Pitt Adding New On-Campus Arena, Other Athletic Facilities

PITTSBURGH, PA - The University of Pittsburgh has unveiled plans for Victory Heights, a series of new athletic facilities that will include a new arena to complement the Petersen Events Center, and indoor track facility and an athletic performance center.

Details on the projects:

• The new 3,500-seat arena will be used for gymnastics, volleyball and wrestling. Each of those teams currently practice and compete in the 70-year-old Fitzgerald Field House.

• The eight-lane, 300-meter indoor track for the men's and women's programs also will be used as a band facility. University officials asserted that the Panthers' track and field teams have been without a suitable campus home since the razing of Pitt Stadium in 1999. The more than 300-member Pitt Band will utilize the venue for rehearsal, storage and meeting needs.

• The athletic performance center that will serve the strength and conditioning, sports medicine, nutrition and mental well-being needs for 16 of Pitt's 19 intercollegiate athletics programs.

"Victory Heights is about coming together as a community and doing our part to drive comprehensive excellence," Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher said in a statement. "And it's about taking the steps needed to give each of our student-athletes the very best environment to learn, grow and reach their highest potential."

Athletic Director Heather Lyke added: "For far too long, a significant percentage of our student-athletes have been forced to compete in facilities that do not reflect the lofty standards and aspirations of the University of Pittsburgh. Today's announcement is the first step in transforming that liability into a game-changing asset in our quest for comprehensive excellence."