EJ Borghetti leaves his mark on Pitt athletics
By Sami Abu-Obaid, Staff Writer
February 13, 2019
An ever-present face in Pitt’s athletic department, Borghetti leads media operations for the University’s 19 intercollegiate sports, publicizing the same programs he cheered for growing up.
Staff Picks: Much to be thankful for within Pitt Athletics
By Staff
November 20, 2018
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, The Pitt News Sports Staff took some time to reflect on what they are thankful for when it comes to Pitt Athletics.
Pitt basketball secures 4-star guard Au’Diese Toney
By Hannah Schneider | Sports Editor
June 2, 2018
Jeff Capel landed another highly rated recruit when Au’Diese Toney verbally committed to Pitt today — joining Xavier Johnson, Curtis Aiken and Trey McGowens in Pitt’s class of 2018. Committed pic.twitter.com/U08k1gsDaF — A.M.T (@thefuturetoney) June 2, 2018 The Fayetteville, North Carolina nat...
A new path for champions: Lyke discusses renovations, new hires, athletic culture
By Joanna Li | Senior Staff Writer
May 30, 2018
As Pitt’s highly anticipated McCarl Hall of Champions is under construction, Panther fans can expect the changes to continue — Pitt’s athletic innovation will extend up “cardiac hill” to all athletic facilities. In a question and answer roundtable discussion between Pitt athletic direct...
Column: Lyke is what Pitt Athletics needs for steady success
By Colin Martin | Staff Writer
May 30, 2018
The best way to build a strong athletic program involves consistency and a direction. It’s very difficult for schools to form their own identity with constantly changing leadership as Pitt has experienced over the past decade with seven different head football coaches. But Pitt now officially has...
Future ACC Studio offers opportunities for Pitt students
By Stephen Cuddy | Staff Writer
May 30, 2018
After claiming two conference championships, hiring new basketball coaches and entering the 2018-19 season with a promising young quarterback, Pitt Athletics seem to be entering a period of success. Further proof of that success is is the promise of a new media studio and the projected August 2019 ...
Lyke announces first class in Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame
By Hannah Schneider, Sports Editor
May 3, 2018
After sorting through more than 300 nominations, it should come as no surprise that the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame selection committee chose Panther Football stars Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino and Mike Ditka as inaugural members of Pitt’s Athletics Hall of Fame. Some of the inductees — like class of 191...
‘Stallings 2.0:’ Fans react to Pitt’s reported interest in Mark Schmidt
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
March 23, 2018
St. Bonaventure men's basketball coach Mark Schmidt interviewed for the vacant Pitt job Thursday, according to multiple reports. Days after learning Pitt offered Dan Hurley $3 million for the job, fans were underwhelmed -- to say the least -- that Pitt is considering Schmidt. https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/977230454217723904 https://twitter.co...
Pitt tests victory lights, new spotlight, prompting theories on Twitter
By Amanda Reed / Online Engagement Editor
February 5, 2018
Although the victory lights usually only come on when Pitt wins, on Monday the lights were lit up — along with a new blue spotlight. The strange spotlight shined straight up from the top of the Cathedral of Learning, prompting some on Twitter to compare the light to the Batman signal. Pitt tur...
Dickman discusses sexual assault
By Rose Luder | Staff Writer
January 30, 2018
Student members of Pitt Athletics and the Pitt community filled the seventh floor auditorium of Alumni Hall Monday night to listen to a talk about sexual assault prevention on campus. The conversation was led by counselor, educator and self-described “sexologist” Kimberly Dickman. Her visit to Pit...
Q&A with sole sisters: From course to track, Vlasics have each other’s back
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
October 19, 2017
Even though senior Melanie Vlasic is finishing up her final seasons with the women’s cross country and track and field teams, she has one particular teammate to look out for — her younger sister, Mikaela Vlasic. The Vlasic sisters hail from Hatfield, where they attended North Penn High School...
Tailgate Guys company partners with Pitt
By Jesse Madden | For The Pitt News
September 17, 2017
Peng Su’s first time tailgating at a Pitt game consisted of the usual tailgate staples — KanJam, food and cornhole. But he found his favorite part about the pre-game tradition was the view he and his fellow tailgaters had from their position on the Great Lawn, the grassy area near Heinz Field bet...
Leave it to Lyke: Six months of progress
By Mackenzie Rodrigues | Assistant Sports Editor
August 31, 2017
When Scott Barnes resigned as athletic director last December, the Pitt athletic department was left without a leader for the second time in two years. Over the next five months, three head coaches had either retired or been fired, and the basketball program was in shambles. Things were looking down...
Lyke a pro: Pitt’s newest AD brings experience and enthusiasm
By Mackenzie Rodrigues | Assistant Sports Editor
May 30, 2017
Athletics are in Heather Lyke’s DNA. She never turned down the chance to play any sport while she was growing up. But it took two degrees — one in education, the other in law — for her to decide it was the athletic world she should remain in. Lyke is Pitt’s newest athletic director — the...
