Riverhounds president Jeff Garner to discuss Pirates Soccer Night, fan promotions

Jeff Garner’s Pirates Pregame appearance tied the Riverhounds directly to Soccer Night at PNC Park on June 27, with the Pirates hosting the Cincinnati Reds and a Pittsburgh soccer jersey giveaway for the first 20,000 fans. The night also included an early block party on Federal Street presented by Mike’s Beer Bar and Riverhounds appearances around the ballpark, a clear attempt to turn a one-night crossover into a first-step conversion.

That approach fits the Riverhounds’ recent run of value-first promotions at Highmark Stadium, now F.N.B. Stadium. The club’s 2025 home schedule leaned on $1 Beer Night, fireworks nights, postgame concerts, celebrity appearances and giveaways, and match previews spelled out the deal in plain terms: the $1 beer special was available in the Tailgate Zone starting at 5 p.m. and inside the stadium from 6 p.m. until kickoff. Pittsburgh’s USL club has not been marketing itself like a niche ticket. It has been selling an entry point.

Garner has been the face of that push since he was named Riverhounds SC president on July 14, 2022. Before arriving in Pittsburgh, he served as president of business operations for Orange County SC, the 2021 USL Championship title winner, and the league later recognized him with a Starting XI Leadership award for his work with the Riverhounds. That background matters here: Garner has spent time around a club that already knows how to package winning with business growth.

The Riverhounds’ profile jumped again after they won their first USL Championship title on November 22, 2025, beating FC Tulsa 5-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw through regulation and extra time. It was the club’s first title in 26 years of existence, and Pittsburgh marked it with a championship rally featuring Garner, Mayor Ed Gainey, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, players and coaching staff. The club has kept building since then, announcing a new facility in North Huntingdon in May 2024 and renaming Highmark Stadium to F.N.B. Stadium in April 2026.

Seen together, the Pirates night, the dollar-beer playbook and the championship halo point to the same strategy: the Riverhounds are not waiting for casual Pittsburgh sports fans to find them. They are showing up in bigger rooms, at bigger events and at cheaper price points, then trying to keep those fans when the next home match kicks off.