in Pitt Football 670 Words

Pitt hires New Sports Marketing Company

Pitt has hired a new marketing firm.

“The University of Pittsburgh Athletic Department signed a long-term multimedia rights deal with JMI Sports, The new agreement is set to begin on July 1, 2019, with JMI Sports becoming Pitt’s official corporate partnership and multimedia rights partner.”

It was quickly pointed out by a reader on this blog that JMI does much more than marketing.

JMI Facility Development

While this is certainly interesting, I think it would be extremely foolhardy for the Pitt fan base to jump to the conclusion that JMI was hired to scope a plan for the development of an on-campus stadium.  There is plenty of low-hanging fruit to pick right now in other areas.

Case in point:

I went to the Georgia Tech – Pitt game two years ago in Atlanta.  Now I get these kinds of emails all the time.  

404 takeover 1

404 takeover 2

404 takeover 3404 takeover 4I don’t know who Nicholas Ciupack is.  Heck, I don’t even know if he’s a real person.  But he seems pretty damn interested in getting me down to a Georgia Tech game, and having me support the program in general.  Mind you I did not attend Georgia Tech and I’ve attended one game in my life.  One game!  The funny thing is, this kind of personal engagement actually has me kind of interested.  Not that I would ever forsake Pitt for GT.

How many “personalized” emails have I gotten from Pitt?  Zero.  No emails asking me to buy tickets.  No emails asking me to otherwise support the program.  Maybe this is because I live in Atlanta and the Pitt Marketing department feels like I won’t travel, but still…  I’m a successful 40 year old alumnus who has bought at least one ticket through the Pitt ticket office in the last year.  I am in their database.  You’d think i’d at least be on their email list.  So yes, it definitely feels like a miss that Pitt isn’t reaching out to me.  Who else are they not reaching out to?

Which brings us back to JMI.

Here is what they are expected to be able to provide to our Athletics Programs:

Through this partnership, Pitt Athletics and JMI Sports seek to maximize the value of Pitt’s varied multimedia assets, – Pitt actually does a pretty good job with the videos, need to keep it going

while developing valuable relationships with sponsors, fans, alumni and students through the delivery of corporate sponsorships and advertising; – ROI $$$ if they can deliver.

radio and television broadcasts; – Can they expand our reach?  Don’t fire Bill and Pat…

coaches shows and endorsements; – Say what you want about Pat Narduzzi, the guy has a marketable personality.

website and social media; – Always good to invest here for the millenials n’at

game programs and publications; – Meh

in-game production and hospitality; – No comment, but happy to hear from someone who has perspective

venue signage and naming rights; – $$$

special events – Interested to see what they come up with

and innovative activations – Not exactly sure what this is, but you know marketers love to use the word innovative.

JMI appears to make their money on tailoring their marketing programs to the specific school and “being innovative”.  Here is a puff piece by the San Diego Business Journal about who they partner with, and their style.  If anything it tells you how they go to market and who they have partnered with.   Three names that jump out at me are The University of Georgia, Notre Dame, and our newest archrival, Clemson.

JMI Clemson

On the basketball side, I’d say UK is some pretty good pedigree.

So the bottom line, is while we may or may not be able to hang with the big boys on the field (yet), we are putting things in place to be able to generate revenue like them.  And that is a positive thing.

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105 thoughts on “Pitt hires New Sports Marketing Company”

  2. Keeping the ball rolling here, maybe Tepper did hand over that big check for the new PITT Tepper Stadium the other night in Charlotte?

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  3. IMG College managed Pitt’s media rights for the last 10 years. The contract expires this summer hence the chance for a change.

    The personalized e-mails you illustrate are relatively simple to pull off. That guy is actually real, but all the e-mails are based on various segmentation strategies. So depending on how often you engage, attend or donate, the e-mails are crafted to illicit certain actions from you and to cultivate you as a lifetime supporter.

    Once they get your cell #, you’ll be receiving text messages.

    They key is to communicate and get you to engage. They are also careful that the message doesnt become saturated and that you dont get inundated with communications since recipients might unsubscribe.

    This marketing is inexpensive and some of these segments have very high ROI’s. A no brainer for Pitt to finally begin using this marketing.

    I’d be interested in learning how they view Pitt. What does Pitt want to be? What is their identity? So when you think Pitt, what comes to mind?

    To me: urban campus, great architecture, vibrant, diverse, cosmopolitan, good academics, mediocre athletics, cool colors (the retro ones), The ‘City’, H2P

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  4. I get occasional “personalized” emails from my alma mater asking me for donations. U of Akron calls me every 3 months or so; I never answer.

