Sports in Pittsburgh

Sports in Pittsburgh have been played dating back to the American Civil War. Baseball, hockey, and the first professional American football game had been played in the city by 1892. Pittsburgh was first known as the "City of Champions" when the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Panthers football team, and Pittsburgh Steelers won multiple championships in the 1970s. Today, the city has three major professional sports franchises, the Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins; while the University of Pittsburgh Panthers compete in a Division I Power Five conference, the highest level of collegiate athletics in the United States, in both football and basketball. Local universities Duquesne and Robert Morris also field Division I teams in men's and women's basketball and Division I FCS teams in football. Robert Morris also fields Division I men's and women's ice hockey teams.

Pittsburgh's major teams have seen great success, with the MLB's Pirates winning 5 World Series titles, the NHL's Penguins winning 5 Stanley Cups, and the NFL's Steelers winning a tied league record 6 Super Bowls. The Pittsburgh Panthers have also been successful in the NCAA with 9 national championships in football and 2 in basketball.

The flag of Pittsburgh is colored with black and gold, based on the colors of William Pitt's coat of arms; Pittsburgh is the only city in the United States in which all professional sporting teams share the same colors. The city's first National Hockey League (NHL) franchise, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and that team's non-NHL predecessor, the Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets, wore black and gold as their colors in the 1920s. The colors were adopted by founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Art Rooney, in 1933. In 1948, the Pittsburgh baseball Pirates switched their colors from red and blue to black and gold. Pittsburgh's second NHL franchise, the Pittsburgh Penguins, wore blue and white, due to then-general manager Jack Riley's upbringing in Ontario. In 1979, after the Steelers and Pirates had each won their respective league championships, the Penguins altered their color scheme to match, despite objections from the Boston Bruins, who have used the black and gold combination since the 1935–36 NHL season.

In 1975, late Steelers radio broadcaster Myron Cope invented the Terrible Towel, which has become "arguably the best-known fan symbol of any major pro sports team." Cope was one of multiple sports figures born in Pittsburgh and its surrounding area; others include golfer Arnold Palmer, Olympian and retired professional wrestler Kurt Angle, and basketball player Jack Twyman. Pittsburgh is also sometimes called the "Cradle of Quarterbacks" due to the number of prominent players of that position who hail from the area, including NFL greats Jim Kelly, George Blanda, Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Dan Marino, and Joe Montana.

Professional team sports

The City of Pittsburgh has had various professional sports franchises throughout its history and today is home to three teams competing at the highest professional level in their respective sports: the Pittsburgh Pirates of the MLB, the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, and the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL.

Major League Professional Teams

Minor League Professional Teams

Top Tier Amateur Teams

Baseball

Prior to 1876, three amateur Pittsburgh baseball teams—the Enterprise, the Xanthas, and the Olympics—competed, most often at Recreation Park. On April 15, 1876, Recreation Park was the site of a game between the Xanthas and the Pittsburgh Alleghenies (alternately spelled "Alleghenys"), an unrelated forerunner to the "Alleghenys" team which would later be renamed the Pirates. The Alleghenies won the game 7–3. The 1877 squad was the most successful yet, finishing within 1 game of the pennant in the International Association; only a Canadian team had a better record, allowing the city potential bragging rights for being the best American team that season.

1882 marked the first "major league" and fully professional season for the Pittsburgh Alleghenies (Pirates) and in 1887, the Alleghenies moved from American Association to the National League after owner William Nimick became frustrated over a contract dispute. The Pirates were purchased in 1900 by Barney Dreyfuss, who would go down in history as the "Father of the modern World Series" and its precursor, the Chronicle-Telegraph Cup, both of which saw the Pirates participate in the inaugural series. He recruited Hall of Famers Fred Clarke and Pittsburgh native Honus Wagner and built the first concrete and steel (first "modern") baseball stadium, Forbes Field. Under Dreyfuss, the Pirates won pre-World Series world titles in 1901 and 1902, National League pennants from 1901–1903, 1909, 1925 and 1927 and World Series in 1909 and 1925. The 1902 squad set major league records for winning percentage and even today is the second most winning team ever fielded in the sport. The franchise won the World Series three more times— in 1960, 1971, and 1979. In 1960, the team became the first to win a World Series on a walk-off home run, hit by Bill Mazeroski, and they remain the only team to win on a walk-off homer in the decisive seventh game. In 1979, the Pirates repeated the accomplishment of their own 1925 World Series team, coming back from a three-games-to-one deficit, winning three games in a row when facing elimination, for the title. Thus the Pirates became (and they currently remain) the only franchise in the history of all sports to win world titles more than once when coming back from a 3-1 deficit. The 1979 Pirates also are unique in that they are the only team in all sports to have players who captured all four MVP awards: Seasonal (Willie Stargell, co-MVP with Keith Hernandez), All Star Game (Dave Parker), NLCS (Willie Stargell), and World Series (Willie Stargell) within a single season. Since 1970 the team has won their division and qualified for the playoffs nine times: six in the 1970s, and three times in a row from 1990 to 1992. Pirate players have won the league MVP award in 1960 ( Dick Groat), 1966 (Roberto Clemente), 1978 (Dave Parker), 1979 (Willie Stargell), 1990 (Barry Bonds), 1992 (Barry Bonds), and 2013 ( Andrew McCutchen) and the Cy Young Award in 1960 ( Vernon Law) and 1990 (Doug Drabek). In 2001, the team opened PNC Park on the city's North Shore, regularly ranked as one of the top three baseball parks in the country.

