The Pittsburgh Panthers played home football games at the Pittsburgh Pirates' Forbes Field from 1909 to 1924. In the 1910s and 1920s, Pitt football achieved great success under head coach Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner, completing several undefeated seasons and claiming several national championships. The popularity of college football was rising across the country and in Pittsburgh. Subsequently, due to tickets reserved for alumni and students, the general public's demand for tickets to see Pitt play at Forbes Field surpassed supply. In the early 1920s, the university administration decided to build an on-campus stadium to alleviate the seating problem. It purchased nine acres of land adjacent to university property for the Pitt Stadium site; university and private funding provided $2.1 million for site acquisition and construction. W. S. Hindman, a Pitt graduate, was the stadium's designer and engineer. The Turner Construction Company built the stadium from August 7, 1924 to September 1, 1925. The venue was designed to hold a capacity of 69,400, with provisions for an upper deck that could provide for an additional 30,000 seats. On September 26, 1925, Pitt played its first football game at the new Pitt Stadium, a victory over Washington and Lee.