Pittsburgh Passion releases 2023 schedule
The Pittsburgh Passion women’s semi-pro football team on Monday released its 2023 season schedule.
The Passion will play six games — three at home and three on the road — in the Women’s Football Alliance Pro National Division. They will open their season April 22 at longtime rival D.C. Divas.
After a bye week, Pittsburgh will play its home opener May 6 against the Tampa Bay Inferno.
The Passion will travel to four-time defending WFA Pro Division champ Boston Renegades on May 13 followed by a road game against the Detroit Venom on May 20.
Following its second bye week, the Passion will host the D.C. Divas on June 3 and wrap up the regular season June 10 at home against Boston.
The three home games will be at West Allegheny High School in Imperial, and each will kick off at 6 p.m.
The WFA quarterfinals will be June 24, with the semifinals set for July 10.
The champions of the WFA Pro National and WFA Pro American divisions will meet for the WFA title the weekend of July 21-22 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
The Passion returned to the field for competition in 2022 after a two-year hiatus because of the covid pandemic.
After a successful regular season, Pittsburgh entered the WFA playoffs and earned a quarterfinal win over Tampa Bay.
The Passion saw its season come to an end with a loss to Boston in the semifinals.
The team returns a large group of veterans for the 2023 season and also welcomes in a group of young rookies.
Preseason practices begin Friday.
The Passion, founded in 2002, joined the WFA in 2011 for an original run through 2013. They returned to the WFA in 2016 and have been a keystone member of the league since then.
Pittsburgh went 12-0 in 2007 and won the National Women’s Football Association championship. The Passion added Independent Women’s Football League world titles in both 2014 and 2015.
Team officials said in a statement within the press-release announcement of the 2023 schedule that the season will be played with heavy hearts as it will be the first without Steelers Hall of Famer Franco Harris on the sideline as co-owner after his passing Dec. 21 at the age of 72.
“We will be dedicating this season to him and will look to make him and Pittsburgh proud as we look to achieve our goals this season,” the statement read.
For more information on the Pittsburgh Passion, visit Pittsburghpassion.com, Twitter @pghpassionFB and Facebook (Pittsburgh Passion).
Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.
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