In addition to the Pirates, the Pittsburgh Stogies, Pittsburgh Burghers and Pittsburgh Rebels played in various leagues from 1884 to 1915. The Rebels won the pennant in 1912 and finished just a half game shy of a pennant in 1915. The Pittsburgh Keystones, Homestead Grays (playing in the city limits), and Pittsburgh Crawfords played in the Negro leagues. With players including Josh Gibson and Cumberland Posey the Grays won 12 league titles—the most by any Negro league team—including nine consecutive from 1937 to 1945. The Crawfords finished their eight-year existence with a .633 winning percentage, with a line-up including Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and Satchel Paige and claimed four straight league titles from 1933 until 1936, with the 1935 team judged by some as the greatest one to ever take the field in the Negro leagues, or perhaps in baseball period. Just as they initially played in the first "modern" ballpark in the majors (Forbes Field), Crawfords owner Gus Greenlee constructed the first steel and concrete "modern" stadium in the Negro leagues, with Greenlee Field opening in the Hill District on April 29, 1932.

Basketball

Pittsburgh South Side won Western Pennsylvania Basketball League and Central Basketball League titles in 1904, 1907 and 1913, coming in second place in 1908, 1911 and 1915. The " Black Fives" league enjoyed success in the city with Monticello-Loendi winning national championships in 1912, and four in a row from 1920–23. The Pittsburgh Pirates from 1937–39 and Pittsburgh Raiders in 1944–45 continued professional basketball in the city in the National Basketball League. Pittsburgh had one of the founding members of what became the NBA, the Pittsburgh Ironmen however only played a single season 1947–48 before folding. The Pittsburgh Renaissance (or Rens) played from 1961 until 1963 in the ABL, posting the city's best record in almost 40 years when they finished 2nd in 1962.

The most lasting legacy of pro roundball in Pittsburgh was the Pittsburgh Pipers-Pittsburgh Condors of the American Basketball Association from 1967 until 1972. In the first ABA World Championship in 1968, the Pipers defeated the New Orleans Buccaneers, which were owned by Harry Connick Sr.

After the ABA Pipers/Condors folded in 1972 the city hosted the Pittsburgh Piranhas of the CBA in the mid-1990s. The franchise made it to the championship round in the 1994–95 season. Taking the series into the 6th game the Piranhas lost by a basket in the final seconds (92-94) by what they claimed was an ineligible player, the CBA denied a replay game in what would have been Pittsburgh's second pro-basketball world titl

In the late 2000s the Pittsburgh Xplosion, a development league team owned by former NBA player Freddie Lewis, played in a revamped ABA/CBA at Mellon Arena and the Petersen Events Center before ceasing operations prior to the 2008–09 season because of the economic recession. Another professional basketball team, the Pittsburgh Phantoms of the American Basketball Association, played during the 2009–10 season and held their games at the Carnegie Library of Homestead, but folded prior to the following season.

Pittsburgh has hosted dozens of pre-season and 15 regular season "neutral site" NBA games, including Wilt Chamberlain's record setting performance in both consecutive field goals and field goal percentage on February 24, 1967, NBA records that still stand.

Hockey

First played in Pittsburgh in 1895, ice hockey grew in popularity after the Duquesne Gardens opened in 1899. In 1901 the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League (WPHL), a semi-professional ice hockey league based in Pittsburgh in the early 1900s, may have been involved in the first trade involving professional hockey players. In 1907, the WPHL was the first league to openly hire hockey players. The league played its games in three Pittsburgh hockey arenas, the Gardens, the Schenley Park Casino and the Winter Garden at Exposition Hall. The Casino, which was destroyed by a fire in 1896, had the first artificial ice surface in North America, was the first place in Pittsburgh where organized ice hockey was played and had the most modern indoor lighting system of the time era, that consisted of 1,500 incandescent lamps, 11 arc lights and 4 white calcium lights. In 1905–1907, the city was represented in the International Professional Hockey League, the first fully professional hockey league, by the Pittsburgh Professionals.

The Gardens housed the largest indoor rink in the world and was home to the city's first NHL franchise, the Pittsburgh Pirates, from 1925 to 1930. The Gardens also was home to the Pittsburgh Shamrocks and the Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets of the International Hockey League as well as the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League.

In 1961, Pittsburgh Civic Arena was constructed for use of the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. Founded, by Jack McGregor and Peter Block as part of the 1967 NHL expansion, the Pittsburgh Penguins have played home games in downtown Pittsburgh since their inception—first at the Civic Arena, and since 2010 at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992. The franchise recorded their third Stanley Cup in 2009. The teams included players Mark Recchi, Kevin Stevens, Jaromír Jágr, and Mario Lemieux. Lemieux holds multiple franchise records and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997. He suffered from multiple injuries, including Hodgkin's lymphoma, throughout his career. In 1999, Lemieux purchased the Penguins and saved the franchise from bankruptcy. He returned to play one year later as the first player/owner of the modern era. The Penguins, led by top point scorers Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, returned to the Stanley Cup finals in 2008 and won the franchise's third Cup in 2009. The franchise recorded their fourth and fifth Stanley Cups consecutively in 2016 and 2017.

