<P> In contrast with their status as perennial also - rans in the pre-merger NFL, where they were the oldest team never to win a league championship, the Steelers of the post-merger (modern) era are one of the most successful NFL franchises . Pittsburgh has won more Super Bowl titles (6) and hosted more conference championship games (11) than any other NFL team . The Steelers have won 8 AFC championships, tied with the Denver Broncos, but behind the New England Patriots record 9 AFC championships . They share the record for most conference championship games played in with the San Francisco 49ers (15). The Steelers share the record for second most Super Bowl appearances with the Broncos, and Dallas Cowboys (8), but again behind by the Patriots (9). The Steelers lost their most recent championship appearance, Super Bowl XLV, on February 6, 2011 . </P> <P> The Steelers, whose history traces to a regional pro team that was established in the early 1920s, joined the NFL as the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 8, 1933, owned by Art Rooney and taking its original name from the baseball team of the same name, as was common practice for NFL teams at the time . To distinguish them from the baseball team, local media took to calling the football team the Rooneymen, an unofficial nickname which persisted for decades after the team adopted its current nickname . The ownership of the Steelers has remained within the Rooney family since its founding . Art's son, Dan Rooney owned the team from 1988 until his death in 2017 . Much control of the franchise has been given to Dan's son Art Rooney II . The Steelers enjoy a large, widespread fanbase nicknamed Steeler Nation . The Steelers currently play their home games at Heinz Field on Pittsburgh's North Side in the North Shore neighborhood, which also hosts the University of Pittsburgh Panthers . Built in 2001, the stadium replaced Three Rivers Stadium which hosted the Steelers for 31 seasons . Prior to Three Rivers, the Steelers had played their games in Pitt Stadium and Forbes Field . </P> <P> The Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL first took to the field as the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 20, 1933, losing 23--2 to the New York Giants . Through the 1930s, the Pirates never finished higher than second place in their division, or with a record better than . 500 (1936). Pittsburgh did make history in 1938 by signing Byron White, a future Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, to what was at the time the biggest contract in NFL history, but he played only one year with the Pirates before signing with the Detroit Lions . Prior to the 1940 season, the Pirates renamed themselves the Steelers . </P> <P> During World War II, the Steelers experienced player shortages . They twice merged with other NFL franchises to field a team . During the 1943 season, they merged with the Philadelphia Eagles forming the "Phil - Pitt Eagles" and were known as the "Steagles". This team went 5--4--1 . In 1944, they merged with the Chicago Cardinals and were known as Card - Pitt (or, mockingly, as the "Carpets"). This team finished 0--10, marking the only winless team in franchise history . </P>

When does the steelers play their first game