Point | Pitt football needs its own on-campus stadium

Acrisure Stadium became the home of Pitt football in 2001 when it first opened. The stadium is located in the North Shore neighborhood, which is about a 10-minute drive with no traffic from the University of Pittsburgh. 

While Acrisure Stadium has its perks, one amazing opportunity Pitt can offer its players and students is building its own on-campus stadium. Although it is a nice tradition to continue to play at Acrisure Stadium, the University can benefit in many ways if it has its own stadium. 

The majority of the major universities have their own football stadiums. Pitt building its own stadium will provide more attendance because students can travel to games more easily. For example, students have to commute to Acrisure by bus, which often takes more than 10 minutes because of how long the lines are. Many students Uber to the games as well, leaving only car-owning upperclassmen with easier transportation. If Pitt had an on-campus stadium or even somewhere more walkable, many students wouldn’t have to pay for transportation or wait in the cold for buses. Simply put, more students will want to attend the games. 

It is a cool experience for the players to perform at a professional stadium. But the players could have a more personal connection to their own stadium. Having a stadium would allow players to have their own locker rooms and Pitt turf. The stadium would completely represent the University with blue and gold. The student body could even make their own designs for the stadium walls and paint H2P throughout the stadium, which creates more community involvement. 

The band and cheerleaders could also have their own designated rooms within the stadium, which would also result in easier transportation for everyone. In general, it would create a more Pitt-like feeling at the games, which could also hype up the players even more. In addition, the University could host different events at the stadium, bringing more recognition and profit to the school. 

The Panthers should continue to have one or two games at Acrisure Stadium for players and fans to experience playing in a recognized professional stadium. But building a University-owned stadium would make attending games easier for students and help foster a better sense of community at Pitt.