Pitt Stadium
- David Hegler
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
"Someday the Cathedral of Learning will rise majestically over Oakland, be wonder whether it will be quite as soul-stirring as the stadium crouching between the hills" -The Owl 1925
College football is home to some of the sport's most historic cathedrals. From USC's Memorial Coliseum and Pasadena's Rose Bowl to Notre Dame's Stadium in the heart of the Midwest and LSU's Death Valley deep in the south, the wondrous monstrosities echo with heroics of past glories and beam with hope for the future. The University of Pittsburgh once had a stadium of its own that could have compared to each of college football's most storied venues. But alas, it was torn down just before the turn of the millennium. This is the story of Pitt Stadium.
The Conception
The University of Pittsburgh had always been a football powerhouse. From the days of Arthur Moses, Edgar Wingard and John Moorhead in the mid-1900's through the Joseph Thompson era shortly thereafter, the Panthers rarely lost. Still, it wasn't until 1916, two years after Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner took over for Joseph Duff that the Panthers experienced national success, going undefeated and being named (retroactively) national champions.
That year sparked an era of good fortune for the program and when Warner left for Stanford in 1924, the school began to realize that its football program was outgrowing the cozy confines of 25,000 seat Forbes Field. So late in 1924, they hired Pitt School of Engineering graduate W.S. Hindman to lead the design team while it sold $2.1 million worth of bonds to buy the rest of the land necessary to build their new stadium on campus. In a span of 13 months, a place called the "Trees Gymnasium" and the original Pennsylvania Hall were both demolished in order to make way for college football's newest cathedral. It opened for business on September 26, 1925.
The Glory Years
The Pitt Panthers opened their new stadium by beating Washington and Lee 28-0. But despite the dominate score, all was not well in Oakland. Only 20,000 showed up to watch the game that was played in a 56,000 seat stadium. Eventually, the lure of the stadium beckoned to the surrounding area and soon students made it a tradition of climbing up Cardiac Hill and into the stadium to watch some of the game's greatest play for school pride.
The championships soon followed. Jock Sutherland had already own a national title with Lafayette in 1921 and added to his pedigree five more championships with the Panthers in 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936 and 1937. In that era, fans were treated to numerous consensus All-Americans such as Ray Montgomery, Chuck Hartwig and Tony Matisi.
When the stadium first opened, the university's basketball program played in a gap under the bleachers near Gate 2. Dubbed "Pitt Pavilion" the court was home to two pre-NCAA championship teams in 1928 and 1930. The basketball program moved to a more suitable location on campus in 1951.
On October 5, 1958, the NFL's Steelers hosted a game at Pitt Stadium and were thoroughly beaten by the rival Cleveland Browns 45-12, allowing legendary running back Jim Brown to score three touchdowns. Although the defeat was humbling, it didn't deter them from moving into the spacious stadium in 1964. However, this was in the middle of one of the most forgettable periods in the storied franchise's history and they moved to newly opened Three Rivers Stadium in 1970.
After nearly 40 years of striving, Pitt finally had a championship team again in 1976. Led by the only Heisman Trophy winner in school history, the Pitt Panthers and running back Tony Dorsett finished off their undefeated season by beating Georgia 27-3 in the Sugar Bowl.
That national title sprung a new era of dominance for the program. Tremendous players such as passing savant Dan Marino and three-time All-American defensive end Hugh Green graced Pitt Stadium's field, drawing tens of thousands on a weekly basis.
But as great as the 1980s was, it could only delay the inevitable. In 1999, Pitt decided to tear down its stadium to make room for the Peterson Events Center.
The End of an Era
The Pitt Panthers played their last game at Pitt Stadium on November 21, 1999. Quarterback John Turman stunned the crowd by leading Pitt to an astonishing upset over favored Notre Dame by throwing two touchdown passes to Antonio Bryant in the 37-27 victory. The flabbergasted crowd of 60,190 eagerly stormed the field and tore down the goal posts. Demolition was soon underway.
After spending a year at Three Rivers Stadium, the Panthers moved to Heinz Field with the Steelers in 2001. But while the stadium provides a good setting, it doesn't compare to the collegiate atmosphere that Pitt Stadium welcomed week after week.
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