Cincinnati Bearcats

Cincinnati Bearcats football
First season	1885
Head coach	Scott Satterfield
	2nd year, 3–9 (.250)
Home stadium	Nippert Stadium
Stadium capacity	40,000
Stadium surface	UBU Sports' Speed Series S5-M
Location	Cincinnati, Ohio
Conference	Big 12
Past conferences	MVC (1957–1969) Independent (1970–1995) C-USA (1994–2003) Big East (2005-2012) AAC (2013-2022) Big 12 (2023-present)
All-time history
All-time record	621–589–50 (.513)
Postseason bowl record	9–9–0 (.500)
Playoff record	0–1
Conference titles	14 (BAA: 2, MAC: 4, MVC: 2, C-USA: 1, Big East: 4, AAC: 1)
Rivalries	Miami (OH) RedHawks (rivalry) Louisville Cardinals (rivalry) Pittsburgh Panthers (rivalry) West Virginia Mountaineers
Consensus All-Americans	Template:American college football All-Americans
Current uniform
Colors	Red  and Black
Fight song	"Cheer Cincinnati"
Marching band	University of Cincinnati Bearcat Bands
Outfitter	Under Armour
Website	gobearcats.com

The Cincinnati Bearcats football team represents the University of Cincinnati, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bearcats are a member of the NCAA FBS Big 12 Conference and play their home games at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. For the 2014 season, the Bearcats played their home games at Paul Brown Stadium while Nippert Stadium was undergoing renovations. The Bearcats are currently coached by Scott Satterfield.

Affiliations

• 2023-present - Big 12 Conference
• 2013-2022 - American Athletic Conference
• 2005-2012 - Big East Conference
• 1996-2004 - Conference USA
• 1970-1995 - NCAA 1-A independent

Seasons

2020s

Season	Coach	Record
2025	Scott Satterfield
2024	Scott Satterfield	5-7
2023	Scott Satterfield	3-9
2022	Luke Fickell; Kerry Coombs	9-4
2021	Luke Fickell	13-1
2020	Luke Fickell	9-1

2010s

Season	Coach	Record
2019	Luke Fickell	11-3
2018	Luke Fickell	11-2
2017	Luke Fickell	4-8
2016	Tommy Tuberville	4-8
2015	Tommy Tuberville	7-6
2014	Tommy Tuberville	9-4
2013	Tommy Tuberville	9-4
2012	Butch Jones	10-3
2011	Butch Jones	10-3
2010	Butch Jones	4-8

2000s

Season	Coach	Record
2009	Brian Kelly; Jeff Quinn	12-1
2008	Brian Kelly	11-3
2007	Brian Kelly	10-3
2006	Mark Dantonio; Brian Kelly	8-5
2005	Mark Dantonio	4-7
2004	Mark Dantonio	7-5
2003	Rick Minter	5-7
2002	Rick Minter	7-7
2001	Rick Minter	7-5
2000	Rick Minter	7-5

1990s

Season	Coach	Record
1999	Rick Minter	3-8
1998	Rick Minter	2-9
1997	Rick Minter	8-4
1996	Rick Minter	6-5
1995	Rick Minter	6-5
1994	Rick Minter	2-8-1
1993	Tim Murphy	8-3
1992	Tim Murphy
1991	Tim Murphy
1990	Tim Murphy	1-10

1980s

Season	Coach	Record
1989	Tim Murphy	1-9-1
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980

History

The Bearcats have an all-time record of over .500 as of 2018, having reached their 600th program victory in 2017. The team has had a bit of a resurgence in the past few years, going 98-56 since 2006, along with 9 bowl game appearances, 5 conference titles, two BCS Bowl berths, and 22 NFL Draft selections.

Robert Burch served as Cincinnati's head coach from 1909-1911, compiling a record of 16–8–2. It was during his tenure that Cincinnati joined the Ohio Athletic Conference, where they would remain until 1927.

In March 1927, George Babcock was hired as a professor of athletics and physical training at the University of Cincinnati. From 1927 to 1930, he was the head football coach of the Bearcats football, compiling a 12–21–3 record.

Sid Gillman, a member of the College and National Football League hall of fame shrines, was the architect of one of the top eras of Cincinnati football history. He directed the Bearcats to three conference titles and a pair of bowl game appearances during his six seasons (1949–54) before leaving for the professional ranks. Cincinnati, with Gillman developing the passing offenses which would make him successful in the pro ranks, became known for its aerial attack in the early 1950s.

In 1968, under then head coach Homer Rice, the Bearcats were the nation's top passing team. Quarterback Greg Cook was the NCAA's total offense leader with receiver/kicker Jim O'Brien the national scoring champ. A year later, Cook earned Rookie of the Year honors as a Cincinnati Bengal. Two years later, O'Brien kicked the game-winning field goal for the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl.

Affiliations

• 2023-present - Big 12 Conference
• 2013-2022 - American Athletic Conference
• 2005-2012 - Big East Conference
• 1996-2004 - Conference USA
• 1970-1995 - NCAA 1-A independent

Championships

Conference championships

Cincinnati has won 15 conference championships, nine outright and six shared.

