Pitt merchandise sales jump after ACC title

Winning a sports championship brings things like pride, trophies, celebrations — and, for sports retail stores, championship memorabilia.

So after the University of Pittsburgh’s football team beat Wake Forest, 45-21, in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday night to win its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship, some area sports stores are jumping on the bandwagon with championship merchandise. Some businesses are already seeing an increase in Panthers-related sales.

Steel City, located in Downtown, is selling Pitt championship Tshirts. The store is also selling crewneck Pitt shirts, hats, socks and a shirt that reads “Kenny for Heisman” — a nod to Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett. The shirts are being sold for $32 and can be purchased in store or online.

Support for Mr. Pickett’s Heisman Trophy campaign was also seen on a light-up projection of a design that said “Heisman 2 Pickett” on the U.S. Steel Tower in Downtown on Friday night. Additionally, the city of Pittsburgh’s official Twitter account changed its name to “City of Pickettsburgh” on Sunday morning.

The Pitt Shop, located on the university’s Oakland campus, is also selling conference championship T-shirts, according to its social media accounts. The store is owned and operated by the university.

Championship gear such as lanyards, sweatshirts, shirts and decals can be preordered and purchased online at ShopPittPanthers.com, the online team store of Pitt Athletics.

Panthers merchandise at the Yinzers in the Burgh stores in the Strip District have increased nearly 75 to 80%, according to

owner Jim Coen. Pitt gear is not always in high demand compared to Steelers, Penguins and Pirates merchandise, he said.

“We pre- booked this year, so we’ll order more Pitt stuff next year,” Mr. Coen said.

Whenever a team wins a championship, there’s usually a boost in product sales. And Mr. Coen attributed Pitt’s successful campaign this season to the increase. The store’s three locations, along Penn Avenue in the Strip District, sell Pitt items like beanies, baseball caps, hats, hoodies, T-shirts and some novelty items.

The Panthers have an 112 record this season, the school’s first double-digit win season since 2009.

On Sunday afternoon, Pitt accepted a bid to play in the Peach Bowl against Michigan State (10-2) on Dec. 30 in Atlanta.