The papers had reports about the moving of the game to a high school stadium. It even made it on the AP wire reports. As first postulated on this blog, the conditions at Heinz Field were a factor.

However, the reason for the decision to scrimmage at Gateway goes beyond recruiting. The turf at Heinz Field is being repaired and might not have been ready in time for the Blue-Gold game.

The UPMC practice facility on the South Side was considered as a potential site, but there is not enough parking and no seats for spectators.

“We looked north, south, east and west,” Wannstedt said. “We started looking for facilities where we knew we could go out there and not be slopping around in the mud and so forth.”

As for future high school sites for the Blue-Gold game, the sites will have to meet some standards:

Wannstedt said there is one other key benefit to playing at local high schools — it could help the Panthers’ recruiting in the WPIAL.

“This should be good for recruiting,” Wannstedt said, “because this is another statement that reinforces the fact that we are serious about getting out into the community and about being a program for all of Western Pennsylvania.”

Wannstedt said no decisions have been made on future sites, but he will look at schools that have an artificial surface and a big enough stadium and enough parking to accommodate the Panthers’ crowd. The Blue-Gold game usually draws about 5,000 fans, which is more than some area stadiums can hold.

If Wannstedt is even half as smart on the field as he has been off of it, I feel rather optimistic about the future.