Steelers Expand Role for Exec that Secured Penguins’ Arena Deal

The Pittsburgh Steelers have promoted David Morehouse to executive vice president for strategy, president Art Rooney II announced on Thursday.

Morehouse first joined the team as a senior adviser in August. He previously spent 16 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, including stints as president and CEO.

“As I said when I first joined the Steelers in August, this has been a dream come true for a Pittsburgh kid who grew up watching the Steelers of the ’70s,” Morehouse said in a press release. “Art Rooney, the Rooney family, and the entire Steelers staff represent the heart of Pittsburgh.”

Before getting into sports administration, Morehouse worked for the presidential campaigns of Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry and his political connections were instrumental in the Penguins securing public financing for their new arena in 2010.

With the Steelers, he will likely be instrumental in helping to negotiate a new lease between the team and the Sports & Exhibition Authority, which owns Acrisure Stadium. The team’s lease is currently set to expire after the 2030 season.

Teams with similarly aged stadia have been active about securing either replacements or significant renovations over the last few years. The Tennessee Titans have proposed a $2.1 billion replacement to Nissan Stadium, which opened in 1999. The Cleveland Browns have secured $1 billion for a massive renovation of their stadium, which also opened in 1999. Hamilton County, Ohio officials are still discussing whether to renovate or replace Paycor Stadium, which opened in 2000.

Then known as Heinz Field, the Steelers’ facility opened in 2001, putting Pittsburgh narrowly behind those other mid-eastern clubs on the stadium timeline. Morehouse’s increased role will guide the “strategic direction of Acrisure Stadium operations,” per the team release.

Morehouse is a Pittsburgh native, growing up in the city’s Beechview neighborhood, and is an alumnus of Allegheny County Community College, Duquesne University and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

“David is well-known in Pittsburgh and around the country as an innovator and leader in effective sports management and strategy,” president Art Rooney II said in a press release. “Working with him the last nine months, we are excited to tap into his skills to help us enhance our business operation and, more importantly, serve our fans in these ever-evolving times.”

Morehouse will become the Steelers’ eighth vice president and first with the title of executive vice president.