A post over on Cardiac Hill points out that within a few years, surface lot parking for Pitt games will once more shrink. Unfortunately, this has always been the plan since the whole idea was more development on the North Shore.
It sucks. I get the economics of it. Between the stadiums and casino, there has always been this plan to create more buildings in the area. Try to form mixes of entertainment/restaurant venues with some new office space. Personally, I’m not sold on the economic model, and all too often all these development projects do is shift entertainment money from one area of the city to another. But I digress.
The parking garages don’t let you grill — even on the roof. Urban tailgating has always been a bit more of a challenge, but it’s becoming more difficult in the ‘Burgh.
The goal is clearly to push fans coming to sporting events to go to the local bars and restaurants rather than bring their own stuff and tailgate. The problem is that standing or if you get to a place early enough, sitting, in a local bar or restaurant is not the same (to say nothing of the cost).
It’s even worse when you are bringing your kids with you. In a parking lot, you can keep the kids a little more entertained. It’s a little less structured. They can run around. Do stuff, and still let you still have a beer and some conversation. I’m sorry, I’m not bringing my 10-year old daughter into the Tilted Kilt before the game.
That means for families especially, but for an increasing number of people, the ongoing shrinkage of room to tailgate is encouraging people to come as close to the starting time as possible or just bag the game and stay home.
Unfortunately, the only way this trend will reverse is when it reaches a point where Steeler fans reach a point where they start skipping the early arrival tailgating because of the hassle and cost.
Now, comes the recriminations over tearing down Pitt Stadium. Even though, tailgating at Pitt was not particularly easy. I wasn’t wild about the decision at first, but thinking about how much work went into tailgating — especially compared to the first few years at 3-Rivers and Heinz — the romance isn’t what it once was. To say nothing of the traffic snarls if you didn’t get there early enough. Those traffic issues of getting in and out of Oakland on game day was always a favorite excuse for people not to come to games.
The next stage will be the wishful thinking/pipe dream of Pitt building their own stadium somewhere near Pitt campus. It’s not happening.
Heinz Field takes up 12.4 acres (PDF). That doesn’t even account for all of the space for parking that would be needed. For the moment, forget about finding the money to build the stadium. Create the entire infrastructure needed to support the thing (connecting roads, sewer lines, and everything else). Where would it be built? Where is there some 30-40 acres available?
There is no space big enough on campus. There is no space near campus to build. Heck, Pitt is struggling to get land around the school to build new buildings. Does anyone really think that the City of Pittsburgh would give (or even sell) part of Schenley Park to the school and let them level it into flat concrete with a stadium and parking? It sure won’t be around Panther Hollow. What kind of lawsuits and years of court tie-ups do you think would be faced by the University by environmental groups and community groups for wanting to destroy a chunk of one of the great urban parks in the United States? For wanting to create a new traffic headache?
Pitt does recognize the desirability of the surface passes which leads to their imperfect solution of doling out a limited number of surface passes per request (based on points and annual contribution levels) and dividing up groups. Creating a new logistical nightmare for tailgating. Meeting somewhere first, to load/transfer to one vehicle with all the stuff for tailgating. Parking at various spots and congregating. Then having to meet again after the game to return stuff. I can tell you, it sucks for my group since we are all coming from various states and parts of Pennsylvania for these games.
What would help would be a better organized secondary market for parking passes. Where people can reliably trade or even sell parking passes, and feel confident they would get them in time. I know people have been doing it casually on the message boards, but a better system would alleviate at least some of the issues. There would be plenty of people/groups willing to park a little further away in exchange for more surface spots. Any thoughts?
Even if there was a “re-sale” opportunity available for some of the non-marquee games, that could even be more revenue for the university. I’m sure a number of folks wouldn’t mind plopping $20 or $40 for that chance once a season.
Here’s a REAL solution though. Since tickets are scanned upon arrival, start taking attendance into account for parking allotment. I can’t tell you how many times all the Red and Blue lots are packed and Gold 1 and 1A are sparsely populated until 15 mins before game time. I know this is for the highest level of donor etc (which I am one, but choose to get a pass with my friends.) Here’s the thing, a lot of the people with passes in this lot, don’t tailgate. So if you aren’t using a majority of your tickets (scanned) then Pitt should move their parking into a garage. I mean what do these people care? They don’t take advantage of the location- move them to Red 5 garage.
We’re going to explore all of the options this year. Park downtown and take a nice walk over one of the bridges after knocking off a six pack with my friends, downing a hogie and toasting the Panthers with a shot or two prior to our walk.
Park over on the South Side and do a bar crawl up Carson Street prior to our boat trip over to the stadium on the Gateway Clipper. Then catch dinner back on the South Side after the game.
