The Steel City program has been in existence since 1968 but operated under a different moniker for over 40 years.  The association was founded as the Eastern Youth Hockey Association and played in the PAHL as the Tigers for several decades.

Across its existence, the program went through many changes.  Eastern started at the Alpine Ice Chalet in Edgewood, then moved to the Golden Mile Ice Center when the Alpine rink converted to a tennis facility in 1975.  Eastern then moved again in 1992, rebranded to become the Pittsburgh Tigers in 1995, and merged into the Pittsburgh Amateur Penguins organization in 2001.  When the Pittsburgh Hornets Tier 1 organization was being brought under the local NHL team's umbrella, the Penguins name was purchased from the association in order for those Tier 1 teams to become the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.  As part of the purchase, the Penguins helped the PAHL team covert itself to become the Steel City Ice Renegades in 2012.

The Renegades program has established much more stability since that time, remaining at the same home rink, even as the rink changed ownership and became the Alpha Ice Complex in 2015.  Steel City has steadily grown into one of the larger organizations in the PAHL, as well.