    I know that for years, Mike Reid (former PSU All-American and NFLer) used to send out letters and emails to alums asking for donations. Of course, it was more likely a group of volunteers (or min waged students) doing this.

    I bought tickets from Duke online for Pitt-Duke FB game in 2015, and still get emails (but not personalized).

    Lastly, as a former season ticker holder, I still get an occasional email from Narduzzi or Lyke to renew. (My tickets over the past several years were bought by a my friend, a Pitt alum, and I pay him.)

    I guess I am not so infatuated with emails, ‘personalized’ or otherwise. I will read the contents but that’s about it

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  5. Great move!

    Soon we launch the retro colors !

    MM I might have met you after the GT game, by any chance do you remember an older guy in a TD 33 autographed football jersey in a bar restaurant? A younger guy approached me and asked me if I was from Pittsburgh, kinda looks like you (your photo)

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    1. ‘‘Twas not me sir but glad you came! I’ll defiantly be organizing something next time Pitt is in ATL though … so I guess this year!

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  6. Hate to burst any bubbles on Tepper’s sitting with Lyke in Charlotte & why but he was in Charlotte for another reason.

    Tepper is the new owner of the Charlotte Panthers. The morning after PITT tournament game, it was all over the local & state news (TV, radio & newspapers) that the Panthers are in discussion with South Carolina officials to move the Panthers HQ to either York (Rock Hill) or Lancaster Counties in South Carolina.

    Charlotte city limits border both S.C. counties. Lower taxes & cheaper land values. Financial incentives to move, Hey there names the CAROLINA Panthers for a reason. Minor league baseball Charlotte Knights stadium is in S.C.

    And that stadium in Charlotte is a dump compared to Heinz. I attended ACC championship game & my first impression was bad. Getting in one of the 4 gates was like a cattle drive. Only thing missing was the cattle dogs & cowboys on horses keeping us bunched together.

    It is good that Tepper sat with Lyke but I wouldn’t expect a large OCS check in the mail.

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  7. Back in the Wannstedt era, I received very clever, personalized season ticket renewal package. One had an aerial shot of the Pitt band at Heinz Field in a formation spelling out my name. Another had Dave Wannstedt at a chalkboard listing program priorities, one of whic was getting me to renew, with my name on the blackboard. Of course, photoshopped on both counts, but obviously they were effective. I’m sure a couple of you POVers recall them too (don’t let me down Ike and Fran).

    Hate to say it, but that happened under smiling Steve’s tenure.

    Don’t know if this firm’s selection is a good one or not, but good for Heather for doing it. You remember Heather, don’t you all? She’s the one who is out of here league, on vacation, single-handedly led WMU to financial dire straits- all of that nonsense.

    Slow day here folks, so please would someone do something stupid like criticizing this move so the rest of us can be amused?

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    1. Heather could have used JMI when she was AD at Eastern Michigan. JMI could have identified cost drivers and found revenue streams so 4 successful programs didnt need to be cut so that the football program, which averaged 13k attendance per game, could be saved.

      Pitt does a poor job maximizing revenues. I’ve been hammering this for over 2 years now. Pitt’s rate of spending is outpacing revenues. Thats not a sustainable position.

      Why do you think I’m pushing for an ‘OCS’ so hard. Its a revenue making machine.

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      1. You are probably right. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had JMI run the numbers on this and do a study. I would also not be surprised if the on campus numbers don’t look quite as good as we think. But hey you don’t know until you build the financial model

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        1. correct – model it out based on various assumptions
          But I think for it to succeed, it must be multi-purpose
          Must provide homes to more than just football
          Must be a venue thats more than just athletics
          Those revenue streams must flow 24/7, 365 days a year

          Liked by 2 people

    2. JoeL – I remember those promotions you mentioned. I especially liked the one with your last name spelled out on the field.

      Hopefully this new consultant works out better than the one that brought us KS – I guess that debacle couldn’t be topped, could it?

      Go Pitt.

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  9. Couple things…I would have won that race from the last thread because I can still run an 18.5…even in a pierogi outfit.
    JoeL, you are correct regarding personal mailings…many of them.
    Looking forward to the spring game. Major, the family that sits to my right is coming in for the tailgate from Central Pa.

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    1. For the record, I am not optimistic about an on campus stadium. I believe I used the word “foolhardy” for those fans that are

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      1. I think it is a fun topic but I don’t really see it happening soon. I have been playing the powerball so hopefully I can help make it a reality.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. The obstacles to building an OCS are overwhelming. Unlike Field of Dreams, they just won’t come, you have to create the demand first. Biggest obstacle of all for Pitt Football.Second biggest are the Powers to be in City, County and State Government. No money for infrastructure. Sorry other than TX and a few others there just is no demand for an OCS. Won’t ever happen if that doesn’t change.