Season	Conference	Coach	Overall record	Conference record
1933†	Buckeye Athletic Association	Dana M. King	7–2	3–1
1934			6–2–1	2–0–1
1947	Mid-American Conference	Ray Nolting	7–3	3–1
1949		Sid Gillman	7–4	4–0
1951			10–1	3–0
1952			8–1–1	3–0
1963†	Missouri Valley Conference	Chuck Studley	6–4	3–1
1964			8–2	4–0
2002†	Conference USA	Rick Minter	7–7	6–2
2008	Big East Conference	Brian Kelly	11–3	6–1
2009			12–1	7–0
2011†		Butch Jones	10–3	5–2
2012†			10–3	5–2
2014†	American Athletic Conference	Tommy Tuberville	9–4	7–1
2020		Luke Fickell	9–1	6–0
2021			13–1	8–0

† Co-champions

Division championships

Season	Division	Coach	Opponent	CG result
2019	AAC East	Luke Fickell	Memphis	L 24–29

Bowl games

The Bearcats have participated in 22 postseason bowl games, with a record of 10–12. The program's first postseason games were by the 1897 Cincinnati football team, which played in two games in New Orleans in January 1898.

Year	Coach	Bowl	Opponent	Result
1946	Ray Nolting	Sun Bowl	Virginia Tech	W 18–6
1949	Sid Gillman	Glass Bowl†	Toledo	W 33–13
1950		Sun Bowl	West Texas State	L 13–14
1997	Rick Minter	Humanitarian Bowl	Utah State	W 35–19
2000		Motor City Bowl	Marshall	L 14–25
2001		Motor City Bowl	Toledo	L 16–23
2002		New Orleans Bowl	North Texas	L 19–24
2004	Mark Dantonio	Fort Worth Bowl	Marshall	W 32–14
2006	Brian Kelly	International Bowl	Western Michigan	W 27–24
2007		PapaJohns.com Bowl	Southern Miss	W 31–21
2008		Orange Bowl	Virginia Tech	L 7–20
2009	Jeff Quinn (interim)	Sugar Bowl	Florida	L 24–51
2011	Butch Jones	Liberty Bowl	Vanderbilt	W 31–24
2012	Steve Stripling (interim)	Belk Bowl	Duke	W 48–34
2013	Tommy Tuberville	Belk Bowl	North Carolina	L 17–39
2014		Military Bowl	Virginia Tech	L 17–33
2015		Hawaii Bowl	San Diego State	L 7–42
2018	Luke Fickell	Military Bowl	Virginia Tech	W 35–31
2019		Birmingham Bowl	Boston College	W 38–6
2020		Peach Bowl	Georgia	L 21–24
2021		Cotton Bowl1	Alabama	L 6–27
2022	Kerry Coombs (interim)	Fenway Bowl	Louisville	L 7–24

†The Glass Bowl is listed in NCAA records, but was not considered an NCAA-sanctioned bowl; Cincinnati counts the bowl game in their records.

¹CFP Semifinal Game

Playoffs

Cincinnati was selected as the fourth seed in the College Football Playoff following the 2021 season.

Year	Seed	Opponent	Round	Result
2021	4	No. 1 Alabama	Semi-Finals – Cotton Bowl	L 6–27

Logos/Helmets/Uniforms

Image gallery

Rivalries

Louisville

Main article: The Keg of Nails

The Keg of Nails is the name of the rivalry between Cincinnati and Louisville. The rivalry has stretched over the span of four conferences from the Missouri Valley Conference, to the Metro Conference to Conference USA, and more recently in the Big East Conference, which in 2013 was renamed to the American Athletic Conference. It is believed to be the oldest rivalry for the Louisville football team and the second oldest for Cincinnati, only behind the annual game with the Miami RedHawks.

The trophy is a replica of a keg used to ship nails. The exchange is believed to have been initiated by fraternity chapters on the UC and U of L campuses, signifying that the winning players in the game were "tough as nails."

The present keg is actually a replacement for the original award, which was misplaced by Louisville, lost during some construction of office facilities. It is adorned with the logos of both schools and the scores of the series games.

The rivalry went on hiatus following the 2013 season, as Louisville moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference on July 1, 2014, and remains on hiatus following Cincinnati's move to the Big 12 Conference, which occurred on July 1, 2023.

Miami (OH)

Main article: Victory Bell (Cincinnati–Miami)

The Victory Bell is the trophy awarded to the winner of the American college football rivalry game played by the Cincinnati and Miami (OH). The Victory Bell is the oldest current non-conference college football rivalry in the United States (though the teams were conference rivals for a few years in the late 1940s and early 1950s).