Rising sophomores reflect: Adjusting as a student-athlete
By Kevin Bertha | Staff Writer
May 30, 2017
Jovana Knezevic’s day starts with an early morning weight session, followed by a full schedule of classes. But instead of returning to her dorm after class to study or relax, Knezevic heads over to the tennis courts for a three hour practice. Learning where to go for the best pizza on campus, keeping...
Pitt hires Christian Spears as deputy director of athletics
By Ryan Zimba | Sports Editor
May 12, 2017
Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke named Christian Spears as the deputy director of athletics for external affairs Wednesday. Spears previously worked under Lyke for three years at Eastern Michigan University as deputy director. He has served as the interim athletic director at the school since Lyk...
Randy Juhl to serve as Pitt’s acting athletic director
By Bayard Miller | Assistant Sports Editor
January 10, 2017
When it comes to sports, a little bit of chemistry can go a long way. The Pitt Panthers will get just that from their new acting athletic director, Randy Juhl. Juhl has spent the majority of his time at the University of Pittsburgh as a distinguished service professor in the School of Pharmacy, with h...
Scott Barnes leaving Pitt to take over as athletic director at Oregon State
By Steve Rotstein | Sports Editor
December 22, 2016
Pitt Athletic Director Scott Barnes announced Thursday that he will leave Pitt in the new year for the AD position at Oregon State. After denying an initial report that he was leaving for Oregon State, Barnes cited “personal family considerations” as motivation for the move in a press release Thu...
Pitt AD Scott Barnes denies Oregon State rumor, mum on whether he’s considering leaving
By Steve Rotstein | Sports Editor
December 16, 2016
Pitt athletic director Scott Barnes denied a report Wednesday night claiming he would be resigning and taking over as athletic director at Oregon State. But he has yet to deny reports that he is considering leaving Pitt. Barnes has served as Pitt’s athletic director since April 2015. But on Wedn...
Hanging ’em up: A farewell to Pitt sports
By Dan Sostek | Senior Staff Writer
December 8, 2016
When I first arrived at Pitt in August of 2012, I knew a handful of truths about the school’s athletic programs. The football program was in perpetual turmoil. People didn’t seem to like this Todd Graham guy. A good running back in Ray Graham coming off an injury. A new, quiet head coach from ...
Pitt Athletics announces Panther Club donor acquisition campaign
By Ashwini Sivaganesh / Assistant Sports Editor
August 30, 2016
The University’s Panther Club announced a three-week initiative on Tuesday that will seek to procure more than 11,000 monetary donations from 220,000 possible donors. With over 300,000 living alumni, only 8,000 donated to the athletics department last year, making Pitt’s donor engagement rate ...
Pitt sets new record for season ticket sales at Heinz Field
By Steve Rotstein / Sports Editor
August 6, 2016
Pitt has officially broken its all-time record for football season tickets sold, athletic director Scott Barnes announced Saturday via Twitter. The school has sold over 53,775 season tickets for the Panthers’ upcoming football season, surpassing the previous record set in 2003 –– and achieving the go...
Pitt Athletics unveils strategic plan for long-term growth
By Steve Rotstein / Sports Editor
June 24, 2016
Pitt athletics unveiled a detailed strategic plan for the next three-to-five years in a letter from Athletic Director Scott Barnes on Thursday. “[The plan] is the product of thorough assessment, detailed analysis and dynamic collaboration between the University community and our own coaches, st...
Pitt Athletics kicks off wave of renovations
By Meg Millure / Staff Writer
May 31, 2016
Shiny new uniforms and flashing lights may have diverted attention away from posters bordering the walls at the Pitt script unveiling earlier this month. The posters featured millions of dollars worth of improvement plans for Pitt’s athletic facilities, some of which have already begun. The three-year p...
Pitt Twitter reacts to the Pitt Script reveal
By Amanda Reed | Social Media Editor
May 18, 2016
[View the story "Pitt Twitter reacts to #PittScript reveal" on Storify]...
New athletic director Scott Barnes talks plans, policy for Pitt sports
By Dan Sostek / Sports Editor
June 30, 2015
When Pitt hired Scott Barnes as its new athletic director on April 24, Panther fans were curious about how the former Utah State AD would impact the University, following the departure of Steve Pederson.Last week, The Pitt News sat down to speak with Barnes, who officially began his post on June 15, dis...
Pitt looks for new athletic director to inherit evolving position
By Kevin Wheeler / Staff Writer
April 16, 2015
With a new athletic director on the way, Pitt’s athletic department could be in for a makeover.The search to find the new leader of the athletic department began in December 2014, when Steve Pederson agreed to part ways with Pitt.According to Randy Juhl, Pitt’s interim athletic director, the Uni...