    Changing consultants is usually a good thing to get rid of complacency and increase enthusiasm. Lets see if they can increase enthusiasm for the program sell tickets and increase donations, before we lose our heads.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Pitt needs new homes for volleyball, wrestling and gymnastics. I dont see how Pitt is going to raise the millions to build Victory Heights when these programs arent supported. Why spend $75M to build new homes for programs that each lose between $500K and $1M per year.

      And what happens to Pitt football in 10 years when the Heinz lease expires? Will the Steelers tear down Heinz and build something new? Will they move further out to the suburbs?

      The biggest obstacles I see are the financing and returns. Can Pitt raise the funds? And how quickly will the project pay itself back?

      Financing is dependent on fundraising and incurring debt. Can Pitt sell corporations and wealthy individuals on this endeavor? What will they get out of it other than naming rights? Can Pitt take on debt to finance the rest and how much is needed?

      This project goes nowhere if any state, or local tax dollars are used. It goes nowhere if any increases in student fees or tuition is proposed.

      How quickly the project is paid back depends on the revenue streams…its utilization, functionality, purpose

      So my question is: would you rather have Pitt spend $75M to support three programs that few fans attend or financially support
      OR would you rather spend a ‘little’ more to support 8 programs and be more that just a home for sports

      Liked by 1 person

  12. One area that needs improvement is merchandizing. If you’re not on Pitt campus, it isn’t easy to find any Pitt gear. The airport is a prime example. I don’t live in Pittsburgh, but I get back for 2-3 visits a year. On my last trip, I had time to kill before my flight so I did a quick tour around the airport to try to find a decent Pitt sweatshirt. I found tons of Steelers stuff (no surprise) and even a bit of Penn State gear. Very, very limited amount of Pitt gear. Maybe stores don’t carry Pitt gear because it doesn’t sell. It’s a bit chicken and egg….if you don’t have any Pitt gear to sell, it’s hard for customers to buy it. (Hopefully, the move to retro colors and script will help). Ran into the same problem at the local mall btw.

    ScottsValleyPanther

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  14. I assume that was directed at me. I never said that. What I said was that Conner may have been a better pass rusher than running back and that as such he would make more money and last longer in the NFL.
    Of course we will never know. I always said he is a very excellent running back, How good? We will find out over the next couple years.

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  16. Lots of interesting talk this morning.

    About that race, zero chance you can get me to run one hundred yards without a couple breaks thrown in there. I’ll take a pedicab instead. Although I would pay $20 to watch that race.

    JoeL, I’ve been buying season tickets long enough to know what you are saying but I made a tactical mistake back then and piggybacked off my soon to be ex son-in-law. We combined and used his points for a gold A parking spot. I’ve been on my own for around 4 years now. btw, still hoping to hear about a Red 5-A spot opening up.

    Maybe this new marketing firm was brought in to confirm once and for all that there is no room on campus to build a football stadium?

    What’s up with the Fitzgerald Field-house? That’s where “The Pete” should be standing with a new PITT stadium sitting in it’s original spot.

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  17. No question I am the old guy here. Let me start with the retro colors. They suck!! To me and my people the retros look like high school colors right out of Hay, Washington. (Yes there is sure a town in Eastern Washington).

    How much money will this new sports public relations company cost PITT? Does anyone really think they will earn their cost?

    What we really need is better recruiting in all sports. Football obviously, but don’t forget the minor sports. (Basketball is headed in the right direction so far.) If we are winners, people will come and spend money on PITT.

    Get a public relations firm to get our US News and World Report and other ratings services back up to at least the low 50’s.

    Above all, keep Lyke.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. they are good at branding and consulting. How to best market the school (not just sports) and how to build brand equity. They also consult for things like identifying ways to become more efficient, ways to generate more revenues, ways to maximize your investments. They service about 20 clients now. Their revenues are $60M. Pitt might be paying them $2M annually. Depends on what Pitt uses them for. I think it will be well worth the cost.

      Pitt has done a very poor job over the years at branding, marketing communications, growing revenues, containing costs (a recent thing), making proper high return investments, and creating new fans.

      If they were a company, they would have gone BK a long time ago.

      Remember – athletics at Pitt runs a deficit. The department is subsidized millions from the general fund. Thats even with that nice ACC check. Its not a sustainable position and Pitt knows it.

