History
The University of Pittsburgh built the stadium on a hilltop in Oakland in 1925. It was one of the country's largest college stadiums at the time, and an arena for basketball sat beneath its stands until 1951.
A 1938 game against Fordham set the attendance record. The Steelers used it as a second home in the decade before Three Rivers Stadium opened, and the famous photo of a bloodied Y.A. Tittle was taken there in 1964.
By the 1990s, rising renovation costs led the university to give it up. The farewell game in November 1999 was an upset of Notre Dame. Demolition followed that winter, and the Petersen Events Center and residence halls now occupy the site.
Why it matters: The University of Pittsburgh's home field for 74 seasons and the Steelers' secondary home in the 1960s.
Timeline
- August 7, 1924Groundbreaking[1]
Construction began on the hillside site above Oakland.
- September 26, 1925
Pitt beat Washington and Lee 26–0 in the stadium's first game.
- October 29, 1938
68,918 fans saw Pitt beat Fordham.
- February 26, 1951Last basketball game in Pitt Pavilion[1]
Pitt played its final game in the arena under the stands, beating West Virginia.
- November 13, 1999
Pitt upset Notre Dame 37–27 before an overflow crowd, and fans tore down both goalposts.
- December 1999
Teardown started weeks after the final game. A Post-Gazette photo shows work under way on Feb 16, 2000.
- 2002
Pitt's basketball arena opened on part of the former stadium site.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,6] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Petersen Events Center (opened 2002) and student housing[1,5,6,7] |
| Built on the site | Petersen Events Center (Built on part of the stadium site, opened 2002) |
| Mapped location | Former venue parcel |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Pittsburgh Panthers | NCAA · 1925–1999 |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball (Pitt Pavilion) | NCAA · 1925–1951 |
| Carnegie Tech Tartans | NCAA · 1929–1943 · tenant |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | NFL · 1958–1969 · secondary |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | Terrace Street, University of Pittsburgh campus (Oakland), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania[1] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Football, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Track & field |
| Level | NCAA, NFL |
| Opened | September 26, 1925[1,2,3,4] |
| Last used for sports | November 13, 1999[1,2,3,4,5] |
| Demolished | 1999–2000[1,6] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 69,400[1] |
| Final capacity | 56,500[1] |
| Capacity notes | 69,400 from 1925 to about 1949, then 56,500 after seating and fire-safety changes (Wikipedia). The record crowd was 68,918 for Pitt–Fordham on Oct 29, 1938. |
| Architect | W. S. Hindman[1,2] |
| Construction cost | $2.1 million |
| Surface | Natural grass (1925–1969), AstroTurf (1970–1983), SuperTurf (1984–1989), AstroTurf (1990–1999) |
| Owner / operator | University of Pittsburgh |
| Closure | Renovation costs were judged too high. Pitt football moved to Three Rivers Stadium for 2000 and then to the new Heinz Field, and the land was reused for an arena and housing. |
Documented details
- Concrete from the demolished stadium was ground up and left on site as part of building the Petersen Events Center and student housing.[1]
- The 1964 photograph of a bloodied, helmetless Y.A. Tittle was taken at the stadium and now hangs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[1]
- More than 300 former players from every decade back to the 1920s were honored at halftime of the final game.[4]
Connected venues
Sources
- Pitt Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, opened, teams
- Pitt Stadium: football mecca, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, closed, opened
- Return to the Panther Pit, University of Pittsburgh (personal faculty/staff page). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, opened
- Pittsburgh Sends Off Pitt Stadium With Thrilling Victory, University of Pittsburgh Athletics. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, opened
- This Week in Pittsburgh History: The Last Game at Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh Magazine. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use
- The Digs (Pitt Stadium demolition photo), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: current land use, demolished
- Petersen Events Center (campus tour), University of Pittsburgh. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: current land use
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (3)
- Wikipedia gives the 'opened' date as Sept 1, 1925 (construction completed). The first game was Sept 26, 1925. The first-game date is used because it is corroborated by three sources.
- Wikipedia gives the Steelers' tenancy as 1964–1969 in the infobox and 1958–1969 in the body, and also mentions a 1942 exhibition. 1958 is used and the conflict is noted.
- Wikipedia gives only 'December 1999' for demolition. A Post-Gazette photo shows demolition on Feb 16, 2000. Recorded as a 1999/2000 range.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.