Univ. of Pittsburgh AD Scott Barnes "set the bar high" when he revealed Monday an "ambitious plan to sell a record number of Pitt full-season packages at Heinz Field: 53,775," an increase of more than 19.5% from last year, according to Jerry DiPaola of the PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW. Two years ago, Pitt sold 40,696 season-ticket plans for football. Season-ticket sales opened to the general public Monday morning, but Barnes said that 15,000 packages already "had been sold earlier this year." Pitt at this time last year "had sold only 4,500." Barnes said that Pitt "needs to sell 9,770 new packages -- so far 3,000 have been sold -- and renew the season ticket base" at 93% to hit the goal. Renewals last year reached 90%, and Barnes "hopes to capitalize on momentum created last season when Pitt won eight games." Meanwhile, Pitt will "unveil its new uniforms and the script brand at an event scheduled for mid-May" (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 2/9). Barnes: "Our goal is to set an all-time record for season tickets at Heinz Field. You sometimes are challenged when you come out with a goal and you don’t meet the goal. We feel really comfortable in stating this." In Pittsburgh, Sam Werner noted the "biggest bump so far came last week" when Pitt announced its '16 recruiting class. Barnes said that Pitt "sold 4,500 tickets in that week alone, pushing the Panthers well ahead of where they were at this time a year ago." Looking ahead, Barnes said that he "hopes to see a similar bump around the time of Pitt’s spring game April 16." The game will "return to Heinz Field for the first time" since '11, with "free admission to the public" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 2/9).