The Bearcats and RedHawks (formerly the Redskins) square off each fall for the famed Victory Bell. The first game in the series, played on December 8, 1888, in Oxford, Ohio, was the first college football game played in the state of Ohio. The original bell hung in Miami's Harrison Hall (Old Main) near the site of the first game and was used to ring in Miami victories. The traveling trophy tradition began in the 1890s when some Cincinnati fans "borrowed" the bell. The bell went to the winner of the annual game for the next forty years until it mysteriously disappeared in the 1930s. The original bell reappeared in 1946 and is on display in the lobby of Miami's Murstein Alumni Center. The trophy is a replica of the original bell and is kept in the possession of the winning team each year. One side of the bell is painted black with white numbers showing Cincinnati's victories, while the other side is white with red numbers showing Miami's victories. Ties are indicated on the top of the red yoke in white numbers.

West Virginia

Main article: Cincinnati–West Virginia rivalry § Football

The teams met 20 times between 1921 and 2011, every year from 2005 to 2011, as conference foes and members of the Big East Conference. The rivalry was renewed in 2023 with Cincinnati joining the Big 12 Conference in which the Mountaineers competed in since 2011. West Virginia leads Cincinnati in the series 13-3-1 since 2011.

Memphis

Main article: Cincinnati–Memphis rivalry § Football

Cincinnati and Memphis have played a total of 36 times across a number of conferences. After the establishment of the American Athletic Conference in 2013, the series was renewed from the days of Conference USA. Most notably, in the 2019 season the two teams would face off twice in consecutive weeks, with both games being hosted by Memphis. The second game would be the 2019 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game in which the Tigers would beat the Bearcats for the second straight week. Cincinnati and Memphis met again in 2020 at Nippert with the Bearcats defeating the Tigers 49–10. The teams have not played since Cincinnati's move into the Big 12 Conference on July 1, 2023.

The Bearcats have won the last 16 meetings, including a 38–17 victory in the 2022 meeting at Paycor Stadium to take the overall series lead at 60–59–7. However, in 2023, Miami shocked the Bearcats to tie the series again at 60–60–7.

Pittsburgh

Main article: River City Rivalry

The River City Rivalry is the name of the rivalry between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The rivalry itself was relatively brief, played annually from 2005, during which season the rivalry trophy was introduced. Before the rivalry was titled, the two teams played each other in 1921, 1922, 1979, and 1981. The rivalry went on hiatus, like many others throughout the country, in the aftermath of the 2010–13 NCAA conference realignment, which left the programs in separate leagues. However, the two teams are scheduled to meet in a home-and-home series for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

The Paddlewheel Trophy is the rivalry trophy that was created in 2005 when the Bearcats joined the Big East Conference to which the Pittsburgh Panthers already belonged. The trophy is designed and named in honor the historic link between the cities from the days in the 19th and early-20th centuries when Paddle wheel-powered boats traveled between the two cities along the Ohio River.

The 2009 match-up between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh was described by one national columnist as the most "fascinating game I've ever seen." The game functioned as a Big East championship game, with Cincinnati entering first in the conference, and Pittsburgh at second. Additionally, the Bearcats entered the game undefeated and trying to earn a spot in the BCS National Championship Game, while the 9–2 Panthers were trying to secure their first BCS bowl since the 2004 season. The Panthers had an early 31–10 lead, however, the ensuing kickoff was returned for a touchdown by Mardy Gilyard to make it a 31–17 game at halftime. Cincinnati completed the comeback, tying the game at 38 late in the 4th quarter. Pittsburgh running back Dion Lewis scored a touchdown with 1:36 left in the game, but a mishandled snap by Andrew Janocko prevented the Panthers from converting the extra point. The Bearcats then drove down the field and scored on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Tony Pike to Armon Binns with 33 seconds left. Bearcats kicker Jake Rodgers converted the extra point attempt, and Cincinnati held on to win 45–44. Following the game, Cincinnati rose to a No. 3 ranking in the final BCS standing while Pitt dropped to No. 17. The game has been described as "one of the most crushing losses in the history of Pitt football." Though the rivalry has gone into hiatus upon Pittsburgh's move to the Atlantic Coast Conference it will be renewed in a Home and Home series starting in 2023. In the aftermath of the 2021–22 NCAA conference realignment the series will once again be a battle of power conference foes as the first game of the series will take place in Cincinnati's first year in the Big 12 Conference.

UCF

Main article: Cincinnati–UCF rivalry § Football

The Cincinnati–UCF football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the University of Cincinnati Bearcats and University of Central Florida Knights. The rivalry dates to the first game between the teams in 2015. The football series is tied 5-5 between the schools.

The schools have played in the same conference since 2013 when both joined the American Athletic Conference, and has continued after both schools began play in the Big 12 Conference in 2023. However the game is not a protected matchup in the Big 12, so there will be seasons with no scheduled game.

Xavier

Main article: Cincinnati–Xavier rivalry § Football

Cincinnati and Xavier would first play in 1918, but the series would not become an annual event until 1946. The game would be played each year at Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium as the venue had a larger capacity to accommodate the cross city showdown compared to Xavier's Corcoran Stadium. The series, and Xavier's football program, would come to a close after the 1973 series. Cincinnati leads the historic series, 18–12.

External Links

• Cincinnati Bearcats football article at Wikipedia
• Official team site