WPIAL Football Championships return to Heinz Field in the fall for maybe more than two days

Factor: Chris Harlan

Monday 19 July 2021 | 16.33

The WPIAL football championships will return to Heinz Field this fall, perhaps a two-day Thanksgiving weekend at North Shore Stadium.

The football finals were held in high school locations last season due to a pandemic, but the WPIAL board voted back five or five of the six championships on Monday back to Heinz Field in November. The exact timetable is still undecided.

WPIAL could host four games in one day on either November 26th or 27th. Or, due to tradition, WPIAL may reserve a stadium for both dates and split the Class 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A and A finals into two. days, said WPIAL CEO Amy Scheuneman.

“We’re going back there,” he said. “There can be four games or five. We need to work out the details with Heinz Field. “

The crucial factor is “cost-effectiveness for what we can reasonably afford,” he added.

No matter what decision is made, the WPIAL Class 6A final will not be played at Heinz Field. This big school championship has to be held a week in advance – on November 19 or 20 – because the WPIAL champion is suitable for state playoffs. Scheuneman said WPIAL is using high school seat 6A.

Heinz Field will be available Nov. 26-27 as both the Pitt and Steelers are on the road over the weekend. Pitt will play in Syracuse on Saturday and the Steelers will visit Cincinnati on Sunday.

“Heinz Field is very pleased,” Scheuneman said. “They have a whole wall dedicated to our champions and appreciate high school athletics.”

WPIAL used Newman Stadium in North Allegheny and Martorelli Stadium in North Hills last fall when the administration of Ruler Tom Wolf had strict restrictions on collecting sizes at events, making Heinz Field affordable. The government’s desire to return to Heinz Field this year was unanimous, Scheuneman said.

“The government has a strong view of the championship experience there,” he said. “The opportunity to play in that state was of value to our student athletes, so they wanted to go back there.”

Starting at Three Rivers Stadium in 1986, WPIAL built the tradition of playing four championship matches in one day. This tradition passed to Heinz Field in 2001, but was complicated when the PIAA expanded football to six rankings in 2016. Since expansion, WPIAL has played four games at Heinz Field and two elsewhere.

If WPIAL approves Heinz Field’s two-day schedule, two games will be held on Friday and three on Saturday.

In addition to football, WPIAL’s board also approved Monday’s championship venues for other fall sports after emphasizing the use of college or professional venues.

Highmark Stadium will host the boys and girls soccer finals 4-6. November. The girls ’volleyball finals are on November 6 at Robert Morris. Washington & Jefferson will host girls ’team tennis tournaments (Oct. 20) and field hockey (Oct. 30). The boys ’and girls’ cross-country skiing finals are on October 28 in Cal (Pa).

“We wanted to elevate some of these (championship places) to get the same experience as higher-profile sports,” Scheuneman said.

North Allegheny and Bethel Park host the girls ’tennis tournament and singles tournaments. Singles are 23-24. September and doubles 6-7. October.

The boys ’and girls’ golf championships are divided into three courses. The personal tournament for the AA boys will be on September 30 at Allegheny Country Club and the AAA boys will play on October 5 at Nemacolin. The AA and AAA girls championships are both on October 7 in Hannastown.

The boys and girls team competitions are on October 14th in Cedarbrook.

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review Staff Writer. You can contact Chris by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .