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Pittsburgh soccer is getting bigger, faster than the stadium can hold it. We’re joined by Rachel Williamson, GM of FNB Stadium, to unpack what it really takes to grow the Pittsburgh Riverhounds from a scrappy local club into a higher-division operation with a 15,000 seat future on the line. We dig into why sellouts matter, what a championship win changes in a market like Pittsburgh, and how “professional” is built through operations as much as results.

Rachel walks us through the engine behind it all: the Riverhounds Development Academy and the youth soccer explosion in Western Pennsylvania, plus the Coriopolis training facility that supports both the pro team and year-round player development. We also get into the behind-the-scenes reality of running a stadium, including how COVID forced a crash course in leadership, how she prioritizes problems in a building where something breaks every week, and why listening to fans through surveys and real conversations can reshape the game day experience.

Then we widen the lens beyond soccer. With only 17 home dates, Rachel explains the push to make FNB Stadium a true year-round Pittsburgh event venue, from rentals and banquet space to boxing nights and the long game of bringing concerts and festivals back to the riverfront. Along the way, we hit the unexpected details, like why covering a field for a concert can cost around $100,000, and how that factors into booking decisions.

If you like sports business, venue strategy, and how cities build momentum around teams, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a Pittsburgh friend, and leave a review, then tell us what dream event you’d book at FNB Stadium first.

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