Perspective Of An Average Steelers Fan: Changes At Acrisure

A small but sizable portion of Steeler Nation attends games in Pittsburgh. The stadium formerly known as Heinz Field is now 24 years old. It’s undergone an expansion and upgrades over the years, such as a new scoreboard above the North end zone to save the necks of people sitting on the South end.

What’s New at Acrisure Stadium

The Steelers recently announced what’s new at Acrisure Stadium. Here is a summary of the changes:

Featured Destinations

The Terrible Towel Wall located in the Great Hall was updated. You can see what version of the Terrible Towel you’d like to add to your collection.

The Miller Lite Renegade Pub installed at the West Main concourse. It has a mural wall and several video screens so you can continue watching the game as you order a beverage. The pub will feature a variety of beers and some “stadium-exclusive” signature drinks.

The Steel Yard established outside Gate A (riverside). The Yard will feature a live DJ, lawn games, and some photo stations.

Improved Technology

The Steelers are trying to improve technology for your game-day experience. A “stadium mode” has been added to the Steelers Mobile app. The app provides all the information for folks attending the game like parking, what is permitted to bring into the stadium, and finding your seats.

Charging stations for your phones are located throughout the stadium. While behind the scenes, the stadium control room has been modernized. And solar panels have been installed on the North end of the stadium.

Upgraded Concessions

There are new and upgraded concessions such as Tenders Love and Chicken in the Great Hall. And two new Steel City Classics Walk-Thru Markets are located by Sections 124 and 146. There you can select your items and self-checkout to hopefully get you back to your seats faster. There will also be four hometown spirits concessionaires for fans to sample hard drinks distilled locally. Plenty more changes are listed on the site.

New Features

Near section 528 under the main scoreboard, they’ve reconfigured the seats and added a second deck to improve sight lines.

New premium seating has added adjacent to the main scoreboard, end zone, and tunnel. The seats are at field level and include an all-inclusive lounge.

The Steel-line Drumline is adding a horn section. (They may have to change their name).

And for the second season, the Steelers are offering “student-priced” tickets for college students. Just need an Edu email address to participate.

Changes Not Made

The Steelers failed to make some changes I’d like to see. My first priority is dropping the prices of concessions. The Rooney family carries the reputation of being fan friendly, but Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank put that principle into action by drastically dropping concession prices a few seasons ago. That made it more affordable for families. And actually, increased the Falcons’ revenues. I stopped buying food in the stadium a few years ago since it is so costly.

The lack of adequate bandwidth is frustrating. The reality is that many fans attending games are using their phones to stay abreast of their fantasy leagues, posting snaps onto social media, or staying in contact with fellow fans watching the games at home. The Wi-Fi service has improved. But my smart phone still lags during games.

Conclusion

The Steelers are making improvements. But some of the features such as the premium seating are priced well beyond the average Joe’s means. I’ll try to check out some of these features during the games I attend this season starting with the home opener against the Chargers.

What improvements would you like to see at Acrisure Stadium? Are you satisfied with its present location? Or would you prefer an ultra-modern stadium built somewhere outside of the city?

Your Song Selection

I always like to include a bit of music. The Steelers made some improvements for the gameday experienced. Are you satisfied? Here is Are You Satisfied performed by Reign Wolf.