The Pittsburgh Pirates’ September schedule directly affects the Pittsburgh Steelers’ ability to have games at home early in the season, NFL Vice President of Broadcast Planning Mike North said on Wednesday.
North says the NFL remains cognizant of the schedules, but the Steelers will be on the road anytime the Pirates are home on a September weekend. This year, that plays out, as the Steelers will head on the road in Weeks 1 and 3 when the Pirates are at home.
“It’s definitely impacted by the Pirates schedule,” North said on 93.7 the Fan. “The interesting thing is, let’s say we go two or three years in a row on the opening Sunday, so we can’t or won’t schedule a Steelers home game that Sunday, and then the next year actually have a window... and if we don’t do, then you might run into another stretch when the Pirates are using their building. We’re constantly aware of it, and certainly no surprises for Omar and the Steelers when the Pirates are at their building playing a home game on Sunday and in Week 1.”
So, the question of viability now arises. North said the Steelers and Pirates have done it before, but they try to avoid it for more convenient options across schedules instead.
“Could we do it? I know you guys have done it before,” North said. “I’m pretty sure we had an afternoon game for one and a night game for another, and someday when the Pirates get good and start making playoff runs in October, we’ll have to figure out how to fit a Steelers game at 1:00 if the Pirates have an NLCS game at 8:00 that night. I know you guys can do it, but in the regular season, that is something we try to avoid.”
This scenario did happen in 2013 when the Steelers hosted the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football while the Pirates played on Sunday afternoon. Regardless, the NFL has no plans to push this issue, and the Steelers must work around the Pirates’ schedule.