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Abby Schnable's Pitt sports chat: 02.24.26
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Abby Schnable
1:00
Hello! Appreciate you all joining me for another live chat. Let's get into it.
SVPanther
1:00
Sorry if duplicative.  Thoughts on commentary piece? https://triblive.com/opinion/j-byron-fleck-pitt-must-stop-using-studen...
Abby Schnable
1:05
If Pitt is using state appropriations in a way that violates Act 11A, that’s obviously serious and worth a closer look. The real question seems to be whether athletics can reasonably be considered a “student-related service” under the statute. I’m not sure it’s as simple as the author makes it sound — many universities argue that athletics fall into that category because of the role they play in campus life and the overall student experience. Also subsidizing athletics isn’t unique to Pitt; schools across the country, including many in the ACC, rely on institutional support to cover deficits.

That said, I think frustration from students and taxpayers is valid — especially if it hasn’t been clearly communicated that tuition dollars or state funds are helping cover those losses. At the very least, it’s a transparency conversation, even before it’s a legal one.
Gary
1:06
How’s the hip coming along? Hope you’re feeling better
Abby Schnable
1:06
Hey Gary! Appreciate you asking. Recovery is going really well. I'm about 8 weeks out and walking like normal again. Still limited, but I should be at some things in person in March.
Bruce
1:12
Hi Abby and thanks for chatting today. I really enjoyed the story you wrote about Izzy's journey to Pitt. For a 19 year old, she showed a lot of self awareness. That couldn't have been easy. I hope that she will be happy at Pitt. She is certainly a welcome addition to the program.
Abby Schnable
1:13
It definitely takes a lot of courage to step away, especially considering where she was in her career. I really appreciated how open she was about everything — conversations around mental health aren’t always easy, but they matter. And on the court, I can’t wait to see her set Olivia Babcock. That duo has the potential to be lethal.
RWPitt
1:20
Hi Abby, a couple of weeks ago Noah Hiles inexplicably wrote an opinion piece that intimated eliminating non-revenue sports or drastically de-emphasizing athletics is on the table for Pitt in light of the proverbial price of poker in this day and age. He subsequently admitted in comments that he hadn’t heard that, and my understanding is that such a thing is not remotely possible. Is the current Board and Administration (Gable) all in on making top level athletics work at Pitt?
Abby Schnable
1:22
I haven’t heard anything that would suggest they’re not committed. There were rumors at one point about track and field being cut, but I wasn’t able to find anything credible to support that. I’m sure, in this landscape, schools are constantly evaluating budgets and having internal conversations about sustainability — that’s just the reality of college athletics right now. But as far as I know, there’s no plan to eliminate sports or step back from competing at a high level.
Bruce
1:22
After the men's basketball team defeated Notre Dame on Saturday it seems like we are on the bubble for the ACC Tournament. Still a couple hurdles to leap. I thought that the team showed a lot of fight on Saturday, and keeping the same players on the floor seemed to add to the chemistry. So what do you think? Are we going to make it in? Sometimes this team looks pretty good.
Abby Schnable
1:25
I do think they’ve played some of their best basketball lately — the North Carolina game aside. I was definitely concerned when Cummings went out of the mix, but if Nojus Indrusaitis can keep bringing that kind of energy and spacing, it changes the feel of the lineup. The chemistry has looked better when the rotation stays consistent.

That said, these last four games aren’t easy. It really feels like a battle between Pitt and Notre Dame for that spot. If they stay tied, Pitt would have the edge, but I do think Notre Dame has a slightly more manageable path to grab another win or two. Pitt probably needs to control its own destiny rather than rely on help.
John Capel
1:28
Hi Abby-quick question if Pitt was playing better (i.e. in position for post season play) do you think Cummings would still be playing? seems like the injury was off and on and he called it quits to get ready for his career at another school.
Abby Schnable
1:28
I can understand why people wonder about that, but I really think it comes down to the severity of the injury. If you’re having a procedure done on your ankle, that’s typically more than just a minor sprain you can push through. Without knowing the full medical picture, it’s hard to say. My assumption would be that if surgery was necessary, he probably wasn’t in a position to keep playing — regardless of where Pitt stood in the postseason picture.
RWPitt
1:28
As a follow up, why is nobody in the Administration or on the Board pushing Alan Greene to take control of the narrative and fill in the blanks - even with large money donors? I understand ADs aren’t always completely open about plans but Alan Greene is the least open AD I’ve encountered since before Steve Pederson part 1. Is he just in over his head and have no real plan other than throwing tarps on some seats?
Abby Schnable
1:31
I don’t think he’s in over his head. My sense is that he’s being deliberate — going on the record before a fully formed plan is in place can sometimes create more confusion than clarity. Athletic directors often need to coordinate strategy with university leadership and donors before sharing specifics publicly. That can make it feel like the Administration or Board isn’t pushing the narrative, but it’s often a strategic choice rather than a lack of oversight. I do understand why fans and donors want clearer communication, especially given all the uncertainty around college athletics right now.
Bruce
1:33
It would probably be remiss to not mention the lacrosse team! The program started from scratch only a few years ago, and is now nationally ranked. I do have one question though. Is there any reason why they are playing at the Riverhounds Highmark Stadium rather than Urbanic Field on
Abby Schnable
1:33
Absolutely — it’s been amazing to see how quickly Pitt’s lacrosse program has turned around, going from brand new to nationally ranked in just a few years. As for the stadium, they play at Highmark because the school signed a multi‑year deal for that off‑campus venue, which gives them more seating, better amenities and a bigger stage than Urbanic Field.
Bruce
1:42
Thanks for the clarification. Highmark Stadium is very nice. Beautiful view of the city.
Abby Schnable
1:42
Happy to help!
Jock sutherland
1:48
Reports are that Big Ten is getting is going to add a Woman’s VB Tournament this fa  Any word on if ACC is looking at as well.
Abby Schnable
1:49
With both the Big Ten and SEC adding women’s volleyball tournaments, I wouldn’t be surprised if the ACC follows suit eventually. I haven’t seen anything concrete yet, though, and I’d be surprised if it happened before this fall — but anything’s possible.
Jock sutherland
1:51
Also, how did a Men’s OSU vs PSU VB match end up being scheduled at Pitt next month?
Abby Schnable
1:51
From my understanding, it's to keep it a neutral site game and Pittsburgh is about in the middle of the two. Plus, it's a fun non conference game since OSU is in the MIVA and PSU is in the EIVA.
1:52
Well all, with no more questions in the queue, I'm going to call it on this chat. Thanks so much for your questions. I think we're all interested to see how these next four games go for Pitt basketball. Stephen or I will be back next week. Until then!
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