TicketsI'm a lucky guy. On any given work day, I can turn my head 90 degrees, and peer out above my office each day and see Nippert Stadium. It's a daily reminder when temperatures dip into the single digits in January that football is always right around the corner. Blink in January and it's magically August.
Well, now it's August. The responsibility to ensure that 37,000+ have a fantastic gameday is not something I take lightly. I take it personally, actually. I love the pressure and the privilege to know our fans entrust us with their Saturdays. Like I said, I'm a lucky guy.
I'm also lucky because it's not just me. Turn my head 90 degrees to the right, walk out into a hallway, and I'm at the desks of our External Relations staff, usually 'bothering their day' with thoughts about how we make gameday amazing.
What most fans don't see behind the scenes are the amount of hours and planning that go into a gameday. Our staff is "all hands on deck" to ensure Nippert is rocking. For our staff, the work is worth it when they can finally take a break after the game on Saturdays––reflecting on all time spent behind the scenes that culminated in a Bearcats win.
Through their preparation, I have asked our external staff to identify their favorite tip or trick, which are presented below. These are the area experts, the ones who work to make gamedays run smoothly. Now their knowledge is yours! I hope you enjoy getting to meet my team––the team I am lucky to have and so proud of for all of their hard work day in and day out.
Enjoy gameday and Go Bearcats!
Connor Boyle (Director, Big Screens and Game Presentation): Fans can take a break from the heat and step inside Fifth Third Arena to cool off. We put a live feed of the game up on the Wyler Vision videoboard and pump in audio from the stadium. Restrooms, concessions and bars are all available if you're looking to skip the lines.
Spencer Tuckerman (Director, Social Media & Creative Content): Get to Clifton early! The average fan often misses the best parts of gameday, which are the things that make gameday at Nippert unique. Get to The Grid for Catwalk and the band show (2.5 hours before kickoff) and make sure you're in the stadium ahead of the crowds to catch the band entering through the west concourse. Showtime starts 30 minutes before kickoff with the band, skydivers, intro video, and team entrance. If you've never experienced all of this, you've never truly experienced gameday at Cincinnati.
Brandon Phillips (Assistant AD, Ticket Operations): Something that has always fascinated me since I started coming to games was watching the band run down the steps and onto the field during pregame. I would highly encourage fans to arrive early and watch this unique gameday experience!
Griffen Durso (Account Executive, Ticket Sales and Service): If you have mobile tickets for the game, have the tickets already downloaded into your Apple Wallet! That way you don't have to worry about the tickets not loading while are arriving at the gates.
Tabby Fagan (Director, Spirit Programs/Head Coach): Be on the lookout for our Spirit teams as they spread game day cheer to Clifton, starting with Catwalk and then traveling into the community. New this year: See their smiling faces at the gates as you enter Nippert!
Sean Anderson (Account Executive, Ticket Sales and Service): Enter from Gate A when you arrive on campus. I love going through this gate for a few reasons. I always find it to be the least congested when trying to enter the stadium, and it's the perfect gate to enter through after checking out everyone's tailgate set up at The Grid. I also enjoy the activities on Sheakley that we provide before kickoff. I think it's a great spot for families to hang out before they find their way to their seats!
Kevyn Neil (Ticket Operations Assistant): For any new students, make sure that you get to the game early, so that you can get as close to the field as possible. There is nothing like being in the front row for a football game in Nippert! Also, wear comfortable shoes, because you will be standing and cheering the whole game.
Sofia Gritzali (Ticket Office Assistant): If you can't decide on a snack, popcorn on Nippert gameday tastes even better than movie theater popcorn: salty, buttery... yummy!
Zane Ross (Account Executive, Ticket Sales and Service): If your seats are in any of the West Pavilion premium areas, enter through Tangeman University Center and cross the bridge inside the bookstore. It's a great way to avoid all of the foot traffic on the main concourse and get to your desired area. When you cross the bridge, you are entering on the Gravity Club level, and if you need to go up a floor or two, there's two elevators right there as you walk in.
