Pittsburgh is one of the best cities for sports teams to thrive in. The five biggest sports in North America are football, baseball, basketball, soccer and ice hockey. Pittsburgh has teams in four out of the five professional sports. All four of these teams are loved within the city and thrive there, making Pittsburgh a city with one of the best sports markets in the U.S.
The teams in the city have a long and successful history, and even when teams are struggling fans still go to games for the teams. Even if the teams are playing away games, fans of the city’s teams can be spotted. In the NFL, Steelers fans are known to invade home team stands. The team also has one of the biggest international fan bases.
Although the Pirates are currently the least successful team in Pittsburgh, fans are still dedicated to rooting for the team’s success. In the 2024 season, MLB rookie Paul Skenes made his debut for the team, drawing a crowd of 34,924. For context, PNC Park has a capacity of 38,362, and the average attendance for a Pirates game is 17,800. On top of this success, fans bond over their hatred for the owner Bob Nutting and hope for the organization’s future.
The Riverhounds are lesser known; however, that doesn’t mean they don’t have a fan base. The team plays in the United Soccer League, which is the second-tier league to the MLS. Soccer is growing in Pittsburgh to the point where the city is gaining a women’s team called the Riveters.
The Penguins’ fan base was ranked first for the “Best Fans 2019” by Forbes. The team also had a 14-year sell-out streak totalling 633 games. It was announced Oct. 29 that the PWHL is planning to expand with two more teams as soon as the 2025-26 season. In a press conference, the senior vice president of hockey operations said “finding the best market, the best fan base and the best partner” is the league's focus. Pittsburgh is the perfect place for the league.
The PWHL is the Professional Women's Hockey League. The league had its first season in 2024 with six franchises and played 24 games. The 2024-25 season is set to start Nov. 30 with the same six teams the league started with.
In its inaugural season, the league hosted a neutral site game at PPG Paints arena in the city. The game drew a crowd of 8,850 fans, which is the largest crowd a women's hockey game has drawn in Pittsburgh. A new PWHL team would have the backing of some of the most influential NHL players like Sidney Crosby. The team would also have the backing of the Penguins ownership, Fenway Sports Group.
No matter who is playing or what the team's record is, Pittsburgh sports fans support their team. The only major league the city is missing is an NBA team, and if the NBA was looking to expand, Pittsburgh should be first on the list.
Cassie is a junior studying communications at Ohio University. Please note the views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Cassie? Email her at cb086021@ohio.edu.
