Heinz Field

Heinz Field, get to know the football stadium Heinz Field

Heinz Field is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Heinz Field primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panthers of the University of Pittsburgh. The stadium opened in 2001, after the controlled implosion of both teams' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium, and is named for the locally based H. J. Heinz Company, which purchased the naming rights in 2001. In February of 2022, the naming rights for the stadium expired. Heinz reportedly does not intend to sign a new deal.

Funded in conjunction with PNC Park and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the $281 million (equivalent to $430.03 million in 2021) stadium stands along the Ohio River, on the Northside of Pittsburgh in the North Shore neighborhood. The stadium was designed with the city of Pittsburgh's history of steel production in mind, which led to the inclusion of 12,000 tons of steel into construction. Ground for the stadium was broken in June 1999, and the first football game was hosted in September 2001. The stadium's natural grass surface has been criticized throughout its history, but Steelers ownership has kept the grass after lobbying from players and coaches. Attendance for the 68,400-seat stadium has sold out for every Steelers home game, a streak which dates back to 1972. A collection of memorabilia from the Steelers and Panthers of the past can be found in the Great Hall.

The stadium has hosted two outdoor hockey games: the 2011 NHL Winter Classic between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, and the 2017 NHL Stadium Series game between the Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. The venue has also hosted numerous concerts; on May 18, 2019, Heinz Field hosted a performance by Garth Brooks that was attended by 75,000, making Heinz Field the highest-ticketed show in Pittsburgh history.