Zach Stipe (Associate AD, Communications and Creative Content): The tailgate scene on The Grid is organized and unique. Hundreds of like-minded fans stand back-to-back on the lawn sharing their grid squares, as well as their favorite UC memories, delicious food and beverages. And our ushers are the friendliest I have been around. They want to help and they are invested in each fan having a great experience, creating a final welcoming touch point before they reach their seats.
Jordan Bartow (Broadcast Coordinator): Keep an eye out for the many themes/spinoffs for The Bearcat. During one game last year, he did a Mario Kart bit. It made for great content and really seemed to engage the fans, particularly the student section.
Zac Swain (Graduate Assistant, Strategic Brand Engagement): My favorite thing on gameday is when the entire student section is in-sync doing Down the Drive. Everyone should learn how to do it so they can join in on one of the many special things that make a gameday at Nippert so awesome!
Tim Hudson (Broadcast Engineer): Take a moment to appreciate our in-stadium pregame and halftime announcer, Randy Smith. Randy is a UC alum who hasn't missed a home game in more than 50 years.
Jack Triscari (Director, Ticket Operations): Make sure to check out the dedication graphics to our 2008, 2009, 2020, and 2021 Bearcats football teams on the west concourse between Sections 117-122. Their achievements helped push the program to be where it is today, and the names you see may bring back some awesome memories! (You may even see a certain pop star's boyfriend there from his quarterbacking days.)
Trevor Towle (Executive Producer of Broadcasting and Production): Fans can get their selfies and favorite tailgating/fan photos up on the videoboard by posting on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook with #Bearcats. Our Tagboard app will automatically add their photos to the video waterfall on the videoboard before, during, and after the game. Also, families should arrive early to enjoy the Fan Fest and children's activities on Sheakley Lawn. It's a great place to let your kids burn some energy before the game starts.
Molly Metress (Director, Strategic Brand Engagement): Touchdown Terrace provides a great photo opportunity! Make sure to use your camera's .5 lens to capture the entire stadium.
Anthony Di Fino (Deputy AD): Check out the upgraded concessions behind the student section. Our new concessionaire, Red & Black Concessions (powered by SodexoLive!), has created a "family and student-friendly" budget-conscious menu.
Well, now it's August. The responsibility to ensure that 37,000+ have a fantastic gameday is not something I take lightly. I take it personally, actually. I love the pressure and the privilege to know our fans entrust us with their Saturdays. Like I said, I'm a lucky guy.
I'm also lucky because it's not just me. Turn my head 90 degrees to the right, walk out into a hallway, and I'm at the desks of our External Relations staff, usually 'bothering their day' with thoughts about how we make gameday amazing.
What most fans don't see behind the scenes are the amount of hours and planning that go into a gameday. Our staff is "all hands on deck" to ensure Nippert is rocking. For our staff, the work is worth it when they can finally take a break after the game on Saturdays––reflecting on all time spent behind the scenes that culminated in a Bearcats win.
Through their preparation, I have asked our external staff to identify their favorite tip or trick, which are presented below. These are the area experts, the ones who work to make gamedays run smoothly. Now their knowledge is yours! I hope you enjoy getting to meet my team––the team I am lucky to have and so proud of for all of their hard work day in and day out.
Enjoy gameday and Go Bearcats!
Connor Boyle (Director, Big Screens and Game Presentation): Fans can take a break from the heat and step inside Fifth Third Arena to cool off. We put a live feed of the game up on the Wyler Vision videoboard and pump in audio from the stadium. Restrooms, concessions and bars are all available if you're looking to skip the lines.
Spencer Tuckerman (Director, Social Media & Creative Content): Get to Clifton early! The average fan often misses the best parts of gameday, which are the things that make gameday at Nippert unique. Get to The Grid for Catwalk and the band show (2.5 hours before kickoff) and make sure you're in the stadium ahead of the crowds to catch the band entering through the west concourse. Showtime starts 30 minutes before kickoff with the band, skydivers, intro video, and team entrance. If you've never experienced all of this, you've never truly experienced gameday at Cincinnati.
