Big East Basketball:
Coach Jamie Dixon and his Panthers compete in the Big East basketball conference, alongside such basketball powerhouses as Georgetown, Villanova, Connecticut, West Virginia, Syracuse and St. Johns. The Pittsburgh Panthers captured their first Big East title in 1987-88 and their second in 2007-2008. They were Big East Regular Season Champions in 2003-2004. The Pittsburgh Panthers won their first game in team history over a team ranked #1 in the AP or Coaches Poll when they defeated number one ranked, Big East rival Connecticut twice in one month: 76-68 on February 16, 2009 and 70-60 on March 7, 2009.
Key Pittsburgh Panthers Players 2008 - 2009:
Tyrell Biggs, DeJuan Blair, Gilbert Brown, Jermaine Dixon, Levance Fields, Brad Wanamaker and Sam Young
The University of Pittsburgh:
Founded in a log cabin in 1787, the year the U.S. Constitution was adopted, the University of Pittsburgh is one of the oldest institutes of higher learning in the nation. At the Pittsburgh campus in Oakland, over 12,000 employees and 3,800 faculty serve 33,796 students, including 9,386 graduate and 24,410 undergraduate students.
Team Spirit - The Oakland Zoo:
Over 1,000 strong and dressed in yellow t-shirts displaying the words "Oakland Zoo," Pitt's student fan section is the heart and sould of Pittsburgh Panthers basketball games. Several of the Oakland Zoo traditions include "surfing" the Panthers mascot, cheering in unison, holding signs in support of the Panthers and dressing up in gorilla suits.
Team Mascot - The Panther:
The Panther was adopted as the mascot of the University of Pittsburgh in 1909. The alliteration - Pittsburgh Panthers - was nice, of course, but it was also chosen because the noble panther was the most formidable creature once indigenous to the Pittsburgh region, no other college or university currently used it as their symbol, and the panther's gold coat worked well with the University's colors (old gold and blue). Sounds like a no brainer!
Home Pittsburgh Panthers Games:
You can catch the Pittsburgh Panthers playing at home in the Petersen Events Center, located on the University's upper campus. The "Pete" holds a rowdy crowd of 12,500 and is sold out for virtually every Panthers home game. If you can't make it to the game in person, you can follow the Panthers on the radio on WTAE-AM 1250. Local television stations and national broadcast networks - such as WTAE-TV, Fox Sports Network and ESPN - often televise Pittsburgh Panthers games.
Tickets - Pittsburgh Panthers:
There's a waiting list for season tickets for Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball, and only those who have contributed at least $1,000 to the school are eligible. Tickets for individual games are generally available, unless the opponent is West Virginia or Syracuse.
Commitment, Improvement, Pride, Believe, Trust, Champions, Unselfishness, Together, Teamwork and Defense.
These 10 words form the foundation of the Pitt basketball program.
