College Football’s Top 50 Fanbases

43. Pittsburgh

The good

Starting from the early days with Pop Warner, Pitt lays claim to nine national titles. The Panthers boast an All-Star list of alumni including Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett and Mike Ditka, among others.

The bad

All but one of their national titles came before WWII. The current iteration of the Pitt Football Program has had occasional bright spots, but have had just one 10-win season since 1981.

The bottom line

Pitt has played their home games at Heinz Field since 2001. Pro stadiums have their fair share of glam but aren’t conducive toward the sort of fervent atmosphere which has become ubiquitous with the highest levels of college football.

The stadium switch mirrors a shift in the perception of the Pitt program on a national level. They’ve fallen behind in the arms race between the sports’ modern powers. For the most part, fans understand the current state of affairs and share a cautious uncertainty about the direction the program is heading today.