      Pitt needs to find more revenues or programs will be cut. I doubt Pitt is receptive to spending less on football.

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    2. Robert — taken as “colors,” I’m also not a fan of the new colors. I prefer the navy blue and gold.

      HOWEVER, since with the navy blue and gold we have no identity (we are indistinguishable from 4 or 5 other schools), I support going to the so called “retro” colors. At least now we will have excellent contrast from all opponents. After a while, Pitt will be recognized immediately (for better or worse) on TV… And those colors, for whatever reason, do “pop” to my eyes.

      Just my $.02.

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  18. I bought tickets to a Navy game years ago from the Academy website and I still get ocassional emails promoting events in Annapolis. It makes me smile a bit to think of all the Nitters who bought Pitt season tix last year getting emails from Pitt Athletics for the next twenty years or so.

    Liked by 5 people

  19. Now that Pitt men’s BB season has finally ended, did anyone notice that all three of Pitt’s current BB recruits are rated at 3*’s per Rivals?

    Currently, Trey McGowens is the only 4* recruit on the roster. Yet we read that Capel is reeling in 4* recruits – I just don’t see it. At least Duzz is bringing in a minimum of one 4* recruit per year. IKR

    Played 18 this morning in 40 degree, 18 mph winds just to test out my 7 & 9 irons. Never needed the 9, but “pured” a few good 7’s (favorite club).

    If replacing IMG gets us an OCS, then AOK.

    H2P!

    Liked by 4 people

    1. 2 of the 3 recruited in this years class are high 3’s. Think of them as similar to a 5.7 rated football prospect…the line between a 3 and a 4. Those players that Narduzzi has a hard time landing.

      I’m confident Capel will be recruiting 4’s in short time which is remarkable since the program was left for dead. But anytime you land a kid in the top 150, you are doing good.

      However, I dont expect him to consistently land recruits in the top 50 unless he pays for them.

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Okay, which POVer was cruisin’ on Route 30 earlier today in a Mercedes SUV with license plate “PITT?”

    My daughter spotted it on her way to St. Vincent’s and sent me a photo…

    Go Pitt.

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  22. C’mon Tx, you know the lay of the land here on the POV. A three star is a three star.

    John, rule me out of the Mercedes spotting for two reasons. One I rarely leave the house unless it’s family friends or a PITT game, second reason is obvious. My cash ain’t nothing but trash.

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  23. Gave up on the Mercedes long ago. Inferior car to my current tide, the McLaren 12C coupe. sometimes I drive the white one, and sometimes the blue one. By the way, as far as the OCS, Pitt is nothing if not obsessed with its future planning. So they can’t be happy with their current football venue about to expire in 10 years. It would take 4-6 years to fund and build an OCS to replace it, so the meter is running on a future solution.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Speaking of Pitt basketball, I saw somewhere that Jared Wilson Frame’s 3-point percentage went from 32% under the offensive-wizard KS, to 40% under Coach Capel.

    Just sayin’…

    (And perhaps that would be a good recruiting point with Skippy…)

    Go Pitt!

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    1. Could have also been the better guard play giving more time and space to launch….

      Coaches take credit for everything so I am sure that the staff will push their influence on his shot shape.

      Happy St. Patrick’s Day folks.

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  26. The new head baseball coach has his troops down in the second inning 0-7 to VA Tech with his ace pitcher on the mound and one error on the books.

    Coach or the players?

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    1. I guess a new coach needs time to recruit…but I wish him luck.

      Always a treat playing baseball in the ‘Burgh in March! Come on global warming. 😊

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  27. My mercedes hasn’t been ordered yet. Waiting to make some cash first, so it wasn’t me!

    The devil is in the details. The question is not how much we are paying JMI, but rather, how much they are paying us for “rights”. This is the big question that needs to be asked and answered before I get excited about it. For example, did we negotiate away our radio broadcasting rights, etc. to JMI and if that is part of the deal, for how much? This is part of the smoke and mirror deals with athletic departments. Talk all you want about ticket sales, but revenue is also made through the commercialization of the athletic department. So, how much $$$ did we get.

    Once you sell your rights, they own you. Good luck with their contracts as they are completely one sided. Also, GA is shared rights.

