TicketsCINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati athletics department is revamping the C-Club, the official home of former Bearcats letterwinners, with its first-ever advisory council and a renewed roadmap for engagement with administration, fellow alumni and current student-athletes.
Director of Athletics John Cunningham initiated the process, where along with a small group of Mark Berger, Niki Cianciola and Joe Luckey, a year-long review was orchestrated.
“Alumni are the lifeblood of our programs, and their continued engagement is essential to our success in the Big 12,” Cunningham said. “Hundreds of former Bearcats poured their hearts into this university, and they remain an integral part of our athletics family. Launching the C-Club Advisory Council is an important step forward, and I’m excited to see it grow as we strengthen the bond between our alumni and our current student-athletes.”
BEGINNINGS
Cunningham, Berger, Luckey and Cianciola hosted the council at the Feb. 8 afternoon women’s game, an overtime win for the Bearcats, followed by a meeting in the Lindner Athletics Center before that night’s men’s basketball victory over BYU. It included a tour of the Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility and Athletics Performance Center.
That basketball doubleheader’s intermission included meetings with the group about what they then knew about C-Club, what it means to them and how the department can engage with them the best, among other current affairs.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Those new to the C-Club (or current members with new addresses or phone numbers) can fill out a brief information form and reach out to Joe Luckey ( joseph.luckey@uc.edu ). All are encouraged to be UCATS contributors of any level as well.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Vision: “Once an athlete – always a Bearcat”
Mission: “Communication. Connection. Celebration. Commitment.”
- Communication: Direct correspondence from the head coach as well as sport updates, communication from the Athletics Director and C-Club/UCATS periodic updates regarding Homecoming, mid-year and end-of-year statuses.
- Connection: The C-Club app was started in 2024 to create an exclusive community for current and former athletes. Download it here. Further engagements include networking events and prospective career journeys through the Student-Athlete Development Academy.
- Celebration: The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place the Friday night before Homecoming every year, and a C-Club tailgate will be sponsored every Homecoming.
- Commitment: The calendar of annual C-Club/alumni events will be released to former athletes each August. Plans are in place as well for exclusive access to team-issued gear. Engagement with the AD Advisory Council will continue with the goal to build out councils of former athletes by sport.
The Council (32 former athletes across 18 sports)
Baseball: David Orndorff, Marc Brooks
Men’s Basketball: David DeJulius, John Meeker
Women’s Basketball: Rainey Rohrmeier, Jasmine Whitfield
Football: Terry Grooms, Kris Bjorson, Craig Carey, Brad Jackson
Men’s Golf: Austin Squires, Bill Kirkham
Women’s Golf: Mya Groza, Emily Soller
Lacrosse: Haley (Marvine) Hardy, Ashley Helmrath
Swimming and Diving: Josh Schneider, Nathan Anderson, Kirtley (Krombholz) Swary, Jaimi (Armstrong) Cabrera
Track & Field/Cross Country: Jessica (Moyer) Martin, Carrie (Nelson) Hawkins, Jarrod Hart, Al Lanier
Soccer: Amy (Simonson) Cooper, Alexa (Fiehrer) Burkart
Tennis: Lauren Bellinger, Karen Ille
Volleyball: Brenda Stone, Beth (Herman) Akemon