Parking nightmare brewing in Pittsburgh with Pirates game and Backyard Brawl on same day
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — If you've gone to a major sporting event on Pittsburgh's North Shore and thought parking was a nightmare, get ready for what could be considered a nightmare of nightmares.
On Sept. 14, the Backyard Brawl featuring Pitt and West Virginia at Acrisure Stadium will overlap with the Pirates' game against the Kansas City Royals at PNC Park.
The Backyard Brawl was originally scheduled for 8:05 p.m., with the Pirates playing at 6:45 p.m. But now, the Pitt game has been scheduled for 3:30 p.m., while the Pirates game is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
"This is something that's never occurred before," said Merrill Stabile, president/CEO of Alcoa Parking. "And frankly, we're very concerned about it. We're trying to figure out the best way to get information out to all the fans for all the games."
Why get information out? Because it's worse than you likely think. Some people have reserved spots for one of the games at the same time as the other fans will arrive.
Both paid for season-reserved spots, booked in overlap. When the original potential nightmare was caught, Pitt asked the Pirates to move their game earlier, a big deal considering coordination with TV carriers, parking authorities and many others. But the Pirates did.
Jessie Gorby, a WVU fan, had already heard about the two games being scheduled so close.
"It's gonna be terrible," Gorby said. "I noticed that and I'm not sure how anybody is going to be able to park down here."
So now what? Look at these numbers for perspective. Acrisure Stadium holds 68,400 and PNC Park holds about 38,747 for a combined total of 107,147.
How many North Shore parking spaces are available? Officials said approximately 7,000.
So, Sept. 14 on the North Shore could be a nightmare, though final game times are still being negotiated. The Pirates will again meet with Pitt and other representatives, like Alcoa Parking, to try to come up with a "Plan C." But remember, it won't be easy. TV contracts and broadcast times, Major League Baseball and other organizations will have to approve both potential game time changes.