    To me, this isn’t anything to get excited about. It is money for athletics which is good. The question again, and that noone is asking is how much Pitt gets upfront, including scholarships and internship money on top of the financial deal.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Heres what KY got from them 5 years ago. I cant believe anyone listens to the radio for sports these days when you can watch it on your phone or laptop. Unless you really hate the announcers on TV. So KY sold their rights for radio, endorsements, signage, naming rights, and game promotions. TV rights are part of the conference network. Pitt is expected to receive about $5M each year from the TV network so I’m confused as to why radio rights and signage/endorsements are worth more. Based on my math, KY is getting $14M per year. Heinz and the Pete arent being re-named anytime soon.

    http://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/11122483/kentucky-wildcats-sell-marketing-rights-jmi-sports

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  29. Saw on PSN that Pitt offered a 2020 4-star QB from Arizona. That’s odd.

    Apparently Coach Whipple went out and watched his state playoff game (and maybe play some golf 😊).

    Chubba Purdy, 4-star, 6-3, 200, Gilbert, Arizona.

    While “Chubba” doesn’t sound like it, he’s rated a top-ten dual-threat QB…

    Other offers from Louisville, Colorado, Kansas, and K State. We appear to be expanding our recruiting horizons maybe…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  31. Ike – thanks for the Joplin – led me to Muddy Waters. Great stuff!

    On the not so great stuff – Pitt & cuse are the only ACC FB teams without a 2020 recruit. NADA, ZERO, NONE!

    Even the teams with new coaches have recruits – GTech, NC, Miami and Louisville.

    I’ve grown to be a Duzz fan – I guess I Lyke his personality (ikr). But this year he has to win 10+ games for me to stay interested with the Dawg as our coach. He must produce with the “less” that he has recruited. I get the fact that Heinz and the empty yellow seats cause issues. What about GTech, Duke,BC & WF’s low crowd numbers – they all have a few recruits for 2020 (3 each I believe)?

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    1. I’m wondering if he is leery of early commits. In his first year here, he saw the 2 earliest commits of his predecessor who had been committed to Pitt for an entire year, flip to PSU as soon as they were offered by PSU right before the LOI day. Then the following year, his first commit was a DB from Cleveland St Edwards (forgot his name) who didn’t last as a Pitt commit for 4 months when he got a rash of other offers …. believe he went to Mich St. Then the next year, his first commit was a DB from Johnstown or Altoona who ended up flipping to WVU after a handful of other DBs committed to Pitt. The only real early commit that stayed was Paris Ford (who wanted to stay home since he received many offers.)

      If you look at the last few years, Pitt didn’t get its first commit until May or June, and then the commits came in bunches. Maybe that is by design.

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  32. Not that concerned about the lack of a single recruit, well not right now. Here’s a few names to keep in mind. Only a few local players with offers.

    Josh Rawlings. 6′ 6″ 230 lbs TE from Woodland Hills. He’s projected to commit to PITT
    Jack Salopek. 6′ 3″ 175 lbs QB from Norwin. Not sure if he has a commit-able offer?
    Aaron Beatty. 6′ 5″ 235 lbs SDE from Central Catholic. Looks to be a slight wvu lean.
    Micheal Carmody looks to be a strong psu lean
    Nikhai Hill-Green 6′ 2′ 205 lbs LB from North Hills but now lives in Baltimore. Looks like a PITT lean
    Dayon Hayes 6′ 3″ 230 lbs from Westinghouse. A PITT lean

    and a RB from Ft Lauderdale Fla Tajae Davis. 5′ 11″ 215 who looks like a strong PITT lean.

    It’s really too early to predict leans but that’s the word for right now.

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  33. Okay, Coach Narduzzi has called me out, thrown me under the bus, whatever terms you want to use. I don’t know why he specifically singled me out, but he did.

    Check out this Pitt Live Wire segment with the Doozer mic’d up. About 20 seconds in, he clearly says “we should be making a MajorMajors improvement.”

    Coach, I will work diligently in the off-season to improve 3% every day on my POV posts… 😉

    Hail to Pitt.

    Liked by 4 people

  34. I did hear that MajorMajors and I thought it was a great compliment to you. It sounded like he wants his team to emulate their improvement in a way you have provided through example. A MajorMajors way.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. It was mentioned before but totally odd to have two days of spring practice then start over after spring break.
    Maybe they wanted to give them things to work on at home? or a new offensive playbook? Maybe they had to get it done because finals come up pretty quickly in April? Doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense.

    Slow morning so I looked through the football roster. Lots of O-linemen who haven’t been heard from except on the scout teams which is supposed to be better than ever. Let’s hope there is some talent there. Also plenty of other guys who we hope are pushing to get on the field this year. Surely some of these big guys have matured to the point where they are ready to do battle.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Finals week is the correct answer for the odd Spring practice schedule per an inside source. I guess a word from the Duzz would have helped us understand, but at least he is consistent with his communication. There is none.