Football

On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $500 to participate in an American football game for the Allegheny Athletic Association. With this transaction, Heffelfinger became the first person to be paid to play football. The first professional football game was held at Recreation Park in Pittsburgh. Heffelfinger scored the game's only points as the Allegheny Athletic Association defeated the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, 4–0. The early professional football era was also represented in Pittsburgh, by top athletic association teams in the Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit. The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club, was the top pro team in the state in 1898 and 1899. The first ever pro football all-star game was played at Exposition Park between the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club and a collection of players from several teams in the area on December 3, 1898. Duquesne won the game 16–0. Later the Homestead Library & Athletic Club, fielded the top pro team in the state in 1900 and 1901. In 1902 the top players in the area, mainly from the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club line-up, formed the Pittsburgh Stars of the first National Football League. The Stars were suspected of being financed by Barney Dreyfuss and William Chase Temple, the owners of baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates. The team featured baseball players in the line-up including Christy Mathewson, a future Hall of Fame pitcher with the New York Giants and Fred Crolius, and outfielder with Pirates. The team won the league's only championship in 1902.

In 1933, as the oldest of nine children Art Rooney, who had been raised on the North Side of Pittsburgh, founded the Pittsburgh Steelers. Originally nicknamed the Pirates, the team later changed their name to the Steelers, to represent the city's heritage of producing steel. The Steelers' first season with a winning record came in 1942. However, they lost their first playoff game in 1947. In 1969, the Steelers hired head coach Chuck Noll who strategically drafted players in order to improve the team. Three years later, in the first playoff game at Three Rivers Stadium Pittsburgh's rookie running back Franco Harris returned an errant pass that bounced off an opposing player for a game-winning touchdown in a play that later became labeled the Immaculate Reception. In 1974, the Steelers won their first Super Bowl in franchise history—a feat which they would repeat in 1975, 1978, and 1979 to become the first NFL franchise to win four Super Bowls. In 1992, Noll was succeeded by Bill Cowher, who led the franchise to its fifth Super Bowl victory in 2005. Mike Tomlin succeeded Cower and led the Steelers to an NFL record sixth Super Bowl victory in 2008. As of 2009, the Steelers have 18 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In October 1964, Ernie Stautner, who played on the Steelers from 1950 to 1963, became the only Steelers' player to have his number—70—retired. Charles "Mean Joe" Greene had his number—75—retired in 2014. In 2008, ESPN.com ranked Steelers' fans as the best in the NFL, citing their "unbelievable" sellout streak of 299 consecutive games. Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney, son of founder Art Rooney, became the majority owner of the Steelers in November 2008 along with his son Art II, after they bought all of the shares of two of his four brothers.

Outside of the NFL, the city was represented by the Pittsburgh Americans of the second American Football League in 1936 and 1937. It was also briefly represented by the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League, in 1984, and the Pittsburgh Gladiators (which later became the Tampa Bay Storm), of the Arena Football League from 1987 until 1990. A second Arena Football League team, the Pittsburgh Power, played in the Consol Energy Center from 2011 until 2014.

In addition, Pittsburgh has also been home to women's full-contact football teams. The Pittsburgh Passion were founded in 2002 as members of the National Women's Football Association, then played in the Independent Women's Football League, and then Women's Football Alliance. The Passion play their home games at West Allegheny High School in nearby Imperial. The team went 12–0 and won a national title in 2007 as members of the NWFA. The Pittsburgh Rebellion were members of the Legends Football League during the 2017 season with home games at the downtown Highmark Stadium.

The "most established area minor-league football team" the Pittsburgh Colts are members of the North American Football League's Regional American Football League.

The United States Football League (2022) announced that the league would be relaunching in April 2022 and that the Pittsburgh Maulers would be returning

Soccer

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC are members of the USL Championship (second division) and play at Highmark Stadium.

The Riverhounds are one of the oldest professional soccer clubs in the United States operating outside of MLS; the only two older clubs are fellow USL Championship side Charleston Battery and USL League One's Richmond Kickers, both of which were founded in 1993. Like their counterparts, the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, the Riverhounds are a full-time professional club, and many of their current and former players have represented their countries in international play.

In 2024, the USL W League announced that the Riverhounds' ownership group had established a women's team to begin competing in 2025. Several months later, the club's name, Pittsburgh Riveters SC, and crest were unveiled.

Steel City FC is a pre-professional club that originated as a youth soccer team in the 1980's. In addition to multiple youth teams, the club fields both a men's and women's senior team competing in the USL League Two and USL W League respectively, with the women's team competing in the same division as the aforementioned Pittsburgh Riveters SC.

Historic teams such as the suburban Harmarville Hurricanes won the U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer's national championship, with Harmarville winning in 1952 and 1956 and reaching the final in 1953. Pittsburgh area teams Gallatin and Morgan Strasser also won the Open Cup in its earlier years, but since the end of the 1950s, only the Riverhounds have advanced as far as the quarterfinals, which they achieved in 2001 and 2023. The amateur club Pittsburgh Beadling has contested for regional and national titles for over 100 years, winning the National Amateur Cup in 1954, though Beadling now operates primarily as a youth club.

Aldo Donelli, better known as a Duquesne University Football player and coach played soccer with a number of clubs in the 1920s and 1930s and was a member of the United States men's national soccer team during the 1934 FIFA World Cup. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. In a 4–2 qualifying victory over Mexico in Rome, Italy on May 24, he tallied all four times, becoming the first American to score his first three international goals with the senior team in the same match.

