Pitt Stadium: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Stadium
{{Infobox_Stadium |
stadium_name = Pitt Stadium|
| name = Pitt Stadium
nickname = |
| nickname =
image = [[Image:InsidePittStadium.jpg|250px]]|
| image = [[Image:InsidePittStadium.jpg|250px]]
location = Terrace St<br>Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (now demolished)|
| fullname = Terrace Street<br>Pittsburgh, PA 15260
broke_ground = August 7, 1924|
| location =
opened = September 1, 1925|
| coordinates =
closed = November 13, 1999|
| broke_ground = August 7, 1924
| built = August 1924 to September 1925
demolished = December, 1999|
owner = Univ. of Pittsburgh|
| opened = September 1, 1925
operator = Univ. of Pittsburgh|
| renovated =
surface = AstroTurf|
| expanded =
| closed = November 13, 1999
⚫
construction_cost= $2.1 million|
architect = W. S. Hindman|
| demolished = December 1999
| owner = [[University of Pittsburgh]]
⚫
former_names = |
| operator = University of Pittsburgh
⚫
tenants = [[Pittsburgh Panthers]]<br>[[Pittsburgh Panthers football|Football]], Soccer, and Track & Field: 1925-1999<br>[[Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball|Basketball: 1925-1951]]<br><br>[[Pittsburgh Steelers]] (NFL)<br>(1958,1963-69)|
| surface = Grass (1925–1969)<br>[[AstroTurf]] (1970–1983, 1990–1999)<br>SuperTurf (1984–1989)
seating_capacity = 56,150
⚫
| construction_cost = [[United States dollar|US$]]2.1 million
⚫
}}
| architect = W. S. Hindman
| structural engineer =
| services engineer =
| general_contractor =
| project_manager =
| main_contractors =
⚫
| former_names =
⚫
| tenants = [[Pittsburgh Panthers]] [[Pittsburgh Panthers football|football]], soccer, track & field (1925-1999)<br>[[Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball|Pittsburgh Panthers basketball]] (1925-1951)<br>[[Pittsburgh Steelers]] (1958–1969)
| capacity = 69,400
| dimensions =
| scoreboard =
⚫
}}


'''Pitt Stadium''' was an [[arena]] located in [[Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] from 1925 to 1999. It served primarily as the home of the [[University of Pittsburgh]]'s football team, the [[Pittsburgh Panthers football|Pittsburgh Panthers]]. It was also used for other University of Pittsburgh sporting events, including basketball, baseball, rifle, track, and gymnastics. Designed by University of Pittsburgh graduate W. S. Hindman, the [[United States dollar|US$]]2.1&nbsp;million stadium was built after the seating capacity of the Panthers' previous home, [[Forbes Field]], was found lacking. Pitt Stadium also served as the second home of the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], the city's [[National Football League]] (NFL) franchise. After demolition, the Pittsburgh Panthers football team played home games at [[Three Rivers Stadium]] in 2000, before moving to [[Heinz Field]] in 2001.
⚫
[[Image:PittStadiumWalk.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Pitt Stadium at the [[University of Pittsburgh]] just prior to its last game in 1999.]]
'''Pitt Stadium''' was a stadium in the [[Oakland (Pittsburgh)|Oakland]] section of [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] that hosted [[American football|football]], [[track and field]], and other events starting in 1925. It was the home of the [[University of Pittsburgh]] football team from 1925 to 1999, and when originally constructed housed nearly all the University's non-aquatic sports.<ref>1989 Pitt Football Media Guide, pg. 158</ref> It was also the home of the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] during 1958 and also from 1963 to 1969, after they moved from nearby [[Forbes Field]] and before [[Three Rivers Stadium]] was opened. (They split the 1958 and 1963 seasons between Forbes and Pitt.) It also was the first home of the [[Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera]]. Completed in 1925 at a cost of $2.1 million, the stadium consisted of a bowl seating 56,150 surrounding the track and playing field.