      Kind of hard to rally much enthusiasm for a team we don’t know much about other than the fact that last year’s team won the Coastal Division and lost their final three games to leave a bad impression with it’s fan base. Well, most of it’s fan base…

      I believe this current team will look much Lyke last season’s group with one distinct difference, besides player graduations – the Panther’s will have a passing attack that compliments the run game. There will be two or three backs that emerge as the next generation of good Pitt RB’s.

      Just one man’s opinion.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. On that LIve Wire video, looks like Tre Tipton catches the bomb from KP; then that’s Beville with the short roll-out TD pass. When Dooz stops that one play, he’s talking to Phil Campbell about his positioning…

        Be great to see Tre Tipton have a big final year…

        Go Pitt…

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        1. A C C Champs was the closing chant by the team on that video from MajorMajors.

          To do that, they need to win the Coastal again. CBS Sports predicts Pitt to be the least lykely P5 division champ from 2018 to repeat.

          My thoughts are that Pitt would need to finish 7-1 to win the division. That would be an improvement on 2018.

          UVA – Duzz finds a way to beat the Cavs. I Lyke that we open the season with them at home.
          Duke – see UVA
          Cuse – two evenly matched teams – Pitt returns its starting QB and cuse does not.
          UNC – new coach, new systems, new results (Pitt win)?
          VTech – always a tough game – seems on the surface that the Hokies lost some very good players – can they reload or will it be a down year.
          GTech – new coach, new offensive system, Duzz seems to find a way to beat the yellow jackets.
          Miami – new coach, but very talented athletes on both sides of the ball.
          BC – rebuild year and Pitt has the home field advantage, ikr.

          I can see Duzz getting this team to 7-1 as the D should improve over last season and I believe the Whipple factor is good for 1 additional win (UNC???).

          And finally the ACC championship game – probably against Clemson.

          H2P!

          Liked by 2 people

              1. Could watch those highlights a million times — what a performance by the Pitt offense.

                Watching that really puts a spotlight on how much Watson mis-used our man George Aston…

                Go Pitt.

                Like

          2. Still shocked that we hung in there and then came back and beat Duke last season. What a game that was.

            That was the Carter game. Duke kept scoring but could never pull away because we kept scoring…

            Go Pitt.

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    2. it usually takes a while for OL to develop …. even 4 and 5 stars. It requires physical (weight training) and mental work (technique).

      I would hope to see progress this year from Drake and Warren, and Hargrove who started 2 games in 18. I also have some hope for the two USC OL. Houey and Ford. Then next spring I would hope the same for Kradel and Zubovic.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. TX – that is very clever. Hope they counted heads before lowering the field back down…;-).

      I guess you wouldn’t want to be switching back and forth very often – still very cool.

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. takes 3 hours to do this. below your field is plenty of room for a hockey rink. could hold larger basketball games there instead of the Pete. tennis, volleyball, wrestling tournaments. all extra revenues for Pitt.

        the retractable roof opens and closes in 15 minutes

        total cost $382 Million (US dollars)

        its a 50k stadium

        dimensions fit on the OC lot/Cost Center…and still room for a hotel and plaza area

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          1. correct
            which allows the field to be raised and rolled
            then you have a pit that can be used for hockey, basketball, etc
            viewing up to 30k since seating slides down to the pit
            theres your multi-purpose stadium and home or second home for up to 9 programs

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      1. The French, who have the highest labor costs in the world, managed to build it for under $400M US
        Teppers pens a check for $200M to support 9 programs and we’re half way there

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  38. So how much did that stadium cost in US dollars?

    Can’t tell, are those retro colors a little darker or not?

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    1. $382M in US Dollars
      So Tepper would need to contribute a nice chunk

      The colors do look a tad darker. I hope these are the new colors. The blue isnt too soft and the yellow isnt too yellow but still light enough to grab your attention in a good way

      Liked by 1 person

  39. And another 300 Mill in infrastructure. Sewers, roads, parking. Love to see a T-line out Centre Ave with Spurs to Oakland and Squirrel Hill. Then you are talking about billions.

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  40. For those that don’t live in the Pittsburgh region. Pittsburgh’s infrastructure is in very bad shape. Inadequate Roads with lots of potholes. 100 year old sewers and water system that needs replaced badly.

    At least at Heinz the Parkways east, south and north are accessible as are Ohio River Blvd and Rte 28. Also three bridges to the Downtown and one to the West end. A dozen or more hotels are in walking distance as well as many restaurants and bars. The Science Center and Casino are next door for before and after games.

