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Questions about Acrisure Stadium

Short answers, pulled from the story.

What is Acrisure Stadium and where is it located?

Acrisure Stadium is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Panthers college football team. The stadium opened in 2001 under the name Heinz Field and cost $281 million to build.

Why did Heinz Field change its name to Acrisure Stadium?

The H. J. Heinz Company's naming rights deal, worth $57 million, ran through the end of 2021, ending a 21-year business arrangement. Kraft Heinz declined to renew the agreement, and the Steelers were unable to find a local Pittsburgh replacement. Michigan-based insurance company Acrisure purchased the naming rights in a deal reported on the 11th of July 2022.

How much did Acrisure Stadium cost to build?

Acrisure Stadium cost $281 million to build. The funding came from Plan B, a public financing package approved on the 9th of July 1998 as part of an $809 million total plan that also covered PNC Park and an expansion of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The Steelers contributed $76.5 million toward the total.

What NHL games have been played at Acrisure Stadium?

Acrisure Stadium has hosted two outdoor NHL games. The 2011 Winter Classic on the 1st of January 2011 was won by the Washington Capitals 3-1 over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 2017 NHL Stadium Series on the 25th of February 2017 ended with the Penguins defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 before 67,318 spectators.

What is the largest crowd ever recorded at Acrisure Stadium?

The largest attended event in Acrisure Stadium's history was Taylor Swift's Eras Tour on the 17th of June 2023, with 73,117 people, the highest-ticketed event in Pittsburgh history. The sporting event record is 70,622, set on the 1st of September 2022 when Pitt defeated West Virginia 38-31 in the first Backyard Brawl since 2011.

What playing surface does Acrisure Stadium use and why has it been controversial?

Acrisure Stadium uses a natural-grass surface, first installed as Kentucky Bluegrass in June 2001 at half the standard NFL height. The synthetic-enhanced Desso GrassMaster system was added in 2003, but a poll of 1,565 NFL players after the 2008 season still rated it the worst of the 18 natural fields in the league. Despite the criticism, players and coaches repeatedly lobbied to keep the grass, and the natural surface has remained.

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