Steelers 'optimistic' about hosting fans at Heinz Field in October; Pitt's Pat Narduzzi says parents could sit 60 feet apart

The upcoming weekend marks the final games in September for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt, but there has been no word in regards to officially lifting the ban on allowing fans inside Heinz Field.

Before the season, Steelers and Pitt officials jointly agreed to play their five September games in an empty stadium to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

But Steelers spokesperson Burt Lauten said Thursday that the team remains “optimistic about hosting a limited amount of fans at Heinz Field beginning with our game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 11.”

That also could mean good news for Pitt. The Panthers will play their third September home game Saturday against Louisville, and a fourth is scheduled only three days into October.

That leaves just two home games on the schedule — Notre Dame on Oct. 24 and Virginia Tech on Nov. 21. The Steelers will have six more home games after Sunday’s game with the Houston Texans.

During a Zoom call with reporters Thursday, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi lobbied for Pennsylvania and Allegheny County government and health officials to allow a limited number people inside, even if it’s merely players’ parents.

“I guess I need to do a PSA (public service announcement), ask Gov. Wolf if he’d let us have a few fans in the stands,” he said. “’Governor, please.’

“I feel bad for our kids. You look around the country and see fans in the stands.”

Narduzzi said he agreed with the decision to keep fans away for health concerns, but he believes Heinz Field (capacity 68,400) is big enough to allow for social distancing of far more than 6 feet.

“We want to continue to be safe. I still want to make sure the numbers are going down, not going up,” he said. “So, I understand why he’s done it.

“But I still think there’s a safe way to at least have (players’) parents at a game. My wife and kids can stay home. It’s not about them.

“It’s about our kids and their parents being able to watch them play, something they’ve done since they were in pee-wee football.

“Heinz Field is big enough we could have 10 parents in each section and keep 60-feet distance.”

In another pandemic matter, Narduzzi questioned why the NCAA extended the so-called dead period in recruiting through the end of the year. Since the outset of the pandemic in the spring, D-I schools have not been allowed to bring recruits in any sport onto campus for visits. Also, coaches are prohibited from visiting prospects in their homes or attending their high school games.

“I still don’t know why the NCAA made that decision so quickly,” Narduzzi said. “It’s September and we’re already making a decision to be dead in October, November and December.

“We’d also like to have that relationship that’s hard to build over a Zoom call, FaceTime or just regular, old telephone call. It’s 2020 and they’re starting to get used to it.

“There’s a way of doing it safely after the season is over in December with masks and the whole deal.”

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