Nov. 10, 1956: When Pittsburgh was a smoky steelmaking powerhouse, Pitt Stadium was its football mecca. On this day, 58,679 fans showed up to watch the Panthers whip Notre Dame 26-13.
Pitt once played its football games at nearby Forbes Field, but under coach Pop Warner the team became so popular the concrete baseball stadium could no longer accomodate the large number of fans seeking admission. So the University of Pittsburgh purchased nine acres of land and hired Pitt graduate W.S. Hindman to design a new venue.
Pitt Stadium was completed in 1925, and on Sept. 26 of that year, Pitt christened the concrete bowl with a 26-0 victory over Washington and Lee. Record attendance for the stadium was reached on Oct. 29, 1938, when 68,918 fans watched Pitt beat Fordham 24-13. Seating changes and new safety rules set by Pittsburgh’s fire marshall reduced the capacity in the 1940s.
Pitt played its final game at the stadium on Nov. 13, 1999. The Panthers defeated Notre Dame 37-27 that day. The old facility went out in rowdy style. With nine seconds remaining in the game, fans rushed onto the field, tore down both goal posts and tore out chunks of artificial turf.
(Photo credit: Unknown)
