TicketsIn a little more than 24 hours, you will be entering campus ready to cheer on our Cincinnati football team as it hosts Eastern Kentucky University for the 2023 season opener.
Saturday marks the dawn of new eras. New season. New coach. New conference.
We've sold out 12 consecutive games at Historic Nippert Stadium, and I'm excited for head coach Scott Satterfield to experience the gameday atmosphere our fans have made a tradition. I know you will bring us energy tomorrow afternoon, and I can't thank you enough.
This summer, we entered the Big 12 Conference. It's a monumental moment for this department, university and community that was several years in the making but came to fruition on Sept. 12, 2021, thanks to the steadfast backing of our fans, alumni and university leadership. I have said it before and will say it again: We would not be in the Big 12 without your incredible support.
For the last two years, we have prepared for this moment, pouring significant time and resources into taking our gameday environment to the next level. Tomorrow, you'll see new and improved amenities. Some of my personal highlights:
The expanded perimeter we tested for the final two games of the 2022 season is back and permanent, encompassing TUC on the stadium's west side. Not only does this bring more food options to gameday (Chick-fil-A, Qdoba, and Panda Express), but it also expands the number of available bathrooms and brings a climate-controlled seating area for fans who need a break from the weather.
Our concessions updates are significant. Rhinegeist's Cincy Light will be available throughout the stadium, including at Stadium View Café above the north end zone. Try Ben's Pretzels above Section 111 and the Big Cat Sandwich in Stadium View Café. I sampled it for the first time on Monday night, and that pastrami, beer cheese and coleslaw on rye bread was out of this world.
Our administration has also invested significantly in our in-house production, from audio to replays to additional cameras. Tagboard, a cloud-based multimedia platform, allows fans to see their social media photos on the video board, utilize QR codes and vote in polls, among many other features we'll experiment with as the athletic year unfolds. Using #Bearcats in your gameday posts is all you need to gain 38,193 more impressions on that tailgate selfie. More information on all our policies and enhancements can be found HERE.
Now that we're in the Big 12 Conference, this is not the time to relax or sit on our laurels. Our department is continuing the same hard work that got us into this new era, and we need the same continued passion from all of you. We want to compete for championships, and with your support I'm confident we can continue to build on the foundation we started.
Continue donating to Cincy Reigns in any way you can, which supports our student-athletes.
Continue donating to UCATS, which supports our projects on campus, big and small.
And especially continue to fill our venues. We set an attendance record at last weekend's volleyball match, and I think we can continue to show that level of support this year. If you missed out on football season tickets, limited single-game tickets are still available HERE.
It's expected to be a hot day, so wear your white to send us into Labor Day weekend. Check out some Nike gear at Rally House, our new official online team store, at shop.gobearcats.com.
please find our pallet of ice––free for anyone to use––at The Grid. If you're 21+, enjoy an ice-cold Cincy Light from your tailgate and/or stadium seat. Celebrate this historic leap with your friends and family. You deserve it. You've earned it. We'll see you tomorrow. Go Bearcats!