When the old Three Rivers Stadium was imploded in 2001, it signaled a wonderful moment of change in Pittsburgh. The Steelers had completed their final performance there and for a while, they had no home to call their own.

But watching the dust clouds rise from the demolition of Three Rivers, the City and the entire Steelers Nation knew that bigger and better things were coming. They would be returning to pretty much the same site and stepping into a brand-new stadium but it was up to the fans and the franchise to make it their new home.

The Acrisure Stadium now stands as one of the best stadiums on the NFL circuit and an enviable fortress on the north shore. But what about the transition from the closing time at Three Rivers to the new kick-off at Heinz Field?

The Final Game at Three Rivers

The final action at Three Rivers was in December 2000. In mid-month, the Steelers closed out the regular season and their tenure at the venue, with a fixture against Washington. The occasion didn’t quite live up to the new bookmakers expectations – to the billing that it could have.

The Steelers couldn’t do enough to get into the Playoffs as a wild card, with the Indianapolis Colts sneaking into sixth in the AFC. There was nothing at stake for the visiting team at the time either, as they were well out of the running in the NFC East and their slim hopes of making a wildcard had long passed them by.

But still, it was an emotional day as the franchise said goodbye to their home. The Steelers did produce a comprehensive victory in the match anyway. They hammered Washington 24-3, a scoreline that gave the fans a happy farewell from their home of the previous three decades.

A Year Later

Less than a year later, Steelers fans were heading to Heinz Field for their first experience of the new stadium. It was a special moment for them and for their fans.

It was a historic moment, a much-hyped one as the fantastic new stadium ushered in an era of hope that the franchise could add to its Super Bowl tally.

In the Steelers’ first game at Heinz Field, they faced the Cincinnati Bengals on October 7th, 2001. The first play of the match saw Pittsburgh in control of possession after receiving the kick-off. From the first scrimmage, there was a handoff to Jerome Bettis.

Bettis would surpass 10,000 career yards in the match, passing the threshold in his first five carries. It was a huge game for him and his influence helped the Steelers hammer out a 16-7 victory over the Bengals.

The match wasn’t without a bit of controversy, however. For the match, which was the first time that the Steelers had played at home on grass turf since 1969, some commemorative footballs were used for the special occasion.

They proved to be extremely slippery, both sides struggling to keep a grip. But the Steelers didn’t let the game slip through their hands and picked up where they had left off at Three Rivers.

New Stadium Effect

The famous Immaculate Reception by Franco Harris is one of not just the Steelers but the NFL’s greatest moments. The famous match-winning play from 1972 is largely credited as being a turning point in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It inspired the franchise to win their first four Super Bowl titles all within the decade. It was a remarkable upswing of fortune for them. Of course, there were many others, and the success was built on bigger things than the Immaculate Reception only.

But sports fans need something to hang their hat on. Supporters need those special moments in time that can be looked at as being game-changing – like Harris running the ball in, which enhanced the franchise’s reputation, shattered a poor record in postseason appearances and created an entirely new identity for the Steelers. All of a sudden, they meant business.

Maybe fans now walking across the parking lot where the Three Rivers once stood, to enter the Acrisure Stadium are dragging history in with them. Since their new home was erected, there have been three further Super Bowl appearances for the Steelers, winning two of them. There’s a lot more history still to be written on the north shore.