Pederson's goal: Sellouts at Heinz
Sunday, December 23, 2007
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steve Pederson was hired as Pitt's athletic director Nov. 30, and on his second day on the job he witnessed the Panthers' football team upset No. 2 West Virginia, 13-9.
That's why by Dec. 2 he already had the 2008 football season on his mind, and by the middle of the month he had made it clear to all who work in the Pitt athletic department that one of his top priorities was to make sure Heinz Field was filled for what he believes will be one of the most exciting seasons in recent Panthers history.
"I've spent a lot of time reconnecting with a lot of people," said Pederson, who was Pitt's athletic director from 1996 to 2002 before leaving for a similar job at his alma mater, Nebraska. The Nebraska job was his "dream job" because of his roots in the state and his ties to the university, but things didn't work out and he was fired in October, about a month after Pitt began its search for an athletic director to replace Jeff Long, who left for Arkansas.
"It has been fun and I was reminded about how truly unique this city is in that so many people are willing to help," Pederson said. "I think that it was important to renew ties and reconnect, but starting the first of the year, we have to prioritize getting a lot of people to Heinz Field for football games.
"But it is not only about getting people to games -- it is making the gameday experience enjoyable and making it affordable, but it is also important to ask our fans what they want."
Pederson has no doubt that it is possible to sell a lot of tickets to Heinz Field because he, along with former associate athletic director Jim Earle, were instrumental in developing a plan that helped ensure the 2003 football season was sold out. That was one of Pederson's final acts before he left in December 2002 for Nebraska.
That year the Panthers did have some help selling tickets -- they had a Heisman trophy candidate in Larry Fitzgerald to showcase, an experienced group coming off a 9-4 season and a home schedule that included Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Miami -- but an aggressive marketing campaign and a number of affordable season ticket packages were a big part of selling that season out.
But, as Pederson noted, that 2003 team underachieved -- finishing a disappointing 8-5 -- and Pitt wasn't able to build on that momentum when trying to sell tickets the next year for a team that began the season with low expectations but ended up as Big East Conference champions.
That's why he's so excited about next season: He figures with all of the talent returning from a team that finished strong and a home schedule that includes Iowa, West Virginia and Louisville, the Panthers are poised for another opportunity to create excitement.
"One of the things we learned from 2003 is that you have to have something for everyone -- students, families, alumni," Pederson said. "And the great thing about Heinz Field is that it does have something for everyone, and we plan on making the entire experience better, and we want our games to be an event.
"The best part is our team should be very good. I'm really excited to see these guys, but we need to get started now. I firmly believe, in fact I know, we can do this. It has been done before, and it will be done again."
Pederson, whose roots are as a football recruiting coordinator, is firmly behind Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt even though he hasn't fielded a winning team in three seasons.
He said Wannstedt is an excellent recruiter who has done a good job of building the Panthers program and it should be good for the long haul.
"It is my job to support and help coaches, and I have always done that," Pederson said. "This football program is on the verge of great things. I think the world of Dave. I know he has a great staff. He is a great recruiter. He is working hard. He is doing all of the right things the right way and will be successful."
Pederson's enthusiasm at returning Pitt is palpable. He believes that some of the struggles he had at Nebraska, a place he still dearly loves, have helped him appreciate his job and the people at Pitt even more.
"I am more energized and excited to be here and to get started than in 1996 when I was a first-time athletic director," said Pederson, who has been logging long hours and meeting with many influential people around the city. "Because I know now that this is a unique place, a place I believe in and a place I know is headed for great things. This is a great time to have this job for many reasons."
Although selling football tickets is his immediate top priority, Pederson has plenty of other things on his plate for next year and beyond.
One thing he doesn't anticipate doing -- which is something he did in 1996 -- is restructuring the athletic department and/or clearing out positions and filling them with his own people.
"I feel good about our staff from what I've seen," Pederson said. "I like our structure as well, and I think we have the right people in the right places. So I don't feel the need to make changes right now. I really like what I've seen so far."
A big project Pederson will tackle -- one which he was getting ready to tackle when he left the first time -- is raising funds to build the new facilities needed for all of Pitt's Olympic sports teams.
Earlier this year Pitt finally gained the clearance to expand its facilities on the site of the former Allequippa Terrace public-housing project, and in March the school pledged $23 million for the Olympic sports facilities. Pederson said once those are in place, the sky will be the limit for all of Pitt's programs.
"Look at our track program, you see what [coach] Alonzo Webb has been able to do and you ask yourself 'What would he do if he had facilities?' The same thing with all of our coaches," Pederson said. "The thing that has impressed me is they have all had success, now it is up to us to help them out. Everything is on track to get these facilities moving, and now it is just a matter of getting a solid timeline in place and then raising funds.
"I don't worry about raising funds because I know that if we have a good plan, which we will, people will help us. I really feel like that is kind of the next completion of what we've started. And one of the things I've always appreciated about the university is that when we've done things, we've done them the right way."
Early next year, Pederson said, he will look at the controversial donor-based seating plans for football and men's basketball that were installed under Long's watch.
He understands the plans have been a source of frustration among some fans, but raising funds is a big part of an athletic department's success. He said he wants to sit down and talk with people and listen to suggestions how to make it better.
"The key is there has to be a balance," Pederson said. "We don't want to take our fans for granted. We understand some people are pushing it just to be able to afford the tickets -- so we don't want to chase people off. Our fans ultimately make all of this possible and we appreciate that and want to take care of them the best we can."
Paul Zeise can be reached at pzeise@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1720.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07357/843956-142.stm
