September 7, 2024
Nippert Stadium (Capacity: 38,088)
Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati Bearcats vs Pitt Panthers
Final Score: 27 – 28
.
Beautiful weather greeted us for our weekend trip as we saw a pair of football games in comfortable, 70-degree sunshine. Cincinnati is located along the Ohio River in the southwest corner of the state and the population of 310,000 is misleading as the much larger metro area is the 30th most populous in the United States. The Queen City may not have the most robust attractions, but it is a surprisingly attractive place thanks to a waterfront, surrounding hills and varied architecture. The University of Cincinnati is a public school with a huge enrollment (over 50,000) and a fantastic medical program. Football at UC has never had a long-time conference home as they’ve always been conference renegades. Currently, they are members of the Big XII, spurred by the landmark season in 2021 when the Bearcats went undefeated and became the first non Power-Five school to make the 4-team College Football Playoff. After a mostly pedestrian history, the 21st century has been good for Cincinnati and it started during the few years that Brian Kelly coached that team as conference titles and some 10+ win seasons followed. I visited when the school celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the dedication of Nippert Stadium. Though the field began hosting football in 1901 and some concrete stands arrived in 1915, the primary structure of the stadium was born in 1924. It is a remarkable place that checks all the boxes and is one of my favorite sports stadiums.
Prestige Ranking: 5 out of 5
Location
The University of Cincinnati is in “The Heights”, a neighborhood 3 miles north of downtown. It decidedly is an urban campus and the primary section of UC (West Campus) fits neatly in a square block between four roads. This dense cluster features varied architecture and a few green spaces. Sporting venues are in here too and that includes Nippert Stadium, which is at the heart of campus. This isn’t just any central campus stadium, it is intertwined and one with its surroundings. Nippert features buildings that are ingrained with the facility and all of the tie-in’s make for a wonderfully unique setting. During non-game days, students actually walk around the lower bowl to cross the field as they cross for classes. Within walking distance just outside of campus is a row of commerce that includes restaurants along Calhoun Street and also a nice strip of eateries to check out down Short Vine Street. It was busy after the game, but not enough that we couldn’t walk into a place to eat. Further out to the west and north is the Clifton neighborhood, while not too far to the south is the now trendy Over-the-Rhine (OTR). This historic section of the city is full of hipsters and 20-somethings, transforming into an area with repurposed buildings serving as bars and restaurants. The most popular craft brewery (Rhinegeist) is on the northern edge of OTR, near the Findlay Market. Other Cincinnati attractions include the Zoo, the Museum Center and the Riverfront (featuring Roebling Bridge, Smale Park and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center)
Location Ranking: 8 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
There are 3 locations for single-game parking and the Eden Garage is the lone one where you can pay when you drive up (no pre-purchase). We chose this garage and it is a very large parking facility. The garage is off Eden Ave, a simple turn from Martin Luther King Drive and along with being simple to get to and easy to navigate, this area keeps you away from driving through the urbanized congested campus. The 2-mile stretch of MLK Drive is between I-75 and I-71 as both interstates have exits for the road, simplifying the trip even more. The garage is a healthy 20-minute walk to the stadium, however shuttle buses run efficiently to-and-fro every 5-10 minutes. Tailgating isn’t permitted at Eden and it’s tough to just show up for a Bearcats game and have a pregame party as things are reserved for the season. Those that have access can tailgate at the University Ave Garage or The Grid, a popular area on the Campus Green where fans set-up shop without a vehicle.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 6.5 out of 8
Exterior
There are times when you walk around this place and say “Oh. There’s a stadium down there!?” Very little of the exterior is actually in a football stadium design as the one place that can be seen is from the elevated walkways on the east side, where the concrete back of the seats are found. This is also the only area to find stadium name signage. Otherwise, it is a remarkable assortment of building architecture surrounding Nippert that highlights modern and historic. The latter element is found behind the south end zone in the form of the brick Vocal Arts Center. Going clockwise, the massive glass tower that contains suites, clubs and press almost touches the similarly modern Tangeman University Center behind it. Then we come to the north end and the curvy Campus Recreation Center, also designed with plenty of glass to go along with charcoal-colored elements. Finishing it off in the corner is the tall Lindner Center that rounds a corner of the stadium and stands out with triangular cutouts on the walls.
