Fitzgerald Field House

Usage

Fitzgerald Field House is the competitive venue for the Pitt varsity sports of volleyball, gymnastics, and wrestling. With an indoor track, the Field House also serves as the primary indoor facility for the university's track and field team, as well as housing the wrestling training facility and the primary training and weight facilities for Pitt's Olympic sports. In addition, it contains the offices and locker rooms for baseball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, and tennis. The facility also has squash courts. The Field House is connected by a tunnel to Trees Pool and the Gymnastics Training Center, both located in Trees Hall.

Built in 1951, Fitzgerald Field House was, for five decades, the home of Pitt's basketball program. The Field House provided a home court advantage that allowed the program to achieve a 414-175 (.703) record while utilizing the facility. It also served as the home basketball court of Pitt's intracity rival, the Duquesne University Dukes, from 1956-57 to 1963-64. From 1984 until 2002, the Pitt men's basketball team also played selected Big East Conference and non-conference games at the Civic Arena. Pitt's women's basketball team also used the Field House as their primary home court. Both the men's and women's Pitt basketball teams moved to the Petersen Events Center in 2002.

In 1999, Fitzgerald Field House underwent $3.8 million ($ million today) in renovations of existing facilities and a major addition to the west side of the building for locker rooms, team dressing rooms, and training and equipment rooms. In the summer of 2005, the wrestling training facility built in 1951 was reconstructed to be twice the size of the previous training facility and also received new floor and wall mats, a new ventilation system, new lighting, a video and recruitment room, and a balcony suspended above the mats featuring cardio equipment. In addition, an Olympic sports weight room was added to serve as a primary training facility for over 300 Pitt student-athletes and includes Hammer Strength and Nautilus Next Generation machines, nearly 8,600 pounds of free weights, and a comprehensive cardiovascular unit, including treadmills, stationary bikes and the Stairmaster Gauntlet. The renovations and addition of the weight room reduced the seating capacity from its prior 6,798 seats to a capacity of 4,122.

Further renovations of the Field House in 2008 totaled $1.4 million ($ million today) and included new volleyball courts and installation of seating and electronic equipment to meet NCAA requirements. In November, 2011, the Nathan Hershey Athletic Training Facility was dedicated in the Field House. File:FitzOutsideatPitt.jpg|Main entrance with the 1999 addition on the right File:PittChancellorFitzgerald.jpg|Rufus Fitzgerald

Notable events

• 1957 NCAA Wrestling Championship
• 1962 Speech delivered by President John F. Kennedy
• 1963 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championship
• 1979 Eastern AIAW Volleyball Championship
• January 25, 1988 – In one of the most famous events in college basketball history, Pitt's Jerome Lane shatters the backboard with a slam dunk during the Panthers' game against Providence. The incident is equally memorable for Bill Raftery's broadcast call of "Send it in, Jerome!"
• 1998 NCAA Gymnastics Northeast Regional Championship
• 2005 Senior Olympics (basketball and shuffleboard)
• 3 East Atlantic Gymnastics League Championships (2000, 2004, 2012)
• 4 Eastern Wrestling League Championships (1979, 1992, 2000, 2008)
• 12 Big East Volleyball Championships (1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010)
• 2021 and 2023 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Regional Semifinals & Final
• Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign event featuring Barack Obama, Josh Shapiro, and Bob Casey Jr.

References

References

1. (2010). "Pitt Volleyball 2010 Quick Facts". PittsburghPanthers.com.
2. "Pitt Basketball All-Centennial Team". PittsburghPanthers.com.
3. (2009). "2009-10 Duquesne University Men's Basketball Media Guide". Duquesne University Athletics Media Relations Department.
4. "Pitt at Mellon Arena Game-by-Game - University of Pittsburgh".
5. (1998-10-01). "Construction, renovation projects outlined". University of Pittsburgh.
6. "Pitt Wrestling Welcomes New Training Facility - University of Pittsburgh".
7. "Facilities - University of Pittsburgh".
8. (2008-04-13). "Pitt Property and Facilities Committee Approves $120 Million in Construction and Renovation Projects". University of Pittsburgh.
9. Barlow, Kimberly K.. (2008-08-28). "What's New? Places". University of Pittsburgh.
10. (2011-11-28). "Nathan Hershey Athletic Training Facility Dedication". PittsburghPanthers.com.
11. "National Wrestling Hall of Fame 1957 NCAA Collegiate Championship".
12. (1962-10-13). "Crowd of 8,500 Jams Pitt's Field House to Hear President". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
13. (1963-03-24). "Pitt Expects Record Draw In Gym Meet". The Pittsburgh Press.
14. (1979-11-18). "Pitt Wins Volleyball Tourney". The Pittsburgh Press.
15. Martinez, Courtney. (January 25, 2017). "Pittsburgh basketball: Jerome Lane's backboard-shattering dunk happened 28 years ago". NCAA.com.
16. "Pittsburgh to Host the NCAA Regional Competition - University of Pittsburgh".
17. Steele, Bruce. (2002-12-05). "Pitt expected to be hub for National Senior Games". University of Pittsburgh.
18. "EAGL History".
19. [http://ewlwrestling.com/Archives/index.htm EWL Archive] {{webarchive. link. (April 18, 2011)
20. Note: Fitzgerald Field House has hosted at least 12 Big East tournament championships. Records of host site prior to 1986 not found.
21. "2004 Villanova Volleyball Media Guide, pg 19".
22. "2008-09 Big East Championship Schedule".
23. (October 10, 2024). "Obama implores Pittsburghers to ‘get off couch’ and vote for Harris at Oakland rally". Pittsburgh Tribune Review.