Pittsburgh Plays Host to Champions Big and Small
SportsPITTSBURGH keeps Pittsburgh in the spotlight—major tournaments, championships, and community events shaping the region all year.
A Message from Jim Britt
Vice President, Sports Events - SportsPITTSBURGH
October is always an exciting month for the sports community in Pittsburgh, and this year is no different. Our Steelers have returned from Ireland carrying a big win into key divisional matchups. Our Penguins are breaking camp ready to launch their regular season campaign. Our college and university athletic departments are in full swing, and the fields, courts, pools, and rinks in every corner of the county are buzzing with activity.
The SportsPITTSBURGH team is deep in operational planning for April’s NFL Draft, but we are also working hard to ensure our region continues to benefit from events of all sizes for years to come. This month, we’ll attend IMEX America, a global convention hosting over 9,000 decision makers and event planners, along with TEAMS ’25 in Columbus, the world’s leading conference and expo for the sports-event industry, which Pittsburgh will host in 2028. We will close out the month by attending the Rugby World Cup 2031 Summit in Chicago, a gathering of potential host cities interested in the 2031 & 2033 Rugby World Cup tournaments.
With over a dozen events remaining on the SportsPITTSBURGH calendar in 2025—from soccer to hockey and rowing to running—our team remains hard at work to ensure the calendar stays full through 2026 and beyond. We hope to see you out at the fields soon!
LOOKING BACK
The Dick’s Sporting Goods USHL Fall Classic took place at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, PA last month, marking the 10th straight year the event has been held in the Pittsburgh area. Over the course of five days, all 16 United States Hockey League (USHL) teams played their first two games of the ‘25-26 season and more than 1,500 youth hockey players, representing 94 teams, competed in separate 14U, 15U, 16U and 18U tournaments.
SportsPITTSBURGH collaborated with the Penguins to execute the event and supported the efforts of Butler County to enhance the experience for league officials, coaches, players and attendees. SportsPITTSBURGH provided overall event promotion – including signage at the airport, hotels and venue, as well as a sponsored breakfast for USHL coaches and staff.
At the end of September, the Atlantic 10 Conference held its Men’s and Women’s Basketball Media Day at PPG Paints Arena with head coaches and players from all 14 of its member institutions. Media Day festivities included a special 50th Anniversary Celebration Luncheon that commemorated five decades of success for the conference, which started right here in Pittsburgh.
The league was formed in 1975 as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League—also known as the Eastern 8 – with Pitt, Duquesne and West Virginia as three of its original members. The league’s inaugural 1976-77 season concluded with Duquesne winning the Eastern Eight Tournament with an upset victory over Villanova in Philadelphia. The conference was renamed the Atlantic 10 in 1982.
The 2026 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Tournament is scheduled for March 11-15, and SportsPITTSBURGH is part of the local organizing committee.
“We are excited to return to Pittsburgh in 2026 to celebrate the league’s history in a city that was integral to the beginning of the Atlantic 10,” said Bernadette McGlade, conference commissioner. “Pittsburgh is an amazing city with a very rich sports history and has previously been a tremendous host for the A-10 Championship.”
NCAA officials recently visited Pittsburgh as part of the planning process for the 2026 NCAA Division II Basketball National Championships, March 23-28, at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. SportsPITTSBURGH and Pennsylvania Western University-Clarion will co-host the championships—with SportsPITTSBURGH serving as the tournament director, leading tournament operations, marketing, ticket sales, hospitality, and community engagement.
LOOKING AHEAD
The American Taekwondo Association Fall Nationals will be held October 22-25 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh, marking its fourth consecutive year in Pittsburgh. This year's event is expected to be the largest to date, with 72 rings for competition and more than 1,000 athletes and 5,000 attendees. SportsPITTSBURGH has supported the DLCC with marketing and promotional efforts and worked with additional stakeholders to ensure world-class hospitality.
SportsPITTSBURGH ON THE ROAD
Each year, the SportsPITTSBURGH team travels far and wide to promote the city at trade shows, industry conferences and the like. Among the group’s recent stops have been:
- 13th Annual Game Changers Conference in New York
- Sports ETA 4S & Rights Holder Summit in Annapolis, MD
- IMEX America in Las Vegas
Our team continues to work with our local colleges and universities to educate our students, and our employers, on the work we do – and its broad reaching impacts across the region.