Exterior Ranking: 8.5 out of 10
Concourse
There are no “gates” at Nippert Stadium as a parameter is set up well outside of the facility. Once through the makeshift entry points, there is a lot of space that can be covered and those aforementioned buildings enhance the concourse experience. Head into the University Center for a variety of food offerings and plenty of table space to eat. The campus store is in here as well. Fifth Third Arena is open too and that is a good spot if you want a break from the outdoor elements. There’s more food in the Rec Center. All of these indoor spots have bathroom access too and that alleviates lines. As for traditional concourse surroundings, the walkways are generally elevated and above the main seating bowl. There is a clean look and plenty of space. A skywalk connects the horseshoe end of the stadium with the other two sides. On the east side, there is upper deck access via an elevated walkway and some funky stairs.
Concourse Ranking: 5 out of 5
Food
First, check out your options in Tangeman as the University Center contains a food court of sorts with choices ranging from Chick-fil-A to the Halal Shack. My brother picked up a loaded salad from the Cincy Grill. Big sandwiches and nacho platters can be found inside the end zone building. Even the regular stadium concessions are impressive as the surroundings include BBQ, Burrito Bowls and a food truck featuring sushi. And of course, what would a Cincy event be without Skyline Chili. Beer choices are highlighted by local favorite Rhinegeist and their popular “Cincy Light” was everywhere in the stands.
Food Ranking: 8 out of 8
Interior
Thus far, this stadium experience has blown me away and the core makeup of a sports facility did not disappoint either. The surrounding buildings make for a cozy and intimate element, plus there is no shortage of eye candy when gazing beyond the football field. You can even get peeks of the clock tower. The seating bowl is in a horseshoe design for the 100 level and these are in the form of red bleachers which enhance the look of the stadium. There are some issues in the lower 15 original rows as the bowl fans out and row width/height do not make for optimal viewing or comfort. As you go higher, things get better. The open part of the horseshoe does feature 5 bleacher sections and at field level are Revel suites that can be rented on a per game basis. There are upper decks and on the east side, I loved the vantage point from up here. With the sun at your back for an early-season Noon game and a little bit of an extension over the lower seating, sightlines are fantastic. These are silver colored bleachers and there were no railing obstructions. On the other sideline is the five-story West Pavilion containing suites, loge boxes and clubs. The clubs have outdoor seating in the form of an elevated deck of black seats with 7-8 rows. None of this premium seating is a distraction or deterrent to the rest of the stadium. Students sit in the south end and embedded in the design is the famous C logo as the band sits there in the middle.
Interior Ranking: 12 out of 14
Scoreboard
The off-center video board above the north end zone certainly has good size, I just wish they would use more of the screen for video replays instead of just the center picture seen below. Otherwise, I found the display decent and the stats / other info on here were adequate enough as I was never left wondering or desiring more. This is the only screen in the stadium and while I understand why, it’s not ideal for those sitting near or under it. Just time and score was displayed on the sideline ribbon board and even that was hard to spot.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3 out of 4
Displays
Apparently there is a Museum all about Cincinnati Athletics inside the Lindner Center, however it is barely advertised. I only found out after my visit and when I tried to go in the building just to explore, it wasn’t accessible during the football game. Security blocked me and said there wasn’t anything in there for visitors (liar!). At least the Bearcats still do honors in the stadium and I particularly enjoyed the huge murals on the concourse walls that paid homage to former great players and teams (though with not a lot of info on the latter). On the interior façade, there is also a Ring of Honor for 14 former players and a banner for Cincy’s appearance in the 2021 College Football Playoff. The most historic feature is the granite marker behind the south end zone. This is for James Nippert, whom the stadium is named after as this former player tragically died from a freak injury during a game in 1923.
Displays Ranking: 2.5 out of 6
Cost
When the parking costs more than the NFL team that I saw in the same city the next day, that’s not great. I get it, it’s supply and demand, but still. The urban setting limits options and that puts the parking cost at $25 (a few dollars less if bought in advance). Ticket prices are fairly high as well with the price through the team going for $55, $75, $95 and $150. I couldn’t get these any cheaper either from the secondary market. Keep an eye out for team promos as a few days prior, I spotted a deal for a few sections going for $20.08, in honor of the 2008 team. Overall, the total pricing is generally similar to the rest of the Big XII, the main difference is that several other teams have cheaper “get-in” ticket prices. As for concessions, a hot dog was $6, a pulled pork sandwich went for $10 and a 16oz beer also was into the double-digits.
