It's been 22 years since Acrisure Stadium, previously known as Heinz Field, opened. Are the Steelers ready to change homes?
Pittsburgh recently promoted David Morehouse to executive vice president for strategy, growing speculation of a new stadium project. Morehouse spent over 15 years with the Penguins and was "instrumental" in them securing public arena financing.
The team said in a statement that Morehouse "will now guide the strategic direction of Acrisure stadium operations in addition to serving as senior advisor to the president on Steelers business operations."
"Working with him the last nine months, we are excited to tap in to his skills to help us enhance our business operation and, more importantly, serve our fans in these ever-evolving times," president and owner Art Rooney II said.
However, when Acrisure took over as the official name of Pittsburgh's stadium last offseason, Rooney II said that the deal would not affect the lease, but he did intend to use the money to improve the stadium.
The Steelers broke ground on Heinz Field in 1999. The Titans and Browns, whose stadiums were also built in 1999, have since decided on a $2.1 billion replacement and a $1 billion renovation, respectively.
#Titans stadium opened 1999, $2.1 billion replacement.#Browns stadium opened 1999, $1b massive renovation.#Bengals stadium opened 2000, still weighing options.#Steelers appear to be getting their ducks in a row for their turn. https://t.co/E3pe1yH2vM
— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) May 4, 2023
It seems more likely Pittsburgh will renovate Acrisure Stadium rather than build a new one, but everything should be on the table, especially since the Steelers received a D+ grade for their "old-fashioned" locker rooms and a D- for their treatment of families by the NFLPA's report card.
Other teams around the league continue to make improvements or build new stadiums, so expect change to come to Pittsburgh as well.
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