Event Draws Over 600 People to the Petersen Events Center
The role of the 21st century athletic director is increasingly being viewed in business terms. Once seen as educational extensions of the larger institution, athletic departments these days are considered by some to be separate corporate entities.
While Steve Pederson certainly understands his CEO responsibilities in this age of collegiate athletics, he works diligently to ensure the Pitt athletic department remains a direct reflection of the University of Pittsburgh and its guiding values of education, commitment and mentoring.
"We will work hard to win," Pederson likes to say. "But we will work harder to win the right way. We want Pitt Athletics to reflect the very best attributes of this great university and its educational mission."
In speaking to Pitt's graduating senior student-athletes this past spring, Pederson said, "When you come to a great university like Pitt and earn your degree, the world is open to whatever you want to achieve next.
"In athletics, you learn quickly that nothing is handed to you - you earn everything you get. That will serve you well in life. That will separate you from the rest - the drive that it takes to achieve at the highest level."
The key to accomplishment, Pederson believes, is aspiration - the Panthers will work hard and aim high in every endeavor. That philosophy resonates with each Pitt student-athlete and staffer, and is the driving spirit behind his department mantra of "Only Big Dreams."
Using those values as a foundation, the Pitt Athletic Department under Pederson's watch continues to thrive and grow. His ability to galvanize people and programs prompted Pitt chancellor Mark Nordenberg to say, "In my judgment, and this assessment is shared by countless others, Steve Pederson is one of this country's most talented and accomplished athletic directors."
By any measure - be it victories on the field of play, student-athlete graduation rates or rising attendance figures - the Panthers are enjoying a highly accomplished era.
The past academic year provided much excitement and achievement for Pitt Athletics. Men's basketball added to its trophy case by winning the Big East Conference championship and earning a No. 4 ranking in the final Associated Press poll. The Panthers advanced to their 10th consecutive NCAA Basketball Tournament, the longest active streak in the rugged Big East. The wrestling team also raised championship banners, winning the Eastern Wrestling League dual and tournament titles. Moreover, the football team earned its eighth bowl berth since 2000, the softball team won a record 34 games while baseball won 30-plus games for the third consecutive year. Individually, Pitt student-athletes earned All-America and Academic All-America honors, while continuing to graduate and achieve in the classroom at unprecedented levels. An impressive 290 student-athletes earned grade-point averages of 3.0 or above this past year, including 25 who achieved perfect 4.0 GPAs.
Each of Pitt's 19 intercollegiate athletic programs met or surpassed the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR) standards. Two Pitt teams, men's basketball and gymnastics, received special recognition for ranking among the top 10% in their sport among Division I programs.
And Pitt student-athletes again made their presence felt in the community, contributing more than 2,600 hours of charitable work for various organizations around Western Pennsylvania in 2010-11.
While Pitt student-athletes were achieving on the field and in the classroom, Pederson continued to orchestrate important initiatives from an administrative standpoint, including:
• The opening of the sparkling new Petersen Sports Complex, a state-of-the-art home for Pitt's baseball, softball and men's and women's soccer teams. Built on 12 acres at the peak of upper campus, the facility not only gives Pitt student-athletes nationally competitive facilities, but it also has rejuvenated a previously untapped area of land that neighbors the university.
• A record $7.6 million raised in donations to the Panther Club annual fund, which subsidizes scholarships for Pitt student-athletes. The record total was achieved despite the recently challenging economic times that all supporters of collegiate athletics face.
• A new media partnership with CBS Radio Pittsburgh, providing Pitt football and basketball with a 50,000-watt flagship home in Sportsradio 93.7 "The Fan." Women's basketball also has a new radio home in 1320 WJAS-AM, which provides live play-by-play action of each regular-season and postseason game, marking the first time the women's program has enjoyed such coverage.
• An athletics apparel partnership with NIKE, making the Panthers one of the finest outfitted programs in the country. Each of the Panthers' 19 intercollegiate sports teams wear NIKE footwear, uniforms, practice gear and equipment. The long-term agreement outfits more than 450 student-athletes at Pitt.
• Rapidly rising attendance figures. Men's basketball once again enjoyed a strong homecourt advantage with the 12,508-seat Petersen Events Center soldout for a ninth consecutive year, while attendance for Pitt football at Heinz Field has jumped nearly 60% over the past three years.
This success - on the field, in the classroom and various other areas - comes as no surprise to those familiar with Pederson's track record. His return to Pitt in November 2007 gave the Pitt Athletic Department an instant shot of adrenaline that continues to be felt, and built upon, four years later.
His initial Pitt tenure, from 1996-2002, was characterized by a dramatic revitalization of the Panthers' fortunes, building the foundation for the success the Pitt Athletic Department enjoys today.
During his first Pitt tenure, Pederson hired six Big East Conference Coach-of-the-Year honorees (football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, track and field and volleyball), an unprecedented achievement by a Big East athletic director.
