Gen Z is ‘turning to Jesus’: Pitt athletes lead campus-wide revival 

University of Pittsburgh football player Jake Overman was praying earlier this year when he sensed God calling him to take what seemed like a simple step: start a Bible study.

But what began as a small gathering of his teammates to study Scripture has since grown into a campus-wide spiritual awakening that’s now drawing national attention.

Overman and his teammates organized a campus-wide worship service on Sept. 18 that drew more than 600 people, resulting in 65 professions of faith and more than 80 baptisms. The “Pitt for Jesus” event was hosted by the athlete-led group Pitt Purpose in partnership with about 15 other ministries, and included athletes from more than a dozen varsity sports.

The gathering took place at Mazeroski Field, just off campus, with Overman and two other players – offensive lineman Caleb Holmes and defensive lineman Joey Zelinsky – sharing their testimonies.

A senior tight end, Overman says God is on the move within Gen Z.

“This younger generation is really rising up and seeing all of these things that are happening in the world, and knowing that if it isn’t for us turning this generation around, then it may not be looking good for us,” he told Fox News several days following the worship service.

“So we are turning to Jesus. We are turning to God in record numbers … and we’ve been seeing that all the way since 2020 all the way up to now – and I believe that this is just the beginning of what we’re going to see.”

The service was not an isolated occurrence, as similar campus worship events drew thousands throughout September. At Ohio State University, star football players helped lead a “Fall Kickoff” service attended by more than 2,000 students, with multitudes baptized. At the University of Oklahoma, nearly 9,000 students filled Lloyd Noble Arena for a night of worship. And at the University of South Florida, 7,000 gathered, resulting in 2,000 professions of faith.

A September Barna report revealed that Gen Z church attendance has increased each year since 2022, with young adults currently attending more often than their elders – a historical reversal of traditional patterns.

The movement of God at Pitt began with a simple act of obedience by Overman. He was surprised when nearly two dozen showed up for his first Bible study.

“And I just kept asking God for more – and he kept showing up,” he said at a local church this summer when he shared his testimony.

This summer, roughly 30 members of the football team made decisions for Christ.

Overman and his roommate helped launch Pitt Purpose, which he described as a student-athlete movement that is striving to reach not simply the Pitt campus – but the world.

“We’re believing that God, through Pitt Purpose, will save lives,” he said. “He will encounter people on our campus. He will encounter people in our families because of what, because of what God has been doing through Pitt Purpose.”

The movement, he said, is “bigger than the football team.”

“We’re believing this is going to go into the rest of the student athletes, the rest of the teams – and it’s going to be a platform for us student athletes to come together and really just share our testimony, share what God’s doing.”

Photo Courtesy: Pitt Purpose via Instagram