Note: This is the third article of our annual series looking back on the best moments of the year. The previous entries in the series are linked at the bottom of the page.
Much of what the Hounds achieved in 2025 — on and off the field — was largely set up by work done months, if not years, in advance.
So when team owner Tuffy Shallenberger stepped front and center on Aug. 19 at Highmark Stadium, it was to describe the vision of the next steps into a bright future for both the club and the stadium.
The announcement that day of the plan to expand Highmark Stadium to a facility with a capacity of 15,000 laid out concrete steps and provided a first glimpse of what the next phase of growth would look like. With an eye toward hosting concerts, larger events and, most importantly, having the stadium prepared for the Hounds to join the planned USL Division One league by 2028, the day served to announce the future is closer than many realized.
Joined by staff, players and government officials, Shallenberger spoke about how the project will be a public-private partnership that will be a cornerstone of South Shore revitalization that will boost the city, county and club. The day also offered a first look at visuals detailing what Highmark Stadium 2.0 might look like:
The scope of the announcement might have come as a surprise to some and, naturally, questions arose ranging from how to fit the larger stadium into that location to will it block the view of the Pittsburgh skyline. (It won’t.)
But for a club that has aspirations of reaching — and winning — at the highest level, this year’s stadium announcement signaled that the Hounds are full-speed ahead when thinking about the future.
Previous entries in the Best of 2025:
