Pirates Impacting Steelers Early-Season Schedule

The Pittsburgh Steelers have long operated at a disadvantage when it comes to playing Week 1 home games due to the proximity of the Pirates on the North Shore.

Given their closeness and the fact that they share parking lots, it's typically unfeasible for the Steelers to play at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday afternoons when the Buccos are also in action at PNC Park.

There's plenty of other teams around the league who deal with similar situations, as the Kansas City Chiefs come to mind since they occupy a shared space with the Royals, but it's still a point of contention for some.

Mike North, the NFL's VP of Broadcast Planning who helps create the league's schedule, admitted that the Pirates are a major factor when it comes to determining the Steelers' slate over the opening weeks.

"It's definitely impacted by the Pirates' schedule," North said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan. "Let's say we go two or three years in a row where the Pirates have a home game on the opening Sunday, and so we can't or we won't schedule a Steelers home game that weekend."

The Steelers' only Week 1 home game since 2015 came against the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, which was a result of the Pirates being on a road trip.

The Pirates have not made the playoffs since 2015 and don't appear in position to break that drought in the immediate future, though, which has made the NFL's job a bit easier when it comes to sorting out the Steelers' schedule into October.

"Maybe one day when the Pirates get good again and start making playoff runs in October, we'll have to figure out a way to do a Steelers game at 1 o'clock, and then maybe the Pirates host an NLCS Game 2 at 8 o'clock that night," North, a noted Pirates fan, said. "I know you guys can do it, but in the regular season, for them, for us, it's usually something we try to avoid."