Park at the Rivers Casino using the parking permit of one of my buddies who likes to gamble way too much, then hit the tables after the game to try out our luck until after the post game traffic dies down.
We may even try the rapid transit system service to the front door of the stadium now that the Heinz Field station stop is up and running. Who knows, if we get real lazy we can always grab a cab from where ever for front door service to the stadium if we desire.
Yeah, I hear you already, hardly are any of those options the “traditional” tailgating for 3 hours prior to the game with grilling, chillin and tossing the football around before hand but you know what, there are tons of possibilities out there to explore in this situation if you just think outside the box a little bit. That’s the “glass half full” attitude concerning dealing with an urban stadium parking situation.
It all sounds like fun to me no matter what option we choose, just as long as the most important thing of the day gets taken care of by the Panthers and that is of course,,, “just win baby, win! HTP.
I always had the gold, because I had my elderly father with me. We used to get their early too, he never liked the feeling of being rushed, and we always used the lot.
After he passed away, I went with friends and enjoyed the traditional tailgating again for a few years. Nothing beats it.
We all change I suppose, and I’ve noticed the past couple years, I enjoy the “pre” tailgating as much as always, but, after the game, I just want to get back home.
Don’t know what I’m gonna do this year.
Some may hate me for this, because I know some will fall heavier on the game day experience, and I do too, but my family and I are also college football junkies. So, after the game, if there are a couple big games on, everyone wants to grab a pie and get home to watch the evening and late games.
I live in the South Hills, so the “T” sounds enticing, could go early, go to friends tailgates, and go home after, or even a little later after a stop at the tailgate.
I haven’t ridden the “T” since it opened. Anyone else ridden it lately? I’ve heard there are a lot of stops??? I could get to Heinz in 15 minutes on a Sat. morning, do not wanna have a 45 minute or an hour subway ride.
Anyone an experienced rider, would it be more of a hassle, or will I be pleasantly suprised??
I now go to two games a year and any playoff games that come around. The NFL has done such a wonderful job with the TV experience that I just doesn’t make sense to go see the Jets and the Jaguars have a pillow fight in the rain at several hundred dollars for the afternoon. I can watch that game and have on some out of market meaningful games (usually Steelers) going on in a multi-TV setup. It’s wonderful if you enjoy gambling.
NJ Transit has opened a station about 10 feet from the stadium, so that makes things much more attractive to many people. Get blasted at your local establishment (there seems to be a bar next to every train station in NJ) and hop on the train for 45 minutes and head into the stadium. Watch the whole game, no need to run for the exits early to beat traffic, sleep it off on the ride home and your done. Fairly painless if you are already a commuter drone like me and only head to the big games each year.
Pittsburgh does not have the mass transit situation that the NYC area does, so destroying these lots becomes a real pain in the ass. I head out to Pittsburgh for a game or two each year, and the past few times instead of driving to the game we take advantage of my buddy’s house a block from the T line in Dormont. I can’t say I’d blame anybody if they just stop going to Pitt games if they make it unreasonably difficult. It’s not like you’re missing out on a college atmosphere or anything like that. Is it feasible to make tailgate friendly mega garages? Wide spaces, kosher with propane, piss troughs, etc.? Seems like that would be a great solution since there is not really a mass transit alternative for most of the people going to games.
@Chris, you’re not the only one. Haven’t been to a Steeler game in years. Love the Steelers, watch em’ every Sunday.
Bad experience about 10 years ago. Drunks behind us spilling beer and nachos.
Oh, never mind, no need going into detail. We all have our own horror stories.
Sunday a.m.. Up early, go to mass, then out to breakfast, home to putzy around, some more coffee, watch the game in comfort, watch the second game or putzy around some more or go visit family. Love the day.
Couldn’t pay me enough to go to a pro game, allthough I love the league and the game.
A neighbor of mine had his daughter raped by a PSU football player about 10 years ago. It was a painful experience for the family as the police department and athletic department jointly indicated that there wasn’t enough evidence of a rape by the starting player. Honestly, my feelings for PSU aside, the culture was very messed up and many alumni know of many stories.
The internet has been buzzing with PSU death penalty stories – here’s another:
link to cbssports.com
What does everyone think? If this happened at Pitt, I would want to self-impose it in order to show the world that football does not rule above the law, ethics, and morale right. The details will only get worse as more information comes out.
The NFL. I’m not one to bash other leagues or the Steelers either. Love Pitt, the Pens, Steelers and Pirates too.
However, a recent statistic came out, and may suprise a lot of people.