The region's interest in soccer continues as modern stars such as natives Justin Evans, Meghan Klingenberg, Don Malinowski, John Stollmeyer, A. J. Wood and Marvell Wynne II have all achieved international success.

Rugby

The Pittsburgh Forge Rugby Club are rugby union team based in South Side Pittsburgh. The club formed in 2018 when the Pittsburgh City RC and the Pittsburgh Highlanders combined to form the Forge. The Pittsburgh Forge currently fields two competitive men's senior sides and one competitive women's side. The men currently participate in the Midwest Competition Region (NCR1) at the Division II and Division III levels, and the women also play in the Midwest Competition Region at the Division II level.

The Pittsburgh Sledgehammers were a rugby league team based in Cheswick, Pennsylvania (outside of Pittsburgh) which was formed in 2010 and played in the AMNRL competition.

The Pittsburgh Harlequins are a rugby union team also based in Cheswick. The Pittsburgh Harlequins Rugby Club was founded in 1973 by a group of University of Pittsburgh law students. The organization has an active roster of 45 players and an alumni roster inclusive of more than 70 seasons of play. The Harlequins Rugby Club is a Division I member of the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union. Over 300 active players wear the Harlequin jerseys every year at the Division 1 men's, Under 19, and Under 14 levels. In 1995, the Founders Field Center for Athletic Leadership was developed to support the Harlequins Men's and Youth programs. The 12-acre Founders Field facility includes lighting, irrigation, a clubhouse, locker rooms, concessions, and parking.

The Pittsburgh Steeltoes, a Rugby sevens club with both a men's and women's team, was announced as an expansion team for the Premier Rugby Sevens in 2023. Highmark Stadium hosted the 2023 Eastern Conference Final, marking the first ever professional rugby event held in the city. Three of the Steeltoes' women represented their countries at the 2024 Summer Olympics: Kayla Canett and Sammy Sullivan for United States and Asia Hogan-Rochester for Canada, winning bronze and silver, respectively.

Ultimate

The Pittsburgh Thunderbirds are a professional ultimate team that competes in the Ultimate Frisbee Association (formerly known as the American Ultimate Disc League) since 2015. They play their home games at Highmark Stadium.

Major league professional championships, awards, and events

Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)

6 Super Bowl titles

* 1974 ( IX)
* 1975 ( X)
* 1978 ( XIII)
* 1979 ( XIV)
* 2005 ( XL)
* 2008 ( XLIII)

Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)

5 Stanley Cup titles

* 1991
* 1992
* 2009
* 2016
* 2017

Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB)

5 World Series titles

* 1909
* 1925
* 1960
* 1971
* 1979

Homestead Grays (NNL)

3 Negro World Series titles

* 1943
* 1944
* 1948

Pittsburgh Pipers (ABA)

1 ABA Finals title

* 1968

Championship game/series appearances

Awards

MVPs

The following Pittsburgh players won the regular season most valuable player award of the NFL ( AP), MLB, or NHL. Note that MLB confers an MVP award to one player in the American League and one player in the National League.

* Paul Waner, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, NL, 1927
* Bill Dudley, NFL, 1946
* Dick Groat, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, NL, 1960
* Roberto Clemente, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, NL, 1966

* Dave Parker, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, NL, 1978
* Terry Bradshaw, NFL, 1978
* Willie Stargell, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, NL, 1979

* Mario Lemieux, NHL, 1987-88, 1992-93, 1995-96
* Barry Bonds, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, NL, 1990, 1992
* Jaromir Jagr, NHL, 1998-99

* Sidney Crosby, NHL, 2006-07, 2012-13
* Evgeni Malkin, NHL, 2011-12
* Andrew McCutchen, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, NL, 2013

Other awards

Major sports events held in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh has hosted the following all-star game, All-Star games and Draft (sports), drafts:

* 1944 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 1944 MLB All-Star Game
* 1948 NFL draft
* 1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 1959 MLB All-Star Game
* 1974 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 1974 MLB All-Star Game
* 41st National Hockey League All-Star Game, 1990 NHL All-Star Game
* 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 1994 MLB All-Star Game
* 1997 NHL entry draft, 1997 NHL draft
* 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 2006 MLB All-Star Game
* 2012 NHL entry draft, 2012 NHL draft

Future

* 2026 NFL draft

Other professional championships and awards

Pittsburgh Passion (WFA)

1 NWFA title, 2 IWFL titles

* National Women's Football Association#Championship games, 2007
* Independent Women's Football League#Champions, 2014
* 2015

Steel City Yellow Jackets (ABA)

1 ABA title

* American Basketball Association (2000-present)#Championship results, 2021-22

Pittsburgh Hornets (AHL)

3 Calder Cup titles

* 1951-52 AHL season, 1951-52
* 1954-55 AHL season, 1954-55
* 1966-67 AHL season, 1966-67

Pittsburgh Triangles (WTT)

1 WTT title

* 1975 World Team Tennis season, 1975

Awards

MVPs

The following Pittsburgh players won the regular season most valuable player award of the American Basketball Association, Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992), Major Indoor Soccer League, Arena Football League, Women's Football Alliance or USL Championship). Note that WFA confers an MVP award to one player in the American Conference and one player in the National Conference.

