Changes are coming to the Pitt football gameday experience for next season.
In an email sent to all season ticket holders on Wednesday, Pitt Athletic Director Allen Greene announced that Pitt will lower its seating capacity at Acrisure Stadium.
“Throughout last season, our administrative team carefully observed every aspect of the game day experience and identified key enhancements for 2026,” Greene said as part of the email. “Our goal is clear — transform Pitt Football into a must-attend event, not just another game on the schedule.”
As part of that effort, the University is creating a new look for home games. Starting next year, Pitt will close off the upper east and west sides of its home turf to attendees, lowering the overall capacity in the stadium for Pitt football games to 51,416. The north endzone upper deck will remain available, and Pitt is keeping its student seating capacity — primarily, the Panther Pitt — at 10,000 seats.
Greene framed this decision as one that he hopes will make for a more energetic gameday experience.
“This approach will deliver a more intimate, electric game day experience for our fans and an incredible atmosphere for our student-athletes to compete in,” Greene said in the email.
Pitt football has suffered criticism over the last few years for a decent amount of empty seats in the stadium, which was constructed largely with the capacity needs of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers in mind back in 2001. Having a decent amount of bright yellow empty seats is often glaring on TV, even if Pitt’s attendance hovers right around the average of teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“One of the most consistent pieces of feedback I’ve received has been about the game day atmosphere at Acrisure Stadium,” Greene said as part of his email. “You’ve told me you want a better home field advantage, one that ignites our team, and reflects your passion for Pitt Football.
The new capacity falls much more in line with Pitt’s recent home game attendance. In seven home dates along the North Shore last season, the Panthers averaged 51,845 fans per game. Their highest mark was on Nov. 15, when Pitt packed the house for a 68,400 sellout against Notre Dame on the heels of a College GameDay appearance along the river.
In 2024, Pitt averaged 53,077 fans per game at home, with their highest attendance coming during the most recent home edition of the Backyard Brawl. The Panthers drew 66,087 for that game.
The decision also adds a new layer to the years-old debate over whether Pitt should have its own stadium — whether on-campus or elsewhere. Fans and local media have argued for and against the idea of building a new stadium, one exclusively for Pitt football’s use. While poor field conditions sparked the majority of the debate this past season, attendance issues were also a common talking point among pundits.
However, with no clear space to build a new football stadium anywhere and the University having no current plans to build one, it will now try to alter its current confines to create a new environment for fans at games.
Fans who currently have upper-level season tickets will have “priority access” to lower-level seats for the upcoming season at “comparable prices,” per the email from Greene.
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