Highmark Stadium (Pennsylvania)
Highmark Stadium is a 5,000-seat soccer-specific stadium in Pittsburgh's Station Square which is home to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC of the USL Championship and the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds of the American Ultimate Disc League. The stadium was also home to the Pittsburgh Rebellion women's football team for 2017. Three local colleges use the stadium for soccer, lacrosse and rugby, and six different local high schools will use the field for soccer and lacrosse. The $10.2 million project began with the demolishing and excavating of the former Trib Total Media Amphitheatre, building foundations for the scoreboard, light poles and grading foundations for the grandstands as well as the installation of underground utilities. The field surface is FIFA 2-star certified artificial turf, the highest rating that an artificial surface can achieve, one of only six fields in the country to earn that rating. Other fields to earn this rating in the United States include: Providence Park, CenturyLink Field, and Gillette Stadium, all of which house Major League Soccer franchises.
The field from upper-level seating | |
Highmark Stadium Location near Downtown Pittsburgh Highmark Stadium Location in Pennsylvania Highmark Stadium Location in the United States | |
| Location | Station Square, 510 West Station Square Drive Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°26′10″N 80°0′34″W |
| Public transit | Station Square |
| Owner | Terry "Tuffy" Shallenberger (majority) |
| Operator | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC |
| Capacity | 3,500 (2013–2018) 5,000 (2018–present) |
| Record attendance | 6,107(May 24th, 2023) |
| Field size | 110 m × 70 m (360 ft × 230 ft) |
| Surface | FIFA 2-Star Certified hybrid-turf |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 25, 2012 |
| Opened | April 13, 2013 |
| Renovated | 2018 |
| Construction cost | $10.2 million |
| Architect | ThenDesign Architecture, Inc. |
| Project manager | Millcraft Industries, Inc. |
| Structural engineer | Alber & Rice, Inc. |
| General contractor | Nello Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC) (2013–present) Pittsburgh Passion (WFA) (2013–2015) Pittsburgh Riverhounds U23 (PDL) (2014–2016) Pittsburgh Rebellion (LFL) (2017) Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (AUDL) (2023–present) | |
On August 1, 2015, the supporters' section was renamed the Paul Child Stand in honor of Pittsburgh soccer legend Paul Child. About Highmark Stadium, Benjamin Zand of the BBC once said it is "[...]probably the most beautiful stadium I've ever seen." Highmark Stadium is notable for its picturesque albeit unusual layout, with the Monongahela River in close proximity to the field. As a result, during daytime broadcasts of Riverhound matches, the river serves as a backdrop for the action on the field.