In embarking upon a $45 million fund-raising campaign, the Pitt Athletic Department had Heinz Field and the Petersen Events Center in mind, but also Trees Pool. Specifically, the rusted, corroded, 40-something-year-old valve that athletic director Jeff Long held in his hand Wednesday. Pitt considers Heinz Field, the Petersen Center and the South Side football practice facility it shares with the Steelers the crown jewels of its athletic department. But the Panthers are also wrestling with issues related to finances and facilities that include: Full funding according to NCAA scholarship limitations for just four of 19 varsity programs (football, men's and women's basketball and volleyball). Five programs that lack permanent on-campus facilities altogether (men's and women's soccer and track and women's tennis). Programs Pitt believes require "significant upgrades" (men's and women's swimming and diving, women's softball, wrestling and baseball) to attain or maintain competitive status. "It's not even a good junior high facility," senior associate athletic director Mike Pratapas said of Pitt's baseball field. Pitt's goals, according to Long, are to enhance the experience for varsity and intramural student athletes, raise competitive levels and increase opportunities to compete on a national stage. And there's only one way to pay for it. "Increase revenues," Long said. Pitt's response is "The Quest for Excellence -- The Campaign for Pitt Athletics," which will begin to "even the competitive playing field," in part by "expanding (Pitt's) donor-based seating program." In other words, it'll require an upfront fee to purchase seats at Heinz Field and the Petersen Center. For football, that means effective immediately the number of seats requiring a donation for purchase will increase from approximately 10 percent to 25 percent. For basketball, which currently carries a 3,000-person waiting list, the number will increase from approximately 18 percent as demand dictates. "This is not unique to Pitt," Long said. "This gets us in the ballgame, up to a moderate level." Pitt has been losing that ballgame, Long said. A study conducted for Pitt by Grenzebach, Glier & Associates broke down the fund-raising game in the fiscal year 2003-04 as follows, according to figures released by Pitt on Wednesday: Annual Scholarship Fund: Pitt $3.8 million, NCAA Division I average $7.7 million. Total Private Athletic Support: Pitt $7.3 million, NCAA Division I average $13.5 million. Capital Projects -- Dollars Raised: Pitt $3.5 million, NCAA Division I average $3.9 million. Endowed Scholarships -- Dollars Raised: Pitt $582,000, NCAA Division I average $3.5 million. Closer to home, Pitt released figures comparing $3.8 million for annual scholarships from 5,000 Panther Club donors unfavorably with Big East Conference competitors West Virginia (60 percent more funds with 20 percent fewer donors) and Connecticut (three times the funding with 40 percent more donors). Pitt also cited Syracuse requiring donations for 50 percent of its football and basketball seats, on average, Connecticut requiring donations on at least 80 percent of its basketball seats, and Maryland, North Carolina and North Carolina State demanding donations for 100 percent of their basketball tickets. "I don't apologize for us needing to raise more revenue," Long said. There are a lot of leaky valves that need fixing.

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