Best part about being a PhD student at Pitt this year is getting two opportunities to watch a team I root for beat Iowa.
They play at the Heinz Field, yes. Having attended both schools, and followed both teams, I think Pitt and Minnesota face similar issues in developing fan interest. Both compete for interest with an NFL team that the locals revere almost religiously in a major city, and, of course, Pitt are guests in their own home much as the Gophers were for many years in the dome, which raises its own issues. The problem for Pitt is that there is really just absolutely no place to put an on campus stadium anymore. This city is packed like sardines between the rivers.
I actually like what Chryst is doing with the team, Wisconsin connections notwithstanding. They're a fun team to watch, even though I've been here only two years, they've been easy to get into.