* Connie Hawkins, ABA Most Valuable Player, ABA MVP, 1967-68
* Stanisław Terlecki, MISL MVP, 1981-82

* Russell Hairston, AFL MVP, 1987
* José Angulo, USL Pro MVP, 2013

* Albert Dikwa, USL Championship MVP, 2023
* Marcelina Chavez, WFA National Conference MVP, 2024

Other awards

Individual sports and recreation

Golf

Golf has deep roots in the area with the region boasting the oldest course in continuous use in the nation: Foxburg Country Club dating from 1887. The suburban Oakmont Country Club has hosted the U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Open championships more than any other course in the nation (9) along with two U.S. Women's Open championships, three PGA Championships, and eight U.S. Amateurs.

Such golf legends as Arnold Palmer, Jim Furyk and Rocco Mediate learned the game and began their careers on Pittsburgh area courses. Suburban courses such as Laurel Valley Golf Club and the Pittsburgh Field Club have hosted PGA Championships (1937, 1965), the Ryder Cup (1975), LPGA Championships (1957–1958), Senior Players Championships (2012–2013) and the Senior PGA Championship (2005).

Local courses have sponsored annual major tournaments for 39 years:

* Pennsylvania Open Championship, Pennsylvania Open 1920–1940 (even years)
* Dapper Dan Open 1939–1949
* Pittsburgh Open (LPGA Tour), Pittsburgh Open 1956
* Pittsburgh Senior Classic 1993–1998
* 84 Lumber Classic 2001–2006
* Mylan Classic 2010–2013

The region has deep roots in golf, boasting the oldest continuous country club in the U.S. at Foxburg Country Club, Foxburg, dating back to 1887.

The suburban Oakmont Country Club has hosted the U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Open Championships more than any other course at nine, and thus the Pittsburgh metro area more than any other metro. Oakmont has also hosted two U.S. Women's Open championships, three PGA Championships, and eight U.S. Amateurs. Other area courses such as Laurel Valley Golf Club and the Pittsburgh Field Club have hosted PGA Championships, the Ryder Cup, LPGA Championships and Senior PGA Championships.

The region has hosted annual PGA Tour events such as the 84 Lumber Classic (2001–2006) at Mystic Rock, the Dapper Dan Open 1939–49, the Pittsburgh Open (LPGA Tour), Pittsburgh Open (1950s), the Tri State Open (1980s), the Pittsburgh Senior Classic (1993–1998) and since 2010 the annual Mylan Classic.

Golf greats such as Arnold Palmer, Jim Furyk, Rocco Mediate and others hail from the region.

Fishing

Since the 1960s the city has focused on revitalizing its rivers, hosting the Bassmaster Classic and the FLW Outdoors, Forrest Wood Cup in the 2000s and seeing a boom in local fishing participation. Among the variety are Catfish and Trout.

Rowing/Rafting/Kayaking

Pittsburgh is the host city for both the annual Three Rivers Regatta (since 1977) and the annual Head of the Ohio (since 1987) races and events. The University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University as well as several area high schools have long standing rowing teams.

In 2010 National Geographic named the city to its top six of "Best Cities for Kayaking". Kayak Pittsburgh is the largest river recreation rental in the area located on the North Shore on the Allegheny River.

Suburban Ohiopyle State Park offers some of the best white-water rafting in the country.

Trails/Camping/Biking

Pittsburgh has multiple mountain biking areas close to the city in area parks and in the surrounding suburbs. Frick Park has biking trails and Hartwood Acres Park has many miles of Single track (mountain biking), single track trails. A recent project, "Rail trail, Rails to Trails", has converted miles of former rail tracks, railroads to recreational trails, including a Great Allegheny Passage, Pittsburgh-Washington, D.C. bike/walking trail. Kayaking is popular on the city's three rivers.

Pittsburgh and its region are internationally known for its extensive and varied trail system. Such assets as the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, Three Rivers, Ohio River Trail, Ohio River, Youghiogheny River Trail, Youghiogheny River, Beaver River Trail, Beaver River, Indian Creek Valley Trail, Indian Creek, Panhandle Trail, Panhandle, Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, Laurel Highlands, Rachel Carson Trail, Rachel Carson, Five Star Trail, Five Star and Montour Trail, Montour offer stunning, natural, suburban and urban views of the metropolitan area. The Great Allegheny Passage provides an all natural-trail (non motorized) link to Washington, D.C., while the North Country Trail passes through the northern suburbs of the city and connects Bismarck, North Dakota to the Plattsburgh, New York area, with such cities as Duluth, Minnesota and Buffalo, New York in its path.

Within the urban core of the city and its immediate surroundings the Steps of Pittsburgh offer an urban hiking experience. "Urban oasis" parks that bring the wilds of nature into the middle of the urban core and feature over a mile of trails within their individual boundaries include: Point State Park, Point State, Frick Park, Frick, Highland Park (Pittsburgh), Highland, Schenley Park, Schenley, Riverview Park (Pittsburgh), Riverview, Grand View Scenic Byway Park, Grandview, South Side Park (Pittsburgh), South Side, Allegheny Riverfront Park, Riverfront, Three Rivers Park, Three Rivers, Point of View Park, Point of View, and Roberto Clemente Memorial Park, Roberto Clemente.