Cost Ranking: 6 out of 8
Fan Support
In terms of butts-in-seats, this was a near sellout and I was impressed with the turnout. They were playing Pitt and considering this is an on-again / off-again lukewarm rivalry, that may have aided in crowd size. It was a red-out game and most listened as they wore the appropriate shirt to make for a visually pleasing look in the stadium. The student section was huge, as was their intimidating presence behind the end zone. Not all college kids come back after halftime, but they did at Cincinnati during a seeming blowout (not so fast my friends). There are several FBS programs in pro cities and Cincy is one of the best in terms of support for both. You can likely attribute the success of the 2021 team as a recent boost in fan support.
Fan Support Ranking: 6.5 out of 8
Atmosphere
I love college football. Everything just felt right on this day. As we walked from the parking garage to campus on this cool, crisp morning, the tailgating was festive on the campus green and we heard the UC Bearcat Marching Band playing on the steps of Sigma Sigma Commons. The band tradition continues inside the stadium with “The Charge Down The Steps” as they run down Nippert from the top of the end bowl to field level for the pregame show. This tradition dates back to 1954. As the football begins, the students are heavily involved and the catchy “Down the Drive Cheer” will be done frequently. I love something that’s unique and unexpected. Defensive 3rd downs feature a good chunk of the fans getting on their feet and making noise, while the students will be doing Bearcat bobs with their hand and wrist. Crowd involvement was really good and this place became quite loud many times during the game. It’s a combination of the architecture and human noise that make this a boisterous place. Touchdowns featured almost everyone on their feet with arms raised and the first one of the day really gave a solid roar. It’s not the loudest decibel levels in FBS, but I cracked 100db on my phone a time or two during the game.
Atmosphere Ranking: 12 out of 14
Other Stuff
It’s worth reiterating just how open and accessible Nippert Stadium is. You can eat lunch in the stands or even have a pickup football game on the field. So cool…..Nippert has been closed twice for a season (1990 and 2014) so that renovations could be completed. The Bearcats played those seasons at the home of the NFL’s Bengals along the Riverfront…..FC Cincinnati played in front of huge crowds at Nippert before moving to their own soccer-specific stadium…..The field is called Carson Field in honor of Arch Carson who organized the first team and had initial stadium site plans…..The sound system is really unbalanced as it is super loud at one end and barely audible towards the student section…..Both Kelce brothers played for the Bearcats and the beginning of the 4th quarter features “Fight For Your Right” blasting through the stadium…..Cincinnati has a strong rivalry with Miami (Ohio) that is under-the-radar at the national level. These two schools are 40 miles apart and have played 127 times (4th most in DI). Before the ’24 meeting, the series was actually tied 60-60-7. The winner gets the Victory Bell and the RedHawks walked off the field with it last year as they broke a 16-year winning streak by Cincinnati. Sadly, Miami cancelled return trips that were scheduled for ’25 and ’28, while UC cancelled their games in Oxford for ’27 and ’29. Thus, the rivalry is in jeopardy after the ’26 game. I would normally blame the bigger school who now has a big head being “Power Four”, but in this case it seems to go both ways. What a shame.
Game
This ended up being one of the greatest comeback/collapses that I’ve seen at a game. Despite opening drive promise from Pitt, their offense was atrocious most of the time, while Cincy clicked on all cylinders. Brendan Sorsby threw for almost 300 yards in 3 quarters of play and Cory Kiner ran for over 100 as their lead grew to 27-6 with 20 minutes to go. Then, the game became the complete opposite. Pitt could do no wrong on offense while the ‘Cats were stuck in the mud. Despite missing a pair of two point conversions, they still completed the comeback as their final drive when it was 27-25 was aided by a rare defensive delay of game penalty on 4th and 4. Ben Sauls kicked a 35 yard field goal with 22 seconds left as the River City rivals stunned the crowd. Eli Holstein led the comeback with 302 yards passing and 3 touchdowns.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