==History==
Pitt Stadium was also home to the Pitt Pavilion, a 4,000 seat basketball facility carved into the hillside along the southern end of the stadium's foundation between Gates 1 and 3 that served as the home of the [[Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball|Pitt basketball team]] from 1925 until moving into [[Fitzgerald Field House]] for the 1952 season.<ref>[http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittathletics;cc=pittathletics;q1=2004;rgn=works;rgn1=citation;idno=31735044597999;didno=31735044597999;view=image;seq=259;node=31735044597999%3A12;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset; 2004-05 Pitt men's basketball media guide, pg.257]</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=Bn_WIdKtD68C&printsec=frontcover#PRA1-PT6,M1 Sam Sciullo, Jr. Pitt: 100 Years of Pitt Basketball, 2005, pg 16]</ref><ref>Sam Scuillo, Jr., Pitt Stadium Memories, 2000, University of Pittsburgh, pg. 58</ref> The Pitt Pavilion inside Pitt Stadium was removed in 1995 and replaced by the Duratz Center.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=rjY4yIFDwgwC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0#PPA25,M1 Sam Scuillo Jr., Panther Pride: University of Pittsburgh Men's Basketball, 2002, pg 25]</ref>
The Pittsburgh Panthers played home games at the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]' Forbes Field from 1909 to 1924, however, due to tickets reserved for alumni and students the capacity of Forbes Field was not sufficient to allow the general public to also purchase tickets. The University purchased nine acres of land adjacent to property already owned by the school for the Pitt Stadium's site. The University, as well as private donations, provided US$2.1&nbsp;million for site acquisition and erection of the stadium. Graduate of the University, W. S. Hindman was the stadium's designer and engineer. The Turner Construction Company built the stadium from August 7, 1924 to September 1, 1925. The {{convert|791|ft|m|0}} by {{convert|617|ft|m|0}} stadium was designed to hold a capacity of 69,400.<ref>{{harvnb|Football media guide|1999|p=212}}</ref> The original grass surface was replaced with [[AstroTurf]] in 1970. In 1984, SuperTurf was installed, but after six years AstroTurf once again became the stadium's playing surface. In the late 1970s, the original seventeen miles of wood seating was replaced with metal bleachers. Temporary lighting was installed at Pitt Stadium in 1985, but was made permanent before the 1987 season. A scoreboard was installed at the eastern end of the stadium in 1995; this was followed in 1997 with the installation of the ''PantherVision videoboard'', which allowed fans to see instant replays of the games.<ref>{{harvnb|Football media guide|1999|p=213|Ref=none}}</ref> The highest attended game took place on October 29, 1938, when 68,918&nbsp;spectators saw the Panthers defeat [[Fordham Rams#Football|Fordham]] 24–13.<ref>{{harvnb|Football media guide|1999|p=214|Ref=none}}</ref>


The Pittsburgh Steelers played home games at Forbes Field from their 1933 inception to 1957. From 1958 to 1963, the Steelers split home games between Forbes Field and Pitt Stadium. Fans were able to purchase season ticket packages for one site or the other. In 1964, the Steelers began to play home games exclusively at Pitt Stadium, which they continued until moving to Three Rivers Stadium in 1970.<ref>{{cite book |title= The Pittsburgh Steelers|last= Bouchette|first= Ed|year= 1994|publisher= [[Macmillan Publishers]]|isbn= 9780312113254|page= 82|url= http://books.google.com/books?id=qMqnE6Rboe4C}}</ref>
The stadium was closed in 1999 as the [[University of Pittsburgh]] moved its team to [[Three Rivers Stadium]] for a year before sharing [[Heinz Field]] with the Steelers. The stadium was demolished later that year. Student housing and the [[Petersen Events Center]] now stand on the site.