Large 500–2,000 acre suburban parks that feature several miles of diverse trails each are plentiful throughout the metropolitan area.
*Northern suburbs: North Park (Pittsburgh), North, Hartwood Acres Park, Hartwood Acres, Harrison Hills Park, Harrison Hills, Deer Lakes Park, Deer Lakes, Moraine State Park, Moraine, McConnells Mill State Park, McConnells Mill
*Southern suburbs: South Park (Pittsburgh), South, Round Hill Park, Round Hill, Ohiopyle State Park, Ohiopyle,
*Western suburbs: Settler's Cabin Park, Settler's Cabin, Hillman State Park, Hillman, Raccoon Creek State Park, Raccoon Creek.
*Eastern suburbs: Boyce Park, Boyce, White Oak Park, White Oak, Renziehausen Park Rose Garden and Arboretum, Renziehausen, Keystone State Park (Pennsylvania), Keystone, Laurel Mountain State Park, Laurel Mountain, Laurel Ridge State Park, Laurel Ridge, Laurel Summit State Park, Laurel Summit, Linn Run State Park, Linn Run, Forbes State Forest, Forbes

For hikers/trailblazers that desire a historical or cultural element to nature the metropolitan area offers the Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Bushy Run Battlefield, the Bear Run conservancy containing both Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, the smaller yet hikable Meadowcroft Rock Shelter features pre-Columbian archeology. The large urban parks described earlier such as Schenley Park includes several historical/cultural sites including Phipps Conservatory and proximity to Schenley Plaza, the Cathedral of Learning, Hillman Library and the Frick Gallery. Riverview includes the Allegheny Observatory and Point includes the Fort Pitt Museum and the remains of Fort Duquesne.

For true environmentalists and wildlife fans the metro area includes the Jennings Environmental Education Center, as well the Allegheny Islands State Park, Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Ohioplye for hiking and water sports.

Tennis

Such teams as the Pittsburgh Triangles have built a small but loyal fan base for tennis in the region, being a perennial championship contender in the 1970s and winning a world title in 1975. Generations later the region still has deep tennis roots with the year-round all-weather Mellon Park#Mellon Park Tennis Center, Mellon Park Tennis Center being a world class facility for the sport, and helping to develop natives such as Bjorn Fratangelo, Bonnie Gadusek, Donald Johnson and Gretchen Magers in succeeding in international competition and rankings.

From 1979 to 1984 the city also hosted a yearly international tournament, the Pittsburgh Open.

Skiing/skating

Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Hidden Valley, Pennsylvania, Wisp Ski Resort and Boyce Park offer skiing with both PPG Place and North Park (Pittsburgh), North Park offering ice skating. In 2011, the Pittsburgh Penguins created a new public rink in the South Side (Pittsburgh), South Side neighborhood's Southside Works called "Penguin Pond".

Year round ice skating and skating events can be enjoyed at indoor area rinks including the Rostraver Ice Garden, Island Sports Center, IceoPlex at Southpointe and Bladerunners Ice Complex.

Such notable olympians as natives Kristi Leskinen, Kylie Gleason, Suna Murray, Ronald Robertson (figure skater), Ron Robertson, Michael Seibert (figure skater), Mike Seibert, Suzanne Semanick, Jamie Silverstein and Taylor Toth have trained and began their careers at area facilities.

Youth sports
Youth football
Suburban league, Big East youth football league
Penn Trafford, Woodland Hills, Greater Latrobe, Jeannette, PHMFA, Arken, Franklin Regional, Plum, Mckeesport, Gateway

College sports

There are several universities within the city that field athletic teams in NCAA Division I including the University of Pittsburgh (often referred to as "Pitt"), Duquesne University and Robert Morris University. Of these, Pitt is the only school that is a member of the so-called "Power Five conferences, Power Five" conferences that are primary partners in the College Football Playoff structure (the Atlantic Coast Conference). Other universities in Pittsburgh that field athletic teams include Carnegie Mellon University (NCAA Division III, Division III), Chatham University (Division III), Point Park University (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, NAIA), and Carlow University (NAIA).

Football

College football in Pittsburgh dates back to the Pittsburgh Panthers football, University of Pittsburgh which first organized a football team in 1889 and played its first sanctioned game in 1890. In the first half of the 20th century, Pitt, Duquesne, and Carnegie Tech (now called Carnegie Mellon) all fielded football squads that made "major" bowl game appearances from the 1920s through the 1930s. These appearances included Duquesne in the 1933 and 1936 Orange Bowl (game), Orange Bowl, Carnegie Tech in the 1938 Sugar Bowl, and the University of Pittsburgh appearing in four Rose Bowl Game, Rose Bowls (1927, 1929, 1932, 1936) as well as nearby Washington and Jefferson College in the 1922 Rose Bowl. In particular, Pitt was a national power during this era, claiming 8 national championships under the guidance of coaching legends such as Pop Warner and Jock Sutherland. More recently, the Panthers won another College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS, National Championship in 1976 Pittsburgh Panthers football team, 1976 and competed for several more through the 1980s. Multiple inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame played at Pitt, including Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Mike Ditka, and Larry Fitzgerald. Pitt is the only university in Western Pennsylvania to still play college football at the highest level, the Football Bowl Subdivision, while Duquesne and Robert Morris have football teams that compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, and Carnegie Mellon fields a NCAA Division III, Division III football team.

