Football Preview: Season ticket sales swell as Pitt prepares to launch ACC campaign

Panthers football fans who haven’t purchased season tickets are almost out of luck.

During a year of transitions for Pitt football — including a change from the Big East Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference — season tickets are disappearing quicker than they have in recent years.

According to Justin Acierno, the assistant athletic director for ticket sales and operations, the ticketing office has sold 90 percent of season tickets for Heinz Field, which seats more than 65,000 people. This season’s are some of the best ticket sales figures he’s ever seen during his time working with the athletic department.  

Acierno, a Pitt graduate and former Pitt football player, said that these sales figures are due in part to the sales department’s outreach to faculty and staff, UPMC employees and current and former season ticket holders. However, he also emphasized that the demand for season tickets has a lot to do with Pitt’s shift to the ACC. 

“Fans are excited to see some different teams come into Heinz Field,” said Acierno. 

One of those teams is the Florida State Seminoles, whom Pitt hasn’t faced since 1983, will play against the Panthers in the season opener on Sept. 2.

He also said that the large number of students who have bought season tickets at the discounted price of $25 would contribute to the Panthers’ home-field advantage.

While things are good for Acierno’s office, the move to the ACC will likely come at a cost to the Panthers’ win record, as well as head football coach Paul Chryst’s record with Pitt. 

“The schedule strength has gone up and could stunt their growth record-wise,” said Brandon Pertner, an assistant editor for the sports blogging site Phil Steele. 

According to Pertner, the Panthers need to find suitable replacements for departed running backs Ray Graham and Rushel Shell. While Pertner acknowledged Pitt’s tough defensive line — standout lineman Aaron Donald in particular — he cited the Panthers’ inexperience and the strength and speed of established ACC teams as two factors that could make winning games difficult in 2013.

But even if the move to the ACC takes a toll on the Panthers’ record, it probably won’t stop fans from showing up to the games.

“When you have the likes of Florida State, Miami, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame on future schedules, look for Pitt, as long as they have a solid program, to have their best showing attendance-wise, since they moved into Heinz Field,” he said. 

Pertner also said that the switch to a new conference brings with it the opportunity for Pitt to extend its recruiting effort along the eastern seaboard from Boston to Miami. This could bolster Pitt’s appeal as a football university and could continue to keep season-ticket sales high for years to come. And with more big games on the schedule, college football fans from out of town are likely to travel to Pittsburgh, and they’re going to need places to eat, drink and stay.

Ben Gunter, manager at Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36, located near Heinz Field, said that his sales team has already discussed the potential impact of Pitt’s move to the ACC and projects that the restaurant will do more business during Pitt home games than it has in previous years.

“We’re anticipating a lot more volume,” Gunter said. “Therefore, we increase staff levels, more food, booze — nothing out of the ordinary that we wouldn’t do for the Steelers’ home games.”