⚫
[[Image:PittStadiumWalk.jpg|thumb|left|Pitt Stadium at the [[University of Pittsburgh]] prior to its last game — 1999]]
==Facts==
The final game at Pitt Stadium took place on November 13, 1999, when the Panthers defeated [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]] 37–27.<ref>{{cite news |first= Shelly|last= Anderson|title= Pitt comes up with a truly grand finale, stunning Notre Dame, 37-27|url= http://www.post-gazette.com/sports_pitt/19991114pittfb1.asp|publisher= ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''|date= 14 November 1999|accessdate=7 January 2009}}</ref> Some of the 60,190&nbsp;spectators—the largest crowd in 16&nbsp;years<ref>{{cite news |first= Gene|last= Collier|title= Pitt Stadium goes out with a bang|url= http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/19991114stadium1.asp|publisher= ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''|date= 14 November 1999|accessdate=7 January 2009}}</ref>—ran onto the field with 9&nbsp;seconds remaining in the game, tearing both field goal posts down and removing pieces of turf.<ref>{{cite news |first= Kristen|last= Ostendorf|coauthors= Michael A. Fuoco|title= Exuberant fans keep their cool after triumph|url= http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/19991114Aftermath5.asp|publisher= ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''|date= 14 November 1999|accessdate=7 January 2009}}</ref> The Panthers played their home games of the 2000 season at Three Rivers Stadium, before moving to Heinz Field in 2001. Beginning in December 1999, Pitt Stadium was demolished. Concrete from the stadium was ground and left on site for use in the Peterson Event Center and student housing which was built at the site.<ref>{{cite news |first= Shelly|last= Anderson|title= End of an Era: Pitt Stadium's final game signals first step of many changes|url= http://www.post-gazette.com/sports_pitt/19991112whatsnext6.asp|publisher= ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''|date= 12 November 1999|accessdate=7 January 2009}}</ref>
*The highest attendance at Pitt Stadium was on October 29, 1938 and was recorded at 68,918. [http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/100504aab.html].


===The Pittsburgh Pavilion===
==External links==
Located underneath the ramps of the football stadium, the home of the basketball team from 1924 to 1951 was The Pitt Pavilion, which held 4,000&nbsp;spectators. With one dressing room, visiting teams were forced to use the visiting football locker room to dress and walk 60-yards outdoors to get to the Pavilion. Future coach [[John Wooden]] and Notre Dame's [[Moose Krause]] played against the Panthers at the Pavilion. While at the Pavilion the Panthers had an undefeated season in 1928. The Pavilion also hosted [[Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League|WPIAL]] playoff games and pre-season games of the [[Pittsburgh Rens]]. In March 1951, the Panthers won the the final game at the Pavilion in the last seconds of the game.<ref>{{cite book |title= University of Pittsburgh basketball media guide (2004–2005)|year= 2004|publisher= [[University of Pittsburgh]]|location= [[Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]|page= 257|url= http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittathletics;cc=pittathletics;q1=Pitt%20Stadium;rgn=full%20text;idno=31735038318790;didno=31735038318790;view=image;seq=215;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset;}}</ref> The basketball team moved to the [[Fitzgerald Field House]] the following season.<ref>{{harvnb|Football media guide|1999|pp=213|Ref=none}}</ref>
*[http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=17&X=2940&Y=22387&W=2&qs=%7cpittsburgh%7cpa%7c USGS aerial photo]
<br>


==References==
==Refs==
*{{cite book |title= University of Pittsburgh football media guide (1999)|year= 1999|publisher= [[University of Pittsburgh]]|location= [[Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]|url= http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittathletics;cc=pittathletics;q1=Pitt%20Stadium;rgn=full%20text;idno=31735038318790;didno=31735038318790;view=image;seq=214;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset;}}
{{reflist}}

