Pittsburgh Pirates part-owner Bing Crosby, Michael Keaton, Regis Philbin and Kermit The Frog, the Pirates are considered by most to be a distant third in Pittsburgh behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins in popularity among Pittsburgh's three major professional sports teams. However, due to their long history in Pittsburgh dating back to the 1882 season, the team has retained a strong loyal following in the Pittsburgh region, especially among older residents. Upon the team ending their 20-season streak with a losing record in 2013, the fan support for the club has grown once again but still remaining a distant third behind
2017 Hampton Pirates football team scheduling reasons, they were to remain in the MEAC for football in 2018. However, the MEAC refused to allow Hampton to remain in the conference, with no MEAC schools agreeing to play them, forcing the Pirates to become an FCS independent for 2018 before joining the Big South in 2019. On November 20, 2017, head coach Connell Maynor resigned to become the head coach at Alabama A&M. He finished at Hampton with a four-year record of 20–25. 2017 Hampton Pirates football team The 2017 Hampton Pirates football team represented Hampton University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season.