Brandon Phillips (Assistant AD, Ticket Operations): Something that has always fascinated me since I started coming to games was watching the band run down the steps and onto the field during pregame. I would highly encourage fans to arrive early and watch this unique gameday experience!
Griffen Durso (Account Executive, Ticket Sales and Service): If you have mobile tickets for the game, have the tickets already downloaded into your Apple Wallet! That way you don't have to worry about the tickets not loading while are arriving at the gates.
Tabby Fagan (Director, Spirit Programs/Head Coach): Be on the lookout for our Spirit teams as they spread game day cheer to Clifton, starting with Catwalk and then traveling into the community. New this year: See their smiling faces at the gates as you enter Nippert!
Sean Anderson (Account Executive, Ticket Sales and Service): Enter from Gate A when you arrive on campus. I love going through this gate for a few reasons. I always find it to be the least congested when trying to enter the stadium, and it's the perfect gate to enter through after checking out everyone's tailgate set up at The Grid. I also enjoy the activities on Sheakley that we provide before kickoff. I think it's a great spot for families to hang out before they find their way to their seats!
Kevyn Neil (Ticket Operations Assistant): For any new students, make sure that you get to the game early, so that you can get as close to the field as possible. There is nothing like being in the front row for a football game in Nippert! Also, wear comfortable shoes, because you will be standing and cheering the whole game.
Sofia Gritzali (Ticket Office Assistant): If you can't decide on a snack, popcorn on Nippert gameday tastes even better than movie theater popcorn: salty, buttery... yummy!
Zane Ross (Account Executive, Ticket Sales and Service): If your seats are in any of the West Pavilion premium areas, enter through Tangeman University Center and cross the bridge inside the bookstore. It's a great way to avoid all of the foot traffic on the main concourse and get to your desired area. When you cross the bridge, you are entering on the Gravity Club level, and if you need to go up a floor or two, there's two elevators right there as you walk in.
Zach Stipe (Associate AD, Communications and Creative Content): The tailgate scene on The Grid is organized and unique. Hundreds of like-minded fans stand back-to-back on the lawn sharing their grid squares, as well as their favorite UC memories, delicious food and beverages. And our ushers are the friendliest I have been around. They want to help and they are invested in each fan having a great experience, creating a final welcoming touch point before they reach their seats.
Jordan Bartow (Broadcast Coordinator): Keep an eye out for the many themes/spinoffs for The Bearcat. During one game last year, he did a Mario Kart bit. It made for great content and really seemed to engage the fans, particularly the student section.
Zac Swain (Graduate Assistant, Strategic Brand Engagement): My favorite thing on gameday is when the entire student section is in-sync doing Down the Drive. Everyone should learn how to do it so they can join in on one of the many special things that make a gameday at Nippert so awesome!
Tim Hudson (Broadcast Engineer): Take a moment to appreciate our in-stadium pregame and halftime announcer, Randy Smith. Randy is a UC alum who hasn't missed a home game in more than 50 years.
Jack Triscari (Director, Ticket Operations): Make sure to check out the dedication graphics to our 2008, 2009, 2020, and 2021 Bearcats football teams on the west concourse between Sections 117-122. Their achievements helped push the program to be where it is today, and the names you see may bring back some awesome memories! (You may even see a certain pop star's boyfriend there from his quarterbacking days.)
Trevor Towle (Executive Producer of Broadcasting and Production): Fans can get their selfies and favorite tailgating/fan photos up on the videoboard by posting on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook with #Bearcats. Our Tagboard app will automatically add their photos to the video waterfall on the videoboard before, during, and after the game. Also, families should arrive early to enjoy the Fan Fest and children's activities on Sheakley Lawn. It's a great place to let your kids burn some energy before the game starts.
Molly Metress (Director, Strategic Brand Engagement): Touchdown Terrace provides a great photo opportunity! Make sure to use your camera's .5 lens to capture the entire stadium.
Anthony Di Fino (Deputy AD): Check out the upgraded concessions behind the student section. Our new concessionaire, Red & Black Concessions (powered by SodexoLive!), has created a "family and student-friendly" budget-conscious menu.