    Oakland traffic is already a disaster. Bates St, the Blvd of the Allies, Fifth and Forbes, Centre Ave. No easy way in or out of the area. Presby, Eye and Ear, Montefiore, and Magee are all 24/7 seven operations. Shadyside, SQ. Hill and the Hill district border Oakland. They are all congested areas. I have been stuck in traffic for several basketball games for over an hour, add 30,000 more people, mostly in cars.

    The vast majority of Pittsburghers do not want a football stadium in Oakland. UPMC one of the largest employers in the region would quietly resist a stadium in Oakland. As Reed has pointed out many times Pitt Administration is perfectly content with Heinz Field. There wasn’t even enough room for practice fields in Oakland.

    I hate to burst the bubble but it is a non-starter.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Gordon – Pitt Stadium was in Oakland for over 70 years and Pitt fans dealt with it. I personally never had huge issues with traffic getting in or out. Plus, few if any residents live on the top of that hill. Other schools with on campus stadiums have similar issues with parking and access. They have solutions that deal with it.

      One easy solution is remote parking…park n rides. Tailgate off campus and take a shuttle to the stadium if tailgating is important to you. Otherwise, park in a remote lot, take a shuttle in and then have eats and drinks at the various hospitality tents throughout campus. Or use Lyft or Uber.

      You have this one chance to build a home for 9 programs as well as a facility that can be used for events, hospitality, office space, retail, academics, etc. Something more than just a sports stadium.

      What is Pitt going to do for programs that need new homes and for when the Heinz lease expires in 10 years?

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  41. A new PITT stadium is possible, just not where you would think it would go. Notice I did not say on campus?

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    1. if a new multi-purpose venue isnt on campus, it kind of defeats the purpose
      you might as well tag along with the Steelers when they move out to Cranberry to build their new stadium
      and might as well spend $75M on Victory Heights for 3 programs that each lose money and are sparsely attended

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  42. Not exactly sure if anyone on this thread has any idea what this actually means for Pitt Athletics.

    Simply put, JMI won the multimedia rights because they coughed up more $$$ for the rights than IMG was probably willing to give up.

    Pitt is not paying anyone for anything. They receive a buttload of cash in exchange for JMI to have the rights to sell all aspects of advertising and sponsorships for athletics.

    These emails do not come from the multimedia rights holders, they come from the fundraising body of athletics, which run by Pitt Athletics, not IMG or JMI. If you are wondering why you are not being contacted to buy tickets or to donate, neither of these companies have anything to do with it. The right’s holders goal is to create and monetize content…not to sell you tickets and donations. If you have a computer you’d be able to find this out by going to their website and see there’s a department dedicated to their mission of raising money.

    Unless there is a revenue share between JMI and Pitt, the $$$ invested in the advertising from the sponsors goes directly into JMI’s pocket. When rights change from one company to the next, there’s good chance the one who lost them cut their losses and moved on.

    Anyhoo, this is going to be great for Pitt.

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    1. Clemson is getting $10M each year for the next 15. Not sure what Pitt was getting under IMG, but this $10M is not incremental. So in the end, Pitt renegotiated rights (since IMG’s contract expires in July) for a few extra million per year on top of what they were already receiving. To me, no big deal (thats an extra 5% in yearly revenue). The big deal is in the consulting that JMI provides. Pitt has no idea on how to make money in sports.

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      1. Right, but Pitt isn’t getting nowhere close to $10m nor are they getting much more than what the IMG contract paid. $3M+ on top of what they were already getting isn’t even close to reality. I’d also find it hard for JMI to find the recipe to fix the disaster of what Pitt athletics is. All Heather did was sellout for a matter of pennies.

        Just stating what seemed to be missing from the article and the comments.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. correct. IMG’s contract was up. JMI gave them a little more and already sold ND and Clemson on new contracts so they would be familiar with the ACC. I do like what they say they can do like find new revenue streams, help grow the fanbase, improve the brand’s equity, etc, etc. Pitt would obviously have to pay for this consulting. Pitt sure can use help increasing the value of its brand and in finding new revenues.

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          1. Thank you Misery. You’ve answered a couple of questions I had and made the picture much clearer.

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    2. I think that i mentioned this yesterday, but appreciate the more detailed look. We couldn’t even get the release correct. It almost made it look like we were hiring them and that’s when I called bs. Been working with IMG for years and they are all about…..IMG!

      Their attorneys are sharp and demanding…..higher ed sells out to anyone. You have money, something is for sale. Just watch the news this last week.

      The key for Pitt was how much more cash our AD got and if she got any scholarships out of them or internships. Good AD gets all that. A great AD gets a lot of all that………just sayin! Those people will poke your eyes out and steal your wallet/purse while your not able to look..

