TicketsCINCINNATI, Ohio – Cincinnati football head coach Luke Fickell and senior leaders Jabari Taylor and Tre Tucker will both appear live on ESPN+ on Thursday at 11 a.m. ET as part of the American Athletic Conference Football Media Day.
Kris Budden, Rene Ingoglia and Morgan Uber will anchor the coverage, which will start with commissioner Mike Aresco at 10:05 a.m.
Fickell led UC to a 13-1 mark in 2021, as the Bearcats won their second consecutive AAC Championship and became the league's first team to advance to the College Football Playoff along the way. The sixth-year coach was the conference's Coach of the Year for a third time and he also won nearly every national coach of the year honor.
Cincinnati has not lost to an AAC opponent in more than two years and is 22-2 overall since 2020 with its only two losses coming to Georgia and Alabama - the last two national champions - in New Years Six Bowl games.
Despite having nine players selected in the NFL Draft, the Bearcats are still expected to contend for the AAC title thanks to talented veteran leaders like Taylor and Tucker, who have been key contributors for the Red and Black for several years.
Taylor, a defensive tackle from Akron, Ohio, used his bonus year of eligibility to return to Cincinnati for his sixth year. A member of the defensive line rotation for the last three years, he is expected to start this season and be a versatile force who can play on the end or as an interior lineman.
Taylor is the rare college defensive lineman who actually played some quarterback in high school. An outstanding athlete, he kicked a 40-yard field goal to cap spring practice this year and tossed a near-perfect first pitch at a Cincinnati Reds game this summer as part of a "Bearcats at the Ballpark" promotion and pregame ceremony. He has appeared in 44 games and tallied 74 tackles, 11.5 TFLs and four sacks in his UC career.
Tucker, a wide receiver and kick returner, was a state track and field champion at CVCA in Akron, Ohio, before joining the Bearcats. Although he is the fastest player in the team, clocking a 4.29 40-yard dash this summer, he has developed into more than just a burner. He finished his junior season with 426 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 34 receptions. For his career, he has 59 receptions for 754 yards and five touchdown receptions.
Still, he is one of the nation's most dangerous kick returners. He was second team all-league as a specialist in 2020 and had a game-changing 99-yard kick return touchdown at Indiana in 2021. His 1,496 kick return yards rank fourth in UC history, while his 25.36 average ranks third.
THE BEARCATS ARE READY TO RELOAD
Led by the reigning consensus National Coach of the Year Luke Fickell and 12 returning starters, the Bearcats are the two-time defending AAC Champions and are coming off of a 13-1 season that culminated in a trip to the 2021 College Football Playoff. With a 44-7 mark since the start of 2018, Cincinnati's 86% winning percentage ranks among the nation's Top 5 winning percentages over the last four years.
Cincinnati opens the 2022 season at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 3 against Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., before coming home to Nippert Stadium to welcome Kennesaw State at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 10.
While season tickets are sold out for the first time in school history, fans can still purchase single-game tickets for as low as $25 HERE. Fans can also join the waiting list for 2023 season tickets.
DAY ONE READY CAMPAIGN
Cincinnati will officially join the Big 12 on July 1, 2023. The Bearcats are entering into a new era as a Power Five school, and in joining the Big 12, every competitive advantage matters for UC's 450-plus student-athletes.
As a significant part of the university's Next, Now Campaign, UC Athletics' Day One Ready Campaign is a $100 million fundraising initiative that's focused on achieving Next Level Success in the new conference. With fans' support for signature facilities, student-athlete wellness and championship readiness, the Bearcats won't just be prepared to compete on their first official day in the Big 12.
They'll be ready to bring championships home to Cincinnati.
Donate to the Day One Ready Campaign here.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Athletics, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati Athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Kris Budden, Rene Ingoglia and Morgan Uber will anchor the coverage, which will start with commissioner Mike Aresco at 10:05 a.m.
Fickell led UC to a 13-1 mark in 2021, as the Bearcats won their second consecutive AAC Championship and became the league's first team to advance to the College Football Playoff along the way. The sixth-year coach was the conference's Coach of the Year for a third time and he also won nearly every national coach of the year honor.
Cincinnati has not lost to an AAC opponent in more than two years and is 22-2 overall since 2020 with its only two losses coming to Georgia and Alabama - the last two national champions - in New Years Six Bowl games.
Despite having nine players selected in the NFL Draft, the Bearcats are still expected to contend for the AAC title thanks to talented veteran leaders like Taylor and Tucker, who have been key contributors for the Red and Black for several years.
Taylor, a defensive tackle from Akron, Ohio, used his bonus year of eligibility to return to Cincinnati for his sixth year. A member of the defensive line rotation for the last three years, he is expected to start this season and be a versatile force who can play on the end or as an interior lineman.
Taylor is the rare college defensive lineman who actually played some quarterback in high school. An outstanding athlete, he kicked a 40-yard field goal to cap spring practice this year and tossed a near-perfect first pitch at a Cincinnati Reds game this summer as part of a "Bearcats at the Ballpark" promotion and pregame ceremony. He has appeared in 44 games and tallied 74 tackles, 11.5 TFLs and four sacks in his UC career.
Tucker, a wide receiver and kick returner, was a state track and field champion at CVCA in Akron, Ohio, before joining the Bearcats. Although he is the fastest player in the team, clocking a 4.29 40-yard dash this summer, he has developed into more than just a burner. He finished his junior season with 426 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 34 receptions. For his career, he has 59 receptions for 754 yards and five touchdown receptions.
Still, he is one of the nation's most dangerous kick returners. He was second team all-league as a specialist in 2020 and had a game-changing 99-yard kick return touchdown at Indiana in 2021. His 1,496 kick return yards rank fourth in UC history, while his 25.36 average ranks third.
THE BEARCATS ARE READY TO RELOAD
Led by the reigning consensus National Coach of the Year Luke Fickell and 12 returning starters, the Bearcats are the two-time defending AAC Champions and are coming off of a 13-1 season that culminated in a trip to the 2021 College Football Playoff. With a 44-7 mark since the start of 2018, Cincinnati's 86% winning percentage ranks among the nation's Top 5 winning percentages over the last four years.
Cincinnati opens the 2022 season at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 3 against Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., before coming home to Nippert Stadium to welcome Kennesaw State at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 10.
While season tickets are sold out for the first time in school history, fans can still purchase single-game tickets for as low as $25 HERE. Fans can also join the waiting list for 2023 season tickets.
DAY ONE READY CAMPAIGN
Cincinnati will officially join the Big 12 on July 1, 2023. The Bearcats are entering into a new era as a Power Five school, and in joining the Big 12, every competitive advantage matters for UC's 450-plus student-athletes.
As a significant part of the university's Next, Now Campaign, UC Athletics' Day One Ready Campaign is a $100 million fundraising initiative that's focused on achieving Next Level Success in the new conference. With fans' support for signature facilities, student-athlete wellness and championship readiness, the Bearcats won't just be prepared to compete on their first official day in the Big 12.
They'll be ready to bring championships home to Cincinnati.
Donate to the Day One Ready Campaign here.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Athletics, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati Athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.