{{Reflist}}


{{start}}
{{start}}
{{succession box
{{succession box
| title = Home of the<br>[[Pittsburgh Panthers football|University of Pittsburgh Football]]
| title = Home of the<br>[[Pittsburgh Panthers football]]
| years = 1925 &ndash; 1999
| years = 1925–1999
| before = [[Forbes Field]]
| before = [[Forbes Field]]
| after = [[Three Rivers Stadium]]
| after = [[Three Rivers Stadium]]
}}
}}
{{succession box
{{succession box
| title = Home of the<br>[[Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball|University of Pittsburgh Basketball]]<br>Pitt Pavilion
| title = Home of the<br>[[Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball]]
| years = 1925 &ndash; 1951
| years = 1925–1951
| before = [[Motor Square Garden]]/Trees Gymnasium
| before = [[Motor Square Garden]]/Trees Gymnasium
| after = [[Fitzgerald Field House]]
| after = [[Fitzgerald Field House]]
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{{succession box
{{succession box
| title = Home of the<br>[[Pittsburgh Steelers]]
| title = Home of the<br>[[Pittsburgh Steelers]]
| years = 1964 &ndash; 1969
| years = 1958–1969
| before = [[Forbes Field]]
| before = [[Forbes Field]]
| after = [[Three Rivers Stadium]]
| after = [[Three Rivers Stadium]]
}}
}}
{{end}}
{{end}}

{{University of Pittsburgh}}
{{University of Pittsburgh}}
{{Pittsburgh Steelers}}
{{Pittsburgh Steelers}}
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{{coord missing|Pennsylvania}}
{{coord missing|Pennsylvania}}


[[Category:Defunct National Football League venues]]
[[Category:1925 establishments]]
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[[Category:University of Pittsburgh buildings]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Panthers football]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Panthers football]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Steelers]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Steelers]]
[[Category:Defunct college football venues]]
[[Category:Defunct National Football League venues]]
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[[Category:Defunct college basketball venues]]
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[[Category:University of Pittsburgh buildings]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Demolished sports venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Demolished sports venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct college football venues]]
{{Pennsylvania-sports-venue-stub}}
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[[Category:Defunct college basketball venues]]


[[fr:Pitt Stadium]]
[[fr:Pitt Stadium]]

Revision as of 06:11, 7 January 2009

Pitt Stadium
Map
Full nameTerrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
OwnerUniversity of Pittsburgh
OperatorUniversity of Pittsburgh
Capacity69,400
SurfaceGrass (1925–1969)
AstroTurf (1970–1983, 1990–1999)
SuperTurf (1984–1989)
Construction
Broke groundAugust 7, 1924
BuiltAugust 1924 to September 1925
OpenedSeptember 1, 1925
ClosedNovember 13, 1999
DemolishedDecember 1999
Construction costUS$2.1 million
ArchitectW. S. Hindman
Tenants
Pittsburgh Panthers football, soccer, track & field (1925-1999)
Pittsburgh Panthers basketball (1925-1951)
Pittsburgh Steelers (1958–1969)

Pitt Stadium was an arena located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1925 to 1999. It served primarily as the home of the University of Pittsburgh's football team, the Pittsburgh Panthers. It was also used for other University of Pittsburgh sporting events, including basketball, baseball, rifle, track, and gymnastics. Designed by University of Pittsburgh graduate W. S. Hindman, the US$2.1 million stadium was built after the seating capacity of the Panthers' previous home, Forbes Field, was found lacking. Pitt Stadium also served as the second home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League (NFL) franchise. After demolition, the Pittsburgh Panthers football team played home games at Three Rivers Stadium in 2000, before moving to Heinz Field in 2001.

