The “good times” Pitt fans sing about in the third quarter’s iconic “Sweet Caroline” rendition weren’t so good Saturday.

The Pitt-Notre Dame showdown at Acrisure Stadium ended in a lopsided loss for the Panthers, 37-15.

What was still good, though, according to fans, were the vibes.

Fans packed into Pittsburgh’s North Shore on Saturday morning, turning the riverfront into a roaring sea of blue, gold and homemade signs as ESPN’s “College GameDay” fired up its broadcast ahead of the match-up.

Music blasted, the Pitt marching band rallied into formation and crowds erupted as host and Plum native Pat McAfee opened the show at 9 a.m. outside of the stadium.

“Welcome to beautiful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,” McAfee said. ”Everybody who’s from here is proud of being from here. Shout out to Pittsburgh, shout out to Pitt.”

Pittsburgh’s North Shore is hopping. ESPN’s “College GameDay” is here ahead of the Pitt-Notre Dame showdown at Acrisure Stadium @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/pfBssNmbVU

— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) November 15, 2025

Pitt Band is outside Acrisure @TribLIVE @CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/oaFJbmu8bA

— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) November 15, 2025

Students in bright orange Home Depot hard hats packed against the stage railings, shouting and waving homemade signs. Some lined up Friday afternoon and camped out overnight to secure a prime viewing spot on the Great Lawn outside Acrisure Stadium.

Welcome to BEAUTIFUL Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania..

This is a TOUGH TAHN

This is a BLUE COLLAR TAHN

This is a DAMN GOOD SPORTS TAHN#CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/kG7J9ndlNW

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 15, 2025

“Sweet Caroline” was a crowd pleaser at @CollegeGameDay @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/i8TDKkfcaD

— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) November 15, 2025

Pitt freshman Max Weinbrecht was selected to participate in Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest — with $1 million on the line.

Weinbrecht said he had never tried a field goal before, only played soccer in pickup games at home in Kingston, Pa., and was wearing soccer cleats that he had borrowed from someone in the crowd. He missed.

McAfee gave him a second try, upping the ante to $2 million, with the same result. Half of the money would’ve gone to a local Pittsburgh charity, but McAfee said a charity would benefit in some measure.

University of Pittsburgh senior Maggie Galvin took it all in.

“It’s very memorable, once in a lifetime,” said Galvin, 22, of Pottstown. “I’ve never seen it like this. This is an exciting opportunity for Pitt to experience such a big game.”

She and her roommates went to GameDay in a group, as Saturday’s match is the last one they will attend together before graduating. Pitt’s final home game will be during Thanksgiving break for the university.

“I’m seeing people of all ages,” said Galvin, who is majoring in digital media at Pitt, of Saturday morning’s crowd. “I know alumni that have come into town for this weekend.”

Shuttles started running from campus to the North Shore at 5 a.m., according to a Pitt email that Galvin received. She opted to take the T.

Through the Pitt Sports app, she found out Saturday’s game was sold out.

“Normally, we do get a good attendance for the game, but we’re in an NFL stadium, so most of the time it doesn’t feel full,” Galvin said. “To have an NFL stadium sold out is surreal.”

Oftentimes, Pitt fans don’t even go into the stadium — opting to tailgate and go to the North Shore’s bars, Galvin said.

She said she saw online via The Panther Pitt on Instagram and Pitt Barstool’s account that fans began lining up about 2 p.m. Friday for GameDay. Some camped out in tents.

And at 5 a.m. Saturday morning, 1,000 wristbands were handed out to fans guaranteeing them lower bowl tickets inside Acrisure.

“It’s exciting because we’re not necessarily a football school compared to the Big Tens,” Galvin said.

Throughout the game, Ebony Smith, who is a cheer mom, worked at concessions for daughter’s cheer boosters.

Smith, 47, of Pleasant Hills said that, although she went to Point Park University for college, she’s been a Pitt fan since she was “a youngster” due to family connections. Her daughter, Essence Young, 11, of Oakland, cheers competitively for Premier Gym and Cheer.

“I think everybody was pumped up,” she said after the game. “You could tell by the parking lot at the stadium, (which) was a mess.”

Compared with the last Pitt game, Smith said the crowd was comparable to that of a Steelers game.

“This was definitely one for the books,” she said. “Our meet time for working was 8:30; it was already packed shoulder to shoulder.”

Crowd at the front of GameDay @TribLIVE @CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/UdyvduLN9a

— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) November 15, 2025

But with such a dramatic loss, Smith said the morale went from excited to somber — especially on the T ride home.

“I don’t think they were prepared,” she said of the Panthers. “I don’t think the team was pumped up.”

Diehard Notre Dame fan Marc Krigstein joined in the festivities. He and family members arrived at the Great Lawn around 7:30 a.m. They paid $2,200 for a weekend Airbnb nearby.

“It’s been fantastic so far,” he said before the game. “The backdrop is fantastic. It’s just a cool city — really good vibes.”

a perfect Pittsburgh gameday ????️ pic.twitter.com/cVjNg1QAPL

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) November 15, 2025

Traveling to Pittsburgh to see Notre Dame play ball was more convenient than traveling to South Bend, Ind. for Krigstein, 49, of Garnet Valley in Eastern Pennsylvania and his family.

“The proximity was super convenient for us,” he said. “It’s hard to find a game as close to home — saves hours driving out.”

Krigstein said he experienced a lot of camaraderie around the stadium and at GameDay.

“I’m surprised at how few Notre Dame fans I’ve seen,” he said.

While in Pittsburgh this weekend, Krigstein said he hoped to experience the town.

“(It) feels like I’m on a college campus even though I’m in a big city.”

Michael Veto traded one college for another Saturday.

Veto, 18, of Latrobe is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University, but he came home specifically for the game. It was his birthday present.

“I felt the defense held up pretty well … I thought our offense, on the other hand, was down in the dumps,” he said. “Notre Dame’s defense stepped up really well.”

Because of how big the crowds were, Veto wasn’t able to get close to GameDay.

“It was crazy,” he said. “It was really cool to see everybody out here showing support.”

Despite the game ending in a loss, the energy in Acrisure was “definitely alive,” Veto said.

“Everything else other than the game was really awesome.”

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