The Pittsburgh Steelers want to stay at Acrisure Stadium for the foreseeable future, Art Rooney II told beat reporters today during his year-end chat with local media. The stadium, which opened in 2001, is being assessed but Pittsburgh has no plans of moving into a new stadium, Rooney said.
“We are going through a stadium assessment at this point, and really looking at what it’s gonna take to be in this stadium for the next 10, 20 years, whatever it’s gonna be. It’s a process and so we’ve hired some consultants to help us look at it. We like the stadium, it’s a great facility, and with the right kinds of improvements it can continue to be our home for a long time,” Rooney said via audio from 93.7 The Fan.
Those improvements will not include a dome.
“Probably not gonna be a dome any time soon, I don’t see that happening here,” Rooney said.
In my opinion, football is a sport meant to be played outside despite occasionally unfavorable weather conditions, and the Steelers will continue to do so. While the stadium isn’t necessarily “old,” it’s not new anymore, either. The team continues to make small upgrades, but a more substantial renovation is likely to happen within the next few seasons. With a wave of new stadiums being built across the league, the Steelers likely want to provide a modern touch and accompanying amenities without pouring money into a new stadium, keeping the charm and ideal location that Acrisure provides.
Before last season, the Steelers spent $1.4 million to upgrade the restrooms at the facility, replacing troughs with urinals in the men’s bathrooms, a move that probably took too long to make and one that was necessary. There will be more money and more improvements outside of just the bathrooms in recent years, and as Rooney said, with the right improvements, there’s no reason for the Steelers to have to build a new stadium.
It’s not as if a new stadium would bring any sort of major tourism boost to Pittsburgh, either. It would also likely involve some taxpayer money, something the city and the residents probably would be against. While a brand-new facility with all the modern perks and amenities that a place like Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium has would be nice, it’s just not necessary for the Steelers at this point. Keeping the fans and players happy by renovating and upgrading what currently exists is a good plan, and it sounds as if that’s the avenue the Steelers plan on taking.
