Pitt is it: Panthers host an evening of football, fashion, food and fun for females

Patty Irrgang became a Pitt football fan nearly 50 years ago.

Her husband, Jay Irrgang, was a student trainer on the 1976 National Championship team.

“That was an amazing experience,” said Patty, of Murrysville, who joined other women fans at the inaugural PantHERs Playbook event Tuesday. “You have to have chemistry to win a national championship. Pitt football became a way of life for us. Football is family.”

That was the consensus among the 100 women who attended the event at Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. It was an evening of football, fashion, food and fun for females and was formed to celebrate “the vibrant community of Pitt women who proudly wear the blue and gold,” according to organizers.

Held in the UPMC Club, attendees were treated to the ultimate preseason experience as a way to get ready for the season.

Pitt hosts crosstown rival Duquesne University at noon on Saturday at Acrisure.

The evening began with a reception featuring upscale tailgate bites, from cheeseburger sliders to french fries, chips and dips, wings and popcorn and soft pretzels, specialty cocktails and mocktails, a friendship bracelet-making station, and photo opportunities. A pop-up store displayed the latest in team apparel.

Emmy Award-winning journalist Missi Matthews, a Pitt graduate who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers as a reporter, host, and producer since 2012, was the emcee. She took the attendees behind the scenes with football x’s and o’s.

“We have a slideshow that we’ll go through of different football terms that we can all tackle together,” Matthews said, pun intended.

She noticed right away that the crowd was proficient in football terms. So she changed the subject to some recent off-the-field news of newly engaged couple — Grammy-winning artist Taylor Swift and star tight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Matthews and Pitt employee Allison Rubin shared tips to elevate tailgate parties.

There was a fashion show to feature the latest in the Pitt Panther collection, modeled by family members from the Pitt football coaching staff.

“You can be fashionable when you go to a football game,” Matthews said. “You can show your Panthers style while also looking fabulous doing it.”

Shopping for the latest styles were friends Mona Riordan of Sewickley and Claudette Graham of Franklin Park. They are lifelong fans.

“This event is cool,” Riordan said.

“We wanted to support an event for women,” Graham said.

Matthews asked a few Pitt trivia questions such as: how many national championships has Pitt won?

Patty Irrgang knew the answer (nine). She also shared some thoughts about tailgating from her cookbook called “It’s All About Tailgating!” It has 95 of her favorite recipes, from a pulled pork and brisket, to steak and eggs and a pasta bar.

Irrgang said she bases her menu on the time of the game and who will be attending the tailgate.

“Make whatever is comfortable for you,” she said. “Just do what’s fun for you. Football has become family to us. We have passed down our love of football through multi-generations.”

So has Diane “Mimi” Flannagan of Greensburg. She attended the event with her daughter Dana Mascio, a Latrobe Area High School graduate, and granddaughters Montana Mascio and Gianna Mascio, who live in Weirton, W.Va. Also attending was family friend Madison Lecker, of Burgettstown.

“Pitt is in our blood,” said Dana, who met her husband at Pitt Dental School. “When my daughter heard this was happening, we said we must all go.

”I think young women benefit so much to play sports and to watch and to gather with friends and family. It’s more than just a game. It’s a culture. It’s a family affair.”

Dana Mascio said Montana is counting down the days to Saturday’s home opener. Montana said they wanted to support this first-time event and be with women who also have a passion for football.

Just like Patty Irrgang has been a fan for five decades, the Mascio family has had season tickets for five decades.

“Sports is about camaraderie and dealing with failure,” Gianna Mascio said. “You learn you got to keep going, even on a bad day.”

The sisters got their photo taken in the stands with the field in the background. Their grandfathers introduced them to the game.

“If you are born and bred in Pittsburgh you understand the love of sports, especially football,” Matthews said. “And it’s game week, and these are die-hard fans.

“Women in Pittsburgh know and understand the game, and they can’t wait for kick-off.”