Sports

Nine-time national champion forced to reduce stadium capacity amid complaints from NFL co-tenants

Feb 2, 2026 - 10:30

The University of Pittsburgh claims nine national championships in football.

While not universally accepted, the figure would be in the top six of any program and first among East Coast teams.

The upper tiers are set to be closed for college games[/caption]

Eight of those date back to between 1915 and 1976, with the last coming in 1976.

The glory days are well behind for the Panthers, and Acrisure Stadium is proving to be too big

Built in 2001 as Heinz Field, 68,400 fans can cram in to watch Pitt or the NFL‘s Steelers in action.

Pitt currently has the second-largest stadium in the ACC but will slide to 10th with a dramatic reduction planned for 2026.

Per Chris Peak of 247sports.com, the Panthers will trim the capacity to 51,416.

Nobody likes seeing large sections of empty seats — and it is hard to miss them when they are bright yellow.

The upper decks on the east and west sidelines will be closed in order to reduce capacity by 25 percent.

“We’re incredibly fortunate to play in Pittsburgh,” coach Pat Narduzzi said in a press release. “It’s the toughest town out there, blue-collar through and through, with fans who bring passion that you dream of playing in front of.

“We want opponents to feel that toughness the second they step into Acrisure.

“This move is going to bring our fans closer to the action and crank up the energy in a world-class stadium.

Aaron Rodgers has a decision to make over his future[/caption]

Acrisure Stadium’s field struggles with the demands of hosting two teams[/caption]

“Our guys are looking forward to amplifying our home-field advantage in one of the ACC’s best venues.”

Closing the upper tiers will help Pitt save money on operating costs with fewer security personnel, concessions and areas to clean.

The average attendance in 2025 was 51,485 so the available seating should be packed.

Pittsburgh Steelers voice concerns over sharing turf

A more radical — albeit expensive — solution has been proposed.

After Steelers kicker Chris Boswell slipped and fell attempting to kick a field goal during a 23-9 win over the Browns, Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers slammed the Acrisure Stadium turf.

During the same game special-teams ace Miles Killebrew suffered a serious non-contact knee injury.

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“The field got borderline unplayable, “Rodgers said, via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I just felt like it got real beat up.

“By the time the third quarter rolled around, that thing was really beat up. It reminds me a little bit of the field in Green Bay in the early years, but not until, like, November or early December where it would get kind of torn up a little bit.

“Then they went out and found an incredible field maintenance guy that came over and helped our guys out, and the field in Green Bay is absolutely immaculate, but the field today got pretty torn up.”

The Steelers will soon be forced to meet strict new NFL turf standards, which could prove difficult when sharing a stadium.

Ben Roethlisberger called for change.

“You can’t have a professional football team, not just the Steelers but the opponents, play on a surface like that,” he said. “Because you’re paying them a lot of money and if people get hurt, it’s not a good thing.

“And the only thing I can think of is, and I’ve been saying this for a while, I don’t think Pitt should play there anymore.

“I understand there are high school games, like the playoffs play there. That’s not a big deal. Concerts, things like that.

“My thing is, and I’m saying this for multiple reasons, I’m saying this for Pitt’s sake as well. I firmly believe that Pitt should put like a 35,000-person stadium up [in] Oakland. Pack that thing, because when you’ve got 65,000 or 70,000 in Acrisure and it’s only half full, what’s that look like?

“Put a 25,000-person stadium and then have it just bumping, crazy, loud. Fans everywhere. The students won’t to drive anywhere, they can walk to campus, to the stadium, walk to the game, walk back to their dorms. And then you keep them off the field for the Steelers.”

The bright yellow seats are hard to miss when empty[/caption]

Bigger isn’t always better.

Northwestern’s Ryan Field will hold just 35,000 people when completed despite being the most expensive college stadium ever.

Fan experience and atmosphere matter and Pitt may be better served with a new home as the Panthers look to return to the glory days.

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