In 1999 he charged an unknown coach from Northern Arizona University with the task of resurrecting the Panthers' struggling men's basketball program. That coach, Ben Howland, would build Pitt into a Big East power and was named the consensus National Coach of the Year in 2002.
Pitt, which had not been to the NCAA Tournament in nine years, advanced to the "Sweet 16" in 2002 after posting a school-record 29 victories. The following season, Pitt would reach No. 2 in the polls, capture its first Big East Tournament championship and again advance to the NCAA regional semifinals. Since that time, Pitt basketball has become one of the nation's most consistent winners.
Pitt basketball coach Jamie Dixon, a three-time National Coach of the Year, recalled how instrumental Pederson was in helping to lure him to Pittsburgh to serve with Howland a decade ago. "Steve was the person who originally convinced me to come to the University of Pittsburgh back in 1999," said Dixon, who enters his ninth year as Pitt's head coach and 13th overall.
"Steve is not only a tremendous professional but also a valued friend," Dixon said. "I rely on him heavily for advice and direction. Our athletic department is incredibly fortunate to have his leadership, passion and vision."
Pitt football also was renewed under Pederson's watch. Upon his arrival, the Panthers were coming off seven consecutive seasons without a bowl. By the end of his tenure, Pitt earned four bowl berths in six years, including back-to-back postseason wins in 2001 and 2002.
One of the stars of that 2002 team was receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who would become a unanimous All-American and now is an All-Pro performer for the Arizona Cardinals. "When I decided to go to Pitt, it was for many reasons - a great school, a great football tradition and great people," Fitzgerald said. "Steve Pederson was one of those great people who made me feel like Pitt was the place for me."
While Pederson was instrumental in helping to revive Pitt football's present, he was very attentive to honoring the program's historic past. One of his first major steps as athletic director was to retire the jerseys of all-time Pitt greats Mike Ditka, Marshall Goldberg and Joe Schmidt. Pederson later initiated the Pitt jersey retirement of Mark May, the Panthers' lone Outland Trophy winner.
Pitt enjoyed tremendous achievements in attendance under Pederson. In NCAA Division I men's basketball, Pitt ranked among the nation's top five schools in attendance increase for two consecutive years (2001-02 and 2002-03). The 2002-03 basketball season - the inaugural campaign in the 12,508-seat Petersen Events Center - was sold out. Capitalizing on the exciting and unanticipated success of the 2001-02 basketball team, Pitt held a highly successful "select your seat" campaign for prospective season-ticket holders that simultaneously achieved customer satisfaction as well as enhanced fundraising.
In football, Pederson formed a marketing and ticket pricing plan that resulted in record attendance for the 2003 season. Season tickets were soldout for the '03 campaign as the Panthers averaged an all-time record 59,197 fans for their home season, surpassing the previous mark of 54,818 set in 1982.
Pederson's tenure has witnessed a major strengthening of Pitt's athletic infrastructure. With Chancellor Nordenberg, he helped shape the vision of the Petersen Events Center, the state-of-the-art convocation center that dramatically revolutionized Pitt's campus upon its opening in 2002. The Events Center is widely considered one of the finest college basketball venues in the country and has also been a major asset for student life, providing outstanding recreational facilities and a fitting place for graduation ceremonies.
Pederson was at the forefront of the football program's move into the UPMC Sports Performance Complex, which included the forging of a unique relationship between UPMC, a professional sports franchise and college athletic program. He personally oversaw the design and layout of the Panthers' Duratz Athletic Complex, which houses Pitt's football offices and training areas, and has been described as the finest facility for a college football program in the country.
Pitt football gained a new state-of-the-art home stadium in Heinz Field under Pederson's watch in 2001.The Panthers gained a prominent presence at the new stadium with their logos on the seating, gates and signage. Pederson additionally initiated the renaming of Martindale Street to "Tony Dorsett Drive" to further enhance Pitt's identity on the North Shore.
During his five years at Nebraska (2002-07), Pederson was also at the forefront of significant facilities construction, including a $51 million expansion to Memorial Stadium. The project resulted in new football facilities as well as new strength, sports medicine and indoor facilities for baseball, softball, soccer and sand volleyball. Additionally, the women's volleyball, gymnastics and rifle teams received a new office complex. Athletics fundraising doubled over his final four years, going from $9 million annually in 2003 to $16 million his final year.
Nebraska achieved at exceptional levels athletically and academically during his tenure. In 2006-07, the Cornhuskers won the national championship in women's volleyball, while the football team won the 2006 Big 12 North title and advanced to its first New Year's Day bowl game since 2001. Overall, 15 Nebraska teams earned NCAA invitations. Academically, Nebraska earned a school-record 94% graduation rate, the highest in the Big 12 as Cornhusker student-athletes achieved a combined 3.0 grade-point average during the 2007 spring semester.
In addition to his duties as athletic director at Pitt, Pederson serves on the board for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation in Pittsburgh. He is also a community leader for the American Heart Association's Heart Walk.
He and his wife Tami have three children: Mark, Kari and Kristin. Mark is married to the former Brooke Gillette.