History

The Pittsburgh Panthers played home games at the Pittsburgh Pirates' Forbes Field from 1909 to 1924, however, due to tickets reserved for alumni and students the capacity of Forbes Field was not sufficient to allow the general public to also purchase tickets. The University purchased nine acres of land adjacent to property already owned by the school for the Pitt Stadium's site. The University, as well as private donations, provided US$2.1 million for site acquisition and erection of the stadium. Graduate of the University, W. S. Hindman was the stadium's designer and engineer. The Turner Construction Company built the stadium from August 7, 1924 to September 1, 1925. The 791 feet (241 m) by 617 feet (188 m) stadium was designed to hold a capacity of 69,400.[1] The original grass surface was replaced with AstroTurf in 1970. In 1984, SuperTurf was installed, but after six years AstroTurf once again became the stadium's playing surface. In the late 1970s, the original seventeen miles of wood seating was replaced with metal bleachers. Temporary lighting was installed at Pitt Stadium in 1985, but was made permanent before the 1987 season. A scoreboard was installed at the eastern end of the stadium in 1995; this was followed in 1997 with the installation of the PantherVision videoboard, which allowed fans to see instant replays of the games.[2] The highest attended game took place on October 29, 1938, when 68,918 spectators saw the Panthers defeat Fordham 24–13.[3]

The Pittsburgh Steelers played home games at Forbes Field from their 1933 inception to 1957. From 1958 to 1963, the Steelers split home games between Forbes Field and Pitt Stadium. Fans were able to purchase season ticket packages for one site or the other. In 1964, the Steelers began to play home games exclusively at Pitt Stadium, which they continued until moving to Three Rivers Stadium in 1970.[4]

Pitt Stadium at the University of Pittsburgh prior to its last game — 1999

The final game at Pitt Stadium took place on November 13, 1999, when the Panthers defeated Notre Dame 37–27.[5] Some of the 60,190 spectators—the largest crowd in 16 years[6]—ran onto the field with 9 seconds remaining in the game, tearing both field goal posts down and removing pieces of turf.[7] The Panthers played their home games of the 2000 season at Three Rivers Stadium, before moving to Heinz Field in 2001. Beginning in December 1999, Pitt Stadium was demolished. Concrete from the stadium was ground and left on site for use in the Peterson Event Center and student housing which was built at the site.[8]

The Pittsburgh Pavilion

Located underneath the ramps of the football stadium, the home of the basketball team from 1924 to 1951 was The Pitt Pavilion, which held 4,000 spectators. With one dressing room, visiting teams were forced to use the visiting football locker room to dress and walk 60-yards outdoors to get to the Pavilion. Future coach John Wooden and Notre Dame's Moose Krause played against the Panthers at the Pavilion. While at the Pavilion the Panthers had an undefeated season in 1928. The Pavilion also hosted WPIAL playoff games and pre-season games of the Pittsburgh Rens. In March 1951, the Panthers won the the final game at the Pavilion in the last seconds of the game.[9] The basketball team moved to the Fitzgerald Field House the following season.[10]

Refs

  • University of Pittsburgh football media guide (1999). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: University of Pittsburgh. 1999.
  1. ^ Football media guide 1999, p. 212
  2. ^ Football media guide 1999, p. 213
  3. ^ Football media guide 1999, p. 214
  4. ^ Bouchette, Ed (1994). The Pittsburgh Steelers. Macmillan Publishers. p. 82. ISBN 9780312113254.
  5. ^ Anderson, Shelly (14 November 1999). "Pitt comes up with a truly grand finale, stunning Notre Dame, 37-27". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 7 January 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Collier, Gene (14 November 1999). "Pitt Stadium goes out with a bang". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 7 January 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Ostendorf, Kristen (14 November 1999). "Exuberant fans keep their cool after triumph". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 7 January 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Anderson, Shelly (12 November 1999). "End of an Era: Pitt Stadium's final game signals first step of many changes". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 7 January 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ University of Pittsburgh basketball media guide (2004–2005). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: University of Pittsburgh. 2004. p. 257.
  10. ^ Football media guide 1999, pp. 213
Preceded by Home of the
Pittsburgh Panthers football
1925–1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Motor Square Garden/Trees Gymnasium
 Home of the
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
1925–1951 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Home of the
Pittsburgh Steelers
1958–1969 		Succeeded by

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