Basketball

The Duquesne University Duquesne Dukes men's basketball, Dukes and the University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball, Panthers have played college basketball in the city since 1914 and 1905 respectively. Pitt and Duquesne have played the annual City Game since 1932. Duquesne was the city's first team to appear in a Final Four (1940), obtain a number one AP Poll ranking (1954), and to win a post-season national title, the 1955 National Invitation Tournament on its second straight trip to the NIT title game. Duquesne is the only college program to produce back-to-back NBA No. 1 overall draft picks with 1955's Dick Ricketts and 1956's Sihugo Green. Duquesne's Chuck Cooper (basketball), Chuck Cooper was the first African American drafted by an NBA team.

The Panthers won two pre-tournament era Helms Athletic Foundation Mythical national championship, National Championships in 1928 and 1930, competed in a "national title game" against LSU Tigers basketball, LSU in 1935, and made a Final Four appearance in 1941. Pitt has won 13 conference titles, qualified for the NCAA tournament 26 times including a post season tournament every season between 1999-2000 and 2015-2016 during which time it regularly sold out the Petersen Events Center. The program has produced 27 NBA draft picks and 15 All Americans while ranking No. 1 in the nation as recently as 2009. The Petersen Events Center is home to the "Oakland Zoo (cheering section), Oakland Zoo", a student section which is nationally recognized for its passionate members and perseverance through consecutive unsuccessful seasons from 2016 to 2022.

The suburban Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball, Robert Morris University's Colonials have competed in NCAA Division I basketball since the 1970s, qualifying for the NCAA tournament in each of the last four decades (8). In the 2013 National Invitation Tournament the Colonials notched an upset win over the defending national champions Kentucky Wildcats.

Pittsburgh Panthers women's basketball, Pitt women's basketball has also made recent appearances in the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship, NCAA tournament. A rivalry game between Pitt and Duquesne, termed the City Game, is played annually between the two schools' men's and women's basketball teams, as well as their baseball teams.

Other collegiate sports

Along with college football and men's and women's basketball, the area universities compete in many additional sports. The Pittsburgh Panthers, University of Pittsburgh also fields NCAA Division I teams in Pittsburgh Panthers baseball, baseball (its oldest sport. first played in 1869), cross country, gymnastics, track and field, soccer, Pittsburgh Panthers softball, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, Pittsburgh Panthers volleyball, volleyball, and Pittsburgh Panthers wrestling, wrestling. The Duquesne Dukes, in addition to many of the sports above, also participates in Division I lacrosse, golf, and rowing. Robert Morris University fields Division I teams in Robert Morris Colonials men's ice hockey, men's and Robert Morris Colonials women's ice hockey, women's hockey, among other sports.

Major events

Annual events

Pittsburgh also hosts several annual major sporting events, including the:
* Three Rivers Regatta (Since 1977)
* Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix (Since 1983)
* Dirty Dozen (bicycle competition), Dirty Dozen Cycle Race (Since 1983)
* Pittsburgh Marathon (Since 1985)
* Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race, Great Race 10K (Since 1985)
* Head of the Ohio, Head of the Ohio Regatta (Since 1987)
* Three Rivers Classic (Since 2012)
*Great Pittsburgh Soap Box Derby
Mckeesport Pa
The city's vibrant rivers have attracted annual world title competitions of the FLW Outdoors, Forrest Wood Cup in 2009 and the Bassmaster Classic in 2005.

Annual events continue during the winter months at area ski resorts such as Boyce Park, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, Pennsylvania, Hidden Valley and Wisp Ski Resort, Wisp as well as ice skating at PPG Place#Sites, PPG Place and North Park (Pittsburgh), North Park.

Rivers

A F1 Powerboat Racing#Related series, Formula-1 ChampBoat Series race, the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta, which is the largest inland regatta in the country during July at Point State Park. There is also an annual large Rowing (sport), rowing regatta, the Head of the Ohio, which was founded in 1987 and is one of the largest inland regattas in the United States.

Motorsports

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, the last remaining Historic motorsport, vintage automobile race run on city streets in the United States, is held annually at Schenley Park.

Running

For 30 years Pittsburgh has also hosted a large 10K and 5K road race, the Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race, which attracts nearly 10,000 athletes and has been ranked as a Top 20 Multi-Race Events by USA Track & Field's publication ''On The Roads''. In addition, the 28th Pittsburgh Marathon will be hosted in the city in May 2018.

Basketball

Pittsburgh was previously home to the first national high school all-star basketball game, Roundball Classic, The Dapper Dan Roundball Classic, from 1965 to 1992, prior to its move to Detroit and later Chicago. The Roundball Classic annually featured future NBA hall of famers at the Civic Arena with ESPN televising. Pittsburgh has long been home to the City Game between Pitt and Duquesne.

Cycling

Since 1983 the Dirty Dozen (bicycle competition), Dirty Dozen Cycle Race has been held in the city.

Awards banquet

Since 1936 the Dapper Dan Charities, a civic sports organization founded in part by a former editor ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' has hosted an annual local and national celebrity and sport star dinner first at the William Penn Hotel then at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown, Hilton ballrooms and more recently at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

Other events

Pittsburgh has its own cricket league conducted by Pittsburgh Cricket Association which was founded in 2005. The league features about 16 teams and the games are held at
linbrook park
' an
edgebrook field

The Pittsburgh Cricket Association, revived in 2004 from the long dormant 1882 Pittsburgh Cricket Club charter, comprises 16 active teams and more than 250 members.

PCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation organized for charitable purposes to further the sport of cricket in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. The specific purposes for which this corporation is organized are: To promote, encourage, foster and cultivate interest in the sport of cricket; To initiate, sponsor, promote and carry out plans, policies and activities that would further the development and advancement of cricket in Pittsburgh and North Eastern PA; To develop, foster and train amateur athletes for representation in state, national and international cricket competitions; to promote building of facilities for other non-traditional sports like badminton, table tennis and rugby.

*Tennis: Historically the Pittsburgh Triangles of the 1970s played tennis at the Civic Arena (Pittsburgh), Civic Arena, winning the World TeamTennis, WTT championship in 1975. The arena also hosted the Pittsburgh Open tennis tournament from 1979 until 1984. The year-round facilities at Mellon Park#Mellon Park Tennis Center, Mellon Park Tennis Center currently serve the city.
*Gaelic football: Teams such as the Celtics (men's) and Banshees (women's), founded in 1976 and 2002, respectively. The Celtics won the Midwest title in 2002, 2006, and won both the midwest and National titles in 2011. The Banshees won the Midwest title in 2004, 2005, and both the midwest and Junior B shield national title in 2011.
*Roller derby: Steel City Derby Demons of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, WFTDA.
*Dodgeball: National Dodgeball League, NDL's Pittsburgh Punishers.

People

Multiple professional athletes were born or raised in the Pittsburgh area. Major League Baseball players Ken Griffey Sr., his Hall of Fame son Ken Griffey Jr., and Hall of Famer Stan Musial were born in Donora, Pennsylvania. Hall of Fame inductee, player and manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Honus Wagner was born and raised in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, Chartiers. Major League outfielder Tito Francona and pitcher Doc Medich were born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Aliquippa. Super Bowl winning coaches Bill Cowher and Mike Ditka were born in Pittsburgh and Carnegie, Pennsylvania, Carnegie respectively. Super Bowl winning quarterback Joe Namath and Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett were born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, Beaver Falls and Rochester, Pennsylvania, Rochester respectively. 3 Time Super Bowl MVP Joe Montana is from New Eagle. Jim Kelly from East Brady, Pennsylvania, East Brady was the leading QB of the Buffalo Bills to 4 straight Super Bowl appearances. Johnny Unitas, National Football League's most valuable player in 1959, 1964 and 1967 is from Pittsburgh as well. Owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban and Basketball Hall of Fame member Jack Twyman were born in Pittsburgh. Olympic gold medalists Swin Cash and Kurt Angle, the latter of whom went on to become a major star in professional wrestling, were born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, McKeesport and Pittsburgh respectively. Professional golfers Rocco Mediate and Arnold Palmer were born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Greensburg and Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Latrobe respectively. Author Jim O'Brien, who was born in Pittsburgh, has authored 20 books about Pittsburgh sports.

Cradle of quarterbacks

The Pittsburgh region also has developed many notable athletes that have gone on to outstanding careers in professional sports. The region has produced a multitude of NFL quarterbacks, giving Western Pennsylvania the nickname "Cradle of Quarterbacks". Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, Jim Kelly, Johnny Unitas, Bruce Gradkowski, Marc Bulger, George Blanda, Johnny Lujack, Jeff Hostetler, Gus Frerotte, Willie Thrower, Warren Heller, Johnny Gildea, Tyler Palko, Alex Van Pelt, Sandy Stephens, Terry Hanratty, Mike McMahon (American football), Mike McMahon, Major Harris (American football), Major Harris, Matt Cavanaugh, Chuck Fusina, Rod Rutherford, Ted Marchibroda, Babe Parilli, John Hufnagel, Tom Sherman (American football), Tom Sherman, Richie Lucas, Boyd Brumbaugh, Scott Zolak, Ed Matesic, Tom Clements, Coley McDonough, Charley Seabright and former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch all hail from within a 50-mile radius of the city.

Former professional franchises

^{''*The championships listed for the teams are the highest possible achievement in their respective leagues for each season. For baseball seasons prior to the advent of the World Series in 1903 and the Negro World Series in 1942, List of World Series baseball champions#Champions prior to and precursors to the modern World Series (1857–1902), National League Championships and Negro National League (1933–1948)#Champions, Negro National League Championships are listed.''}

Professional venues

;Pirates
*Exposition Park (Pittsburgh), Exposition Park I (1882)
*Exposition Park (Pittsburgh), Exposition Park II (1883)
* Recreation Park (1884–1890)
*Exposition Park (Pittsburgh), Exposition Park III (1891–1909)
*Forbes Field (1909–1969)
*Three Rivers Stadium (1970–2000)
*PNC Park (2001–present)

;Steelers
*Forbes Field (1933–1963)
*Pitt Stadium (1958–1970)
*Three Rivers Stadium (1970–2000)
*Acrisure Stadium, Heinz Field/Acrisure Stadium (2001–present)

;Penguins
*Civic Arena (Pittsburgh), Civic/Mellon Arena (1967–2010)
*PPG Paints Arena, Consol Energy Center/PPG Paints Arena (2010–present)

Notes

References

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Further reading

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sports In Pittsburgh
Sports in Pittsburgh,