, the Pirates were threatening to leave without a new stadium. The Steelers said what about us? The Steelers also wanted a new stadium in lieu of a renovated 3 rivers.

At the end, Pittsburgh and Philly each got two new stadiums, while the Panthers and the Owls became tenants.

I have no idea why people overlook this, but it is real and remains a thorn in our side.
Any and all construction undertaken on behalf of the Commonwealth runs thru the Department of General Services (DGS). So when Pitt uses state funds in any form of construction, it is known as the "user" and DGS is the funder. Frequently, the user and the provider differ on how money should be used within a project.
When Pitt decided to tear down Pitt stadium (under Nordy and Peterson), the companion decision was to build the basketball arena we know now as the Pederson events Center.
Peterson made more enemies in Harrisburg and at DGS than any Pitt official before or after. That is quite a dubious accomplishment.
Peterson decided to "re-engineer" the Arena during the construction phase of the project. Basically, he stuck his nose in and demanded that "luxury" area behind the benches well after all the plans, specifications had been adopted and construction well underway. That change order alone meant that the Events Center went millions over budget...in the vicinity of 20 million.
That asinine move by Peterson started an avalanche of suits and claims. Not only was DGS out another 20 million or so, it had its staff tied up with lawsuits, etc. when other projects demanded their attention....and money!
Because PA required multiple prime contractors instead of one prime with many subs, this meant that every dog had its day in court as the costs flowed downhill. By statute, Commonwealth Court is the court of original jurisdiction in such matters so you did not hear much about it locally
This numbskull move by the arrogant Peterson burned more bridges than the retreating German Army did in WWII.
Pitt athletics has never quite recovered from this debacle in Harrisburg and specifically DGS.
And when your really deep pockets can't stand the sight of you, you have big problems.

 

[ThePanthers]

Some of you are just miserable people it seems.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Didn't read the thread or pay attention to the Gallagher interview but the second they start paying college athletes is the second I stop buying tickets, traveling to games, donating, or spending money on whatever sport pays the athletes.

 

[rpost3]

I"m not even against Pitt having a stadium.
I don't care what they do with campus.
But I don't think it would help the football program, the city, Oakland, or the university.
If you're talking large-scale development, then a mixed-use outdoor space would benefit the community way more, even if it came from a private developer.

https://www.google.com/search?q=pia...uIHUAhWBPiYKHWXqCFQQ_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=662

 

[rpost3]

Didn't read the thread or pay attention to the Gallagher interview but the second they start paying college athletes is the second I stop buying tickets, traveling to games, donating, or spending money on whatever sport pays the athletes.

LOL
Nobody cares, baby boomer.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

LOL
Nobody cares, baby boomer.

Depends how many people feel the same way as I do!
3 sets of PITT football tickets, donation, spend money on hotels, food, drinks in the PITTSBURG area since we're not in the area.
We'll see how many people feel the same way after they make that decision.
We boycotted NFL activity this past season due to the snowflake protests and that hurt the NFL. When that issue first surfaced and wife and I said we were boycotting people just like you said who cares. Well it mattered!
Hopefully paying college players will have a similar impact for college football IMO unless they take their schlorships away and have them pay for college out of that the U pays them!

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

Players are already being reimbursed above the table in the form of scholarships, room and board, usually far better than regular students receive. Plus many sweet perks that are totally above board too.

And of course there's the UNDER the table money ... plus other things ... that the serious programs give to the players.

Adding required official salaries onto the scholarships, room and board, and the illegal funding and other illegal perks (which would not go away in the slightest) would just make it even more impossible for the likes of Pitt. Pitt should drop all sports the moment anything like that is rammed through by the large programs. So if that is truly on the horizon, then we should all cherish the remaining time we have left of relevant D1 revenue sports at Pitt. We won't be in the boat alone either.

This would make it a double blessing there was no more football stadium albatross to worry about. Cut and run from Heinz would be simple and cost free. The Pete in current form would be greatly diminished in value of course, but could be retrofit for other purposes.

 

[PittEngineer]

It is not unusual for Universities to share a stadium - look at UCLA and USC with the Rose Bowl. Pitt should buy the football stadium and athletic complex at CMU expanding it to 50,000 seats and allowing CMU to play it's games there. CMU already has a 700 car parking garage adjacent to their stadium too.
This move would put the new Pitt Stadium in Oakland vicinity, almost on campus. Alums could attend the football games and wonder back to the Pitt campus very easily afterwards. Additional parking would obviously need to be explored with shuttle service being introduced. It would give us an Oakland campus feel for football game days and a chance to revisit the Pitt campus regularly.

UCLA and USC don't share the Rose Bowl.

USC plays in the Memorial Coliseum, which is literally across the street from its campus.

UCLA does play in the Rose Bowl, which is in Pasadena, and far across the city from its campus. People that think Heinz Field is too far/difficult for students/alumni to make it to campus have never experienced 20+ miles in LA.

 

[FireballZ]

With two other Power 5 schools in the same metro area.

And how many professional teams?

 

[HailtoPitt]

Pitt had a $92 million plan in the 80s to renovate and dome Pitt stadium and turn it into a multipurpose arena like the Carrier Dome. Fundraising failed, miserably, so it never even got to a public phase.

Do you happen to have documentation of the fundraising effort? The only reference I have seen is that the BoT "made a few calls" and couldn't get enough money. That is not a fundraising effort... except maybe at Pitt.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Do you happen to have documentation of the fundraising effort? The only reference I have seen is that the BoT "made a few calls" and couldn't get enough money. That is not a fundraising effort... except maybe at Pitt.

How do you think fundraising efforts start on this scale of project (which adjusted for CPI inflation would have been over $210 million). It always starts with a private phase where you reach out to the reliable donors that underwrite substantial chunks of such projects. You know what is realistic or not before you launch something publicly. That's why there is a private phase to begin with. What's your fundraising experience to declare what is and is not a fundraising effort? Where's your reference?

 

[DiehardPanther]

It is not unusual for Universities to share a stadium - look at UCLA and USC with the Rose Bowl. Pitt should buy the football stadium and athletic complex at CMU expanding it to 50,000 seats and allowing CMU to play it's games there. CMU already has a 700 car parking garage adjacent to their stadium too.
This move would put the new Pitt Stadium in Oakland vicinity, almost on campus. Alums could attend the football games and wonder back to the Pitt campus very easily afterwards. Additional parking would obviously need to be explored with shuttle service being introduced. It would give us an Oakland campus feel for football game days and a chance to revisit the Pitt campus regularly.

Tepper is a big donor to Pitt and CMU. He might be willing to listen. A 45k seat multipurpose facility.

 

[Swervin27]

Tepper is a big donor to Pitt and CMU. He might be willing to listen. Tepper Stadium.

think it's fair to say he prioritizes cmu business school over pitt football. weird to me too, trust me, makes no sense but hey, im not a billion dollar hedge fund manager..