NFL attendance was down 4%!!! You read that correctly.
You can attribute that to a lot of things, but I would argue with anyone, that chipping away at the rules, and yes, some of the harder hits, is starting to change the look of the game, the way the game is referre’d and the actual game itself.
Yes, we all want safety, who doesn’t.
It is football though.
As I’ve heard several people say, on the sports shows and amongst some friends……….
“keep chipping away at the rules, it’s not gonna look like the game we love”.
Never more true!!
Someone thought for safety’s sake, maybe the NFL should do away with kickoffs alltogether.
Can you imagine, no kickoffs, just take the ball at the 35 yd. line or whatever.
My point being, people have the ultimate say, and even the NFL is not immune.
Keep chipping away at rules, at traditions etc. etc., don’t be suprised in 10 years when you’re stadiums are only 80% filled.
Like your point with boxing HbgFrank, keep messing with things, and they can, and usually will have consequences.
I’ve been on both sides- hardcore tailgater in my grad school, pre-kid years (4 hours before, 2 hours after every game) to casual tailgater now (2 kids under 4 and no longer living in the Burgh).
The school should do what it can to accommodate tailgaters in the lots near the stadium and push the late arrivals back. With the traffic patterns on the N. Shore, you’re better off parking further away and hoofing it a couple blocks to the game then sitting in traffic for a half hour while you wind around the entire stadium to get into Gold1. I know north hills types actually prefer the Red 5 garage b/c you can get out and get directly on the ramp to the 279N POV without even hitting a light…
I understand but hate the points system- there needs to be some flexibility to reward the lifeblood of your program
Oakland does have room, but no one will ever risk political capital on a new stadium because you have to tear things down.
No one stopped watching because they got rid of helmet to helmet collisions (I hope). If anyone out there is truly watching the NFL for violent hits to unprotected receivers going over the middle or QBs standing in the pocket on a tee, they need mental help.
Football is always changing and will continue to change. That is why it is the most popular sport. Baseball has clung to tradition like your old racist grandfather and lost an entire generation of fans. The NFL institutes rule changes all the time that have dramatic effects on how the game is played, and are usually followed by a chorus of old coots yelling, “YOU’RE RUINING THE GAME!” Football is not the same game today as it was even 15 years ago and it will continue to evolve.
In fairness, some of the rule changes are a residue of the extensive concession studies being done which has the NFL running scared since it has had s history of promoting violence.
IMO, the NFL is and has been mired in mediocrity while the college game remains vibrant.
Traditions WE are known for? Identity? No player walk of substance (most colleges walk through a fanbase on way to stadium), no(Clemson Rock)(Georgia hedges)(Auburn/Alabama ties) and the list goes on and on. No tailgating. No great anything. That, regardless of his supporters, is a problem that Steve Pederson continued. No partnering with the student body to create traditions or fan base. Plant the seeds with your students and they will come and bring their kids. Another fumble. There are solutions and he chooses not to listen, because as we know, Steve knows best. Or does he? I have never been impressed with his business accumen or decision-making abilities.
He thought his work was done when he road the coattails of the Steelers and Heinz field. What he didn’t do, was use all the free time to plan the future with Nordy on how to bring a smaller stadium back to the Campus! That is a failure. Land lock be damned. If you have a plan, you can execute it. No plan, no identity, no tradition.
When Pitt was winning and had an onsite facility, it still didn’t sellout most games or traveled well, and took a back seat to the Stillers.
However, they start doing things like “no kickoffs”, I would probably quit watching.
I don’t want to see anyone get hurt, but, if the game starts to look like the “PRO BOWL”, they will lose a lot of people.
Seems like the “evolution” of the game has accelerated at hyper speed the last 5 years.
Not an old coot, just in my 40’s, just saying, nothing is untouchable. Any product can be ruined.
But, even more to the point, I’m sure it has been said and thought, “the NFL is so popular, even a bad economy couldn’t touch it”.
“People will spend their kids college money to go to their Sunday NFL game”.
Although its unlikely in the near term, I think there could come a day when an on-campus stadium could return (the best chance being at the end of the lease term in Heinz Field…2031?). I think Pitt certainly has the space to build a stadium. Google map the area and look at the OC Lot, Trees Hall, Cost Center, and Fitzgerald Fieldhouse areas. Together there is more than enough space to build a stadium and rework some of the infrastructure as well as update some of the facilities…especially Trees Hall which I remember being pretty dumpy 10 years ago. The Petersen Sports Complex turned out very nice and I could see the additional money from the move to the ACC leading to improved athletic facilities all around.
I think it all depends on how the move to the ACC and the overall football landscape works out in the long term.
