More than 350,000 patrons for 26 events in 31 days?

That was the tally for PPG Paints Arena in March – the busiest month in the arena’s nine-year history.

In addition to eight sold-out Pittsburgh Penguins games, the arena hosted 18 other events in March that drew a combined attendance of 208,376. That included six sessions of the NCAA Wrestling Championships and seven shows of Disney on Ice.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of our staff and the building for facilitating that many events in one month, and for serving so many fans,” said Gary Desjardins, general manager of PPG Paints Arena for AEG Facilities. “That includes ARAMARK, which does a fantastic job, and it also includes the efforts of a lot of part-time ticket takers, ushers, and other workers who are so important to our operation. And the feedback from both the participants and fans was overwhelming.”

Other events at the arena in March included concerts by KISS, Alabama, Mumford & Sons and the Casting Crowns, as well as WWE Raw.

NCAA Wrestling involved more than 300 athletes from 70 schools and drew fans from around the country. “And they used every inch of the building,” Desjardins said. “It was a great event all-around and highlighted our partnerships with VisitPittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh.”

PPG Paints Arena has become a regular stop for NCAA championship events. The arena will host the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championships in December, as well as the Frozen Four in 2021 and the first and second rounds of Men’s Basketball in 2022.

“It’s great to see PPG Paints Arena continuing to fulfill its promise by attracting so many different events for the people of our region,” said David Morehouse, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Penguins. “We thank Gary and his staff at AEG for doing such a consistently first-class job – even when they have 26 events in 31 days, an amazing workload.”

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