Pittsburg, PA
Behind-the-scenes-look at the Pitt/Steelers changeover at Acrisure Stadium
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — It’s an exciting weekend ahead on Pittsburgh’s North Shore for football fans.
The Pitt Panthers prepare to face No. 20 Clemson on Saturday, and the Steelers take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, all at Acrisure Stadium.
But with the Panthers having a noon kickoff on Saturday and the Steelers scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, there’s a limited window of time between games for the stadium to be cleaned and ready to go, and it takes the work of hundreds of staffers working around the clock.
“For our staff, we arrive seven hours prior to kickoff. So, for us, our (deadline) is generally 6 a.m. for a 1 p.m. Steeler game,” says Joe Simon, Acrisure Stadium’s director of facility operations. “With a noon kick, a lot of the activity is done overnight. But it’s not as stressed or compressed, so we are able to get it done well in advance of that 6 a.m. timeframe.”
Simon says between preparing the field, cleaning the stands, and television networks from the respective games tearing down and then setting up, there’s a lot of activity within minutes after the final whistle on Saturday.
“There’s a lot of work right on the field with the signage change up. But obviously, that’s a visible thing that a lot of people see,” he said. “We’ll bring in housekeeping staff as soon as we possibly can. The cleaning of the stadium takes all night long. So, those are the folks that are here the longest throughout the night, as well as our concessionaires, who are working throughout the night cleaning up.”
Meanwhile, on the field, the logos are being re-painted and the markings are being converted from college rules to professional.
“The outline of the ‘PITTSBURGH’ in the North end zone, that outline color changes from a Pitt to a Steeler game,” Simon said. “The pro hash marks are separate from the college hash marks, so as soon as the game is over, the grounds crew will be out here. They’re out here late as well painting over the college hash marks, painting new pro hash marks.”
Throughout the rest of the stadium and in the enclosed areas, signs are replaced from Pitt’s blue and gold to the Steelers’ black and gold.
“That takes the longest, to be really transparent,” said Simon. “There’s a lot of work on the signage because we work with Pitt, and we want Pitt to have their own unique experience on game day. So, we spend a lot of time putting up Pitt signage and obviously, we’ve got to transition that for Steelers signage.”
Due to both teams having multiple games scheduled in prime time or on alternative dates this season (such as Mondays for the Steelers and Thursdays for Pitt), this is the second – and last – time in 2024 that both teams will play home games on the same weekend.
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With America celebrating its 250th birthday this summer, a major landmark in Pittsburgh will celebrate its 100th birthday.
Allegheny County announced a 100th Birthday Bash for the Andy Warhol Bridge on Saturday, June 27, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato made the event official on Friday morning and said it will feature art, music, games, and more.
“Allegheny County’s history is filled with innovation and creativity, beautiful architecture, and talented homegrown artists, and the Andy Warhol Bridge encapsulates all of that in one iconic structure,” said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. “I hope everyone will come down for a fun day of art, community, and a shared celebration of our history on June 27.”
Part of the celebration will be art projects hosted and led by the Andy Warhol Museum and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Local artist Strawberry Luna will also create a special, commemorative poster celebrating the bridge’s history.
The Andy Warhol Bridge is the only bridge in the country to be named for a visual artist, according to Allegheny County.
“As our nation commemorates the U.S. Semiquincentennial, it is fitting that we recognize the oldest of the three Sister Bridges, which represent Pittsburgh’s tradition of innovation, ingenuity, and ‘we can do it’ spirit,” said Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Senator John Heinz History Center. “These iconic bridges, painted in ‘Aztec Gold’ as an homage to the city’s official colors, are symbols of Pittsburgh’s vibrancy, culture, and most importantly, its people.”
Formerly known as the Seventh Street Bridge, it was renamed the Andy Warhol Bridge in 2005 to honor the famous artist as well as the 10th anniversary of the Andy Warhol Museum, which is two blocks away.
A man was critically injured after being assaulted by a group of people in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood on Thursday evening, authorities said.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said officers were called to South St. Clair and Eva streets around 5 p.m. for reports of a man who was assaulted by a group of people. The assault happened next to a Whole Foods store.
At the scene, which bordered a park with a playground, first responders found a man who was unconscious and not breathing. Officers and medics performed CPR on the man until he was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. The exact nature of his injuries was not released.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said “several males of unknown age” were detained and transported to police headquarters for questioning. It was not immediately known if any of them would be charged.
A KDKA-TV crew observed a second police scene nearby on Centre Avenue next to The Fresh Market, which was previously a Whole Foods. At that scene, KDKA-TV observed what appeared to be at least one teenager being taken into a police car. A witness told KDKA-TV they saw police questioning nearly 10 people, ranging from grade schoolers to teenagers.
Pittsburgh Public Safety did not say what led up to the assault.
“Those kids, whoever they were, need to be reprimanded for that, because that was horrible, horrible,” said Asia Wilter, who was nearby on Thursday evening.
Over the weekend, another man was assaulted outside a 7-Eleven store on Penn Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh. Police say the assault started inside the 7-Eleven after the victim mentioned to an employee that he believed a group of teenage males was shoplifting.
Pittsburgh police say the victim scraped his elbow and had a small abrasion on his face. He refused to be transported to the hospital, but police say he went on his own to get checked out. Police are searching for the teens.
Earlier this month, six teenage girls were charged after authorities said they chased a woman into a Sephora store in East Liberty and beat her. Sephora’s loss prevention officer estimated the teens caused approximately $30,000 in damage.
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