This fall, fans of Pitt athletics have a lot to talk about. With an undefeated football program, a nationally ranked men鈥檚 soccer team and a women鈥檚 volleyball team ranked No. 1 in the nation, the success of Pitt sports is the recent talk of the town.聽
Students have come together to show their support and rally around these Panther teams now more than ever, and the overwhelming sense of school spirit and pride is undeniable.聽
鈥淚 try to attend every football and volleyball game I can,鈥� sophomore Emily Wilmoth said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool to be in the student section and be surrounded by so many people who really want to see the success of the team.鈥澛�
Fans, especially students, have flocked to the Petersen Events Center in numbers never seen before this season. In September of this year, the Panther volleyball team took on the state rival Nittany Lions for an intense face-off resulting in a Pitt sweep and their 21st straight set win of the year. 11,800 fans attended this game, creating a new volleyball attendance record here at Pitt.聽
鈥淚 think the volleyball team has stayed consistent and has been receiving constant support, but with the improvements in the football team, I鈥檝e seen a noticeable increase in support not only from Pitt students but other fans,鈥� sophomore Joseph Garcia said. 鈥淢y family has been tuning into the games, and people I know that really aren鈥檛 that into sports have started to follow along and watch.鈥�
The Pitt football program currently sits at 7-0 and is nationally ranked No. 18 after beating an array of both ACC and non-conference opponents so far this year, and students are loving the journey.聽
鈥淚t’s been so awesome,鈥� junior Sophia McLaughlin said. 鈥淚n the past, it’s been hard to stay supportive when we鈥檝e had unsuccessful seasons. It can get depressing when we鈥檙e so used to losing, but this year has just been so fun to watch and be a part of.鈥澛�
In addition to women鈥檚 volleyball, men鈥檚 soccer was ranked No. 1 nationally at the beginning of their season. This pushed Pitt athletics to a new historical achievement of two No. 1 nationally ranked teams for the first time ever. Now, as men鈥檚 soccer sits as the fifth-best team in the nation, Pitt can still boast top programs all around its athletics program.
鈥淚 think this really brings Pitt back into the sports conversation,鈥� McLaughlin said. 鈥淲ith [three] nationally ranked teams, there鈥檚 no denying Pitt can hold its own as a sports school.鈥�
The idea that it鈥檚 important for Pitt to be considered a 鈥渂ig鈥� sports school is significant and contagious throughout the student body.
鈥淚t means a lot,鈥� Wilmoth said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to say Pitt is notorious for having mediocre teams, but sometimes I think Pitt tends to be left in the dust. Especially with us being in the ACC I think some people consider us as a weaker conference, and with [three] nationally ranked teams, it puts Pitt鈥檚 stamp on the college sports discussion.鈥澛�
Pitt鈥檚 athletic success even has the potential to change the culture and perspective around the college for outsiders looking in.
鈥淚鈥檓 not from the Pittsburgh area, and when I thought of Pitt before, I never really thought of it as a sports school,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淏ut I think having [three] top-ranked teams and an undefeated football program proves that Pitt can compete with anybody.鈥澛�
With the ongoing success of the sports programs, anticipation for the postseason heightens as the year comes to a close.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 super excited to see how Pitt performs in the volleyball NCAA tournament this year,鈥� Wilmoth said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e come so close in the past couple years and it’s been heart-wrenching to see them lose in the finals. Hopefully this year we can come home with a national title.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to Pitt鈥檚 Thursday night game against Syracuse. I think it’s going to be a good matchup,鈥� McLaughlin said. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping for a successful finish to the football season, and coming off that, I鈥檓 excited to get into basketball season.鈥澛�
Students should get ready to follow along with fall Pitt sports as they continue through their seasons, with all three top teams set to take on opponents in the next week.聽