With an eye toward bigger competition – and a better experience for the paying fan — Pittsburgh Riverhounds owner Tuffy Shallenberger announced Tuesday a planned expansion to the South Shore stadium that is home to the Riverhounds and Pittsburgh Riveters soccer teams.
The expansion positions the Riverhounds – who operate a practice and training facility in Coraopolis and play their matches at Highmark Stadium on the South Side — to meet U.S. Soccer’s Pro League Standards requiring a capacity of 15,000 for Division One sanctioning.
“Since 2014, we have invested significant capital and effort into this stadium and growing soccer around the area,” Shallenberger said in reference to Highmark Stadium. “Now, we have a major opportunity to continue that growth.
“This expansion is going to be great for our fans and allow us to take our teams to the level we want to reach, but it’s also going to bring additional events here that will help the entire Pittsburgh community. We’re excited to start and take this next step forward.”
The United Soccer League (USL) recently unveiled plans for a Division One professional men’s league — the top tier of the sport in the United States — with a 2028 launch date. USL is currently in the process of reviewing applications from clubs interested in its Division One league, one of which is the Riverhounds.
Matt Grubba, the Riverhounds’ director of communications, said the stadium expansion project cost is estimated at $125 million, and it will be financed through a public/private partnership, the details of which are still being worked on.
“When Highmark (Stadium) was built, it was entirely privately funded,” Grubba said. “This will be a public/private partnership.”
Grubba said that until funding is solidified, it’s not known when work will start on the expansion project. But he said the goal is to be ready for the USL’s Division One launch date of 2028.
In addition to increasing the capacity to over 15,000, the three-phased expansion will ultimately bring more premium seating areas, a club with banquet space and suites, providing a range of options for fans. These upgrades will allow the venue to host additional sports and entertainment events, including concerts, and better serve the region, Riverhounds officials maintain.
Riverhounds officials say the franchise has experienced rapid growth over the past five years as interest in soccer has grown in the United States. To wit:
- Since 2023 – the year the team opened its Coraopolis training and practice facility, known as the AHN Montour Sports Complex — the Riverhounds have sold out 73% of their home matches.
- In each of the last two years, the Riverhounds’ average attendance has exceeded capacity with fans using standing room only opportunities to attend matches.
- From 2021 to 2024, the team experienced an annual growth rate of 11% in average attendance.
- Since 2021, ticket revenue has grown 26% annually, and this year saw a season ticket base that nearly doubled over the previous three years.
Likewise, the addition of the Pittsburgh Riveters, the club’s women’s team in the pre-professional USL W League, has energized a new and expanded fan base.
- In their first season, the Riveters hosted 28,138 fans for six games.
- Their inaugural match brought in over 6,000 people, the fourth-largest soccer crowd in the stadium’s history.
Riverhounds officials say the planned stadium expansion also will provide a venue for the Pittsburgh market to host high-quality outdoor events, filling a void currently for such a venue holding crowds between 5,500 and 20,000.
Highmark Stadium is currently home for six NCAA varsity teams (soccer and lacrosse). The Riverhounds have hosted numerous large events over the past few years, including the annual WPIAL Soccer Championships, the 2018 NCAA Division II Soccer Championships, the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, more than a dozen charity walks and other events hosted by regional and national nonprofits. The stadium already has been selected to host the 2027 NCAA Division III Soccer Championships.
Shallenberger said the expansion of Highmark Stadium will make it a viable place to host other sporting events, more than a dozen concerts in a year and more.
When completed, the stadium is expected to attract almost 500,000 people in annual attendance. Riverhounds officials say the expansion project is projected to generate $243.4 million in total new taxes to the city, Allegheny County and the state, in addition to the construction by local labor unions.
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