TicketsUC-Miami Rivalry to Reach National TV Audience
Bearcats Move Home Opener vs. EMU to Thursday, Sept. 1
Contact: Brian Teter
4/14/2005
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The storied University of Cincinnati-Miami University football rivalry, billed as the oldest rivalry west of the Alleghenies, will attract a national television audience this season.
The 2005 game, hosted by Miami, has been added to the ESPN2 prime time college football television schedule and will be moved to Wednesday, Sept. 28. Game time is still to be determined.
Cincinnati will also move its season-opening game vs. Eastern Michigan from Sept. 3 to Thursday, Sept. 1. Game time at Nippert Stadium will be 7 p.m.
?We are very happy the Cincinnati-Miami game has been selected for national exposure,? stated UC director of athletics Bob Goin. ?Both programs have done very well the last few years and it is tremendous that ESPN has recognized that and put this rivalry on a national stage.
?I am excited about testing a Thursday game and see if it will afford a greater opportunity for our fans to come see us in our home opener,? Goin added regarding the move of the Eastern Michigan contest.
This year's UC-Miami game will be the 110th between the two schools, whose initial meeting in 1888 was the first college football game played in Ohio. It is the fifth-most played rivalry, trailing Minnesota-Wisconsin (114 games), Missouri-Kansas (113), Nebraska-Kansas (111) and Texas-Texas A&M (111). None of those rivalries has an earlier starting date, however.
Miami owns a 58-44-7 lead in the all-time series, but UC won last year's game, 45-26.
Cincinnati now has two national television games in 2005. The Bearcats' Nov. 9 home game vs. West Virginia will be televised by ESPN2.