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    1. At least the empty seats aren’t yellow……..

      Could be the record causing no fans…or the weather…..looks cold!

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  44. Jus saying, why would it be PITT’s responsibility to provide infrastructure to Oakland and the surrounding neighborhood? It’s not. Let’s not forget there are plenty of important resources in east Pittsburgh. UPMC and CMU being at the top. A T-Line is long overdue out that way and let’s just say as an example, someone like Tepper invested lots of $$’s in those neighborhoods…. Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Shadyside…. etc.

    Point being, right now the people who can make the changes possible need to get involved. How that happens is the 64 million dollar question. When money talks, politicians hop.

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  45. Pitt not responsible, but to build a stadium you need the infrastructure to support it. A stadium can’t be built in a vacuum. Government will not dedicate limited resources to a project if they don’t see the value in it.

    What is the advantage of a dedicated Pitt Facility if it is off campus?

    Pitt Stadium was built when most people traveled by streetcars. There is a reason that Pitt Stadium and Forbes Field became obsolete and that is the fact that you need transportation infrastructure. I want what you are smoking if you think people would be willing to park remotely and take a shuttle to the stadium. There is no Gateway Clipper to the Hill. People are claiming how difficult it is for students to bus to Heinz but your solution is for the general public to shuttle to the Hill. Just not going to happen. People are lazy, that is why they stay home and watch the game on TV. You need to make it as easy as possible. One reason the Steelers are not moving to Washington or Butler Counties, you can’t easily get there from other parts of the region. From Heinz once you get on the interstate you are on your way NSEW.

    People don’t get to be Billionaires by investing foolishly they invest where they can make money, not sure what your point was Ike, although an eastern T-line would be awesome, but won’t happen since there is no money for infrastructure…..

    Just an example, Kennywood is hoping that the Mon Valley Expressway gets built because they know it would dramatically increase their business if it was easier to get to. The one common denominator to most development in this country is the interstate highway system. SouthPointe and Cranberry don’t exist without RTE 79 and 579.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. fans park in remote lots and catch a shuttle to the stadium at many on campus stadiums where space is precious
      and Oakland alone has over 13,000 parking spaces if you want to travel in and walk up the hill/catch a shuttle
      you just wont have outdoor open lots around the stadium…prime tailgate space
      but there will be several sponsored hospitality tents all throughout campus (another way to make money for JMI)
      actually thats a complete waste of urban real estate (outdoor parking in a city environment) when you can park in a garage or take an Uber or walk (students prefer walking to games)
      i’ve never heard a grown adult complain about taking a shuttle from their car…I personally like that kind of service particularly in crap weather

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        1. I take that back, took one to the US Open at Oakmont, not really a pleasure.
          Aren’t there parking requirements for any new buildings in the City? Seems ludicrous to build a facility with insufficient infrastructure. Not sure it is even legal.

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  47. So Dan – who do you like in the BB brackets. I’m going to invest $5.00 & I want to win it all. Winner gets 50% of the pool. Last year the winner got $55. I need the money to buy a carton of cheap cigarettes & a case of Yuenglings.

    Liked by 2 people

  48. Pirates had to live with that mistake for nearly 30 years

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  51. PITT game against psu when PITT won and set an attendance record. You couldn’t get off the north shore to save your life. Backed up for hours. Do not be afraid of traffic. It happens everywhere.

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  52. No way the local and state politicos allow a stadium in Oakland without major water/sewer, highway and street improvements.

    Satellite Parking lots require good feeder roads – for starters McKee down to the Parkway East and the bottleneck where Forbes and Penn split West of Oakland would need to be upgraded massively, and a new interchange or two on the Parkway East would be the minimum the State would probably require to approve such a venue.

    One is talking several hundred million above the cost of the facilities themselves – who is going to pay for that part? Not the taxpayer.

    And talk about extending the T line to the east – keep smoking that funny smelling tobacco. If it ain’t asphalt it ain’t getting funded in Western PA. Thank GM and Ford.

    Unless someone can come up with a minimum 1 Billion dollars in Private funding to take care of the whole enchilada, stadium complex, the roads and the massive improvements water/sewer infrastructure would require to handle the needs of a 50K crowd it ain’t gonna happen soon.

    Parking Decks would be the least of the problem as multi story decks will be built by entrepreneurs if the project ever came to pass.

    More chance of Pitt building a stadium somewhere on the Mon in the area east of the Tech Center or Southside.

    Just mho – H2P

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    1. And yet none of that existed when they played at Pitt stadium…

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