UC has access to a 65,000 seat football stadium. They are playing two league games in it this year. It's no different than Pitt or USF.

Now all UC has to do is get a large enough fanbase to require them to move all their games there...

UC won the league twice with the same fanbase. Not sure why that is a requirement. I'd like to see more fans too but it is progressing and UC attendance has risen every year since joining the Big East.

(09-01-2011 08:56 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  Now all UC has to do is get a large enough fanbase to require them to move all their games there...

Hope that doesn't happen..as the UC alumni I know WANT virtually all the games to remain ON-CAMPUS at Nippert...as they say when its pack to the gills...its an amazing atmosphere...something that can't be duplicated over at PBS.

Students/fans are literally right on top of the action at Nippert...and like most NFL stadiums, Paul Brown is built with fans much further back from the action....more suites/club seats...moving more diehards who might be just rows off the field at Nippert, up into the 3rd level at PBS.

They know a big game or two have to be moved to Nippert (especially vs teams that can bring 10,000-15,000 fans of their own), but hope a majority will always stay at Nippert.

If UC could expand Nippert, I'd say fine and dandy. But a 35K stadium isn't going to cut it much longer. The BEast needs to prove they have some fans, and 35K ain't doing that...

Other than the tiger stripes and the losing aura of the Bengals that permeates Paul Brown Stadium, the atmosphere for the Oklahoma game was pretty darn good last year.

Now if a miracle occurs and UC comes into millions of $, my preference would be to find a way to expand or rebuild Nippert. But at this point and for the foreseeable future PBS could be where UC has to play with an expanding attendance.

(09-01-2011 03:32 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  If UC could expand Nippert, I'd say fine and dandy. But a 35K stadium isn't going to cut it much longer. The BEast needs to prove they have some fans, and 35K ain't doing that...

Some have said that Nippert might be able to expand to 45,000 max...which would be a nice amount...and much better than potentially playing infront of thousands of empty seats at PBS for some so-so games.

Keep the $$$ on UC's campus...and help keep the college game ON college campuses and in college stadiums.

(09-02-2011 07:46 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(09-01-2011 03:32 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  If UC could expand Nippert, I'd say fine and dandy. But a 35K stadium isn't going to cut it much longer. The BEast needs to prove they have some fans, and 35K ain't doing that...

Some have said that Nippert might be able to expand to 45,000 max...which would be a nice amount...and much better than potentially playing infront of thousands of empty seats at PBS for some so-so games.

Keep the $$$ on UC's campus...and help keep the college game ON college campuses and in college stadiums.

By most accounts, 45K would be pushing it. Because of the extremely tight architecture, this will be a very challenging and expensive project. The reason for moving the bigger games downtown is because of the issues with expanding Nippert.

(09-02-2011 07:56 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  The reason for moving the bigger games downtown is because of the issues with expanding Nippert.

Well that and the fact that its instantaneous (i.e. Bengal's stadium is completed)....plus, UC doesn't need a 65,000 seat stadium for all of their games.

UC's football support has grown a ton since jumping over to the Big East in 2005, as when Nippert is packed, it provides a very favorable home-field advantage.

There is a contingent that advocates moving to PBS altogether. I see the obvious pros and cons of it, but to your point, not every game will be like the Oklahoma game, Ohio State game in 2002, or what WVU and UL are expected to be. We figure to end up with less than 20K season tickets this year. As soon as we sell out the season in advance, with a waiting list, we can talk about making the move permanent.

we need to figure out how to expand and pay for a an expanded Nippert...it's a GREAT college venue and smack dab in middle of campus.....I want all games at Nippert, a true home field advantage.

Mike Brown and PBS can stick it....

(09-03-2011 07:34 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  we need to figure out how to expand and pay for a an expanded Nippert...it's a GREAT college venue and smack dab in middle of campus.....I want all games at Nippert, a true home field advantage.

Mike Brown and PBS can stick it....

Nippert is the absolutely best college football venue in America. At night time, it is beautiful, with campus architecture all around it. College football needs to be played on college campuses. A tailgate in a parking lot next to Paul Brown Stadium, Heinz Field or Raymond James Stadium is not what a fall Saturday is supposed to be about. I don't mind one game a year at Paul Brown against a WVU or Louisville, or Oklahoma or Ohio State or Purdue or Tennessee, but the games at Nippert are why I travel 500 miles 5-6 times per year to see my Bearcats.

I love Nippert Stadium, easy to get to with a great college setting. PBS on other hand is bigger, has seats not benches, and sells UC to the entire city. I have a feeling that in the future UC will use the two stadiums the same way Georgetown, Nova, and St John's have two homes for basketball.

I want the University of Cincinnati in the next decade or so to look into a new basketball arena and figure out a way to get in on the deal when the Bengals need a new stadium again.

(09-01-2011 08:56 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  Now all UC has to do is get a large enough fanbase to require them to move all their games there...

Those of us in the fanbase have no interest in moving all the games there.

I've got a message for those in the fanbase that want to keep all the game at Nippert. As long as the stadium only holds 35K, UC is going to be looked down upon by most of the nation...

We can and we will upgrade and expand Nippert Stadium and keep most of the games on campus. Just a few huge games will be played at PBS. Wait until the Big East signs a new TV contract. The construction will start. The plans are already drawn to expand to 48,000 and that will be fine for most of the home games. If Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State join the Big East things will move along very fast. Let's see what happens with this expansion stuff. The Big East may come out of it smelling like a Rose. Mr.P3242

Expanding Nippert Stadium by only 10k would cost $100 million+. That amount of money is something the University simply does not have and according to the athletic department wouldn't be feasible for the cost. That was, of course, under the MAC-thinking Mike Thomas so who knows what the new AD will come up with.

(09-03-2011 10:54 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I've got a message for those in the fanbase that want to keep all the game at Nippert. As long as the stadium only holds 35K, UC is going to be looked down upon by most of the nation...

As many UC fans have noted, UC is looking at expanding that seating capacity...but for a majority of their home games...thats still almost the perfect number for their fan base (i.e. helps promote season tix...as fans don't want to be left out)...which continues to grow.

Move to 65,000 seat stadium...almost zero need to purchase season tix (many games won't come close to selling out), tix prices would have to be slashed...donation levels lowered...and without the revenue from suites/concessions if games are played at Paul Brown Stadium, how much would UC "gain" by moving all their games there?

(09-03-2011 09:54 AM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  I love Nippert Stadium, easy to get to with a great college setting. PBS on other hand is bigger, has seats not benches, and sells UC to the entire city. I have a feeling that in the future UC will use the two stadiums the same way Georgetown, Nova, and St John's have two homes for basketball.

Personally, I think this is the most financially sound way to move forward. Moving games against bigger regional opponents (UofL, WVU, tOSU, Purdue, etc) and top level games (e.g. Oklahoma) to PBS will allow for bigger crowds, more ticket sales, and better scheduling leverage to land OOC opponents. Unless Mike Brown charges ridiculous rent for the facility and/or ticket sales come in way under projection, the move should result in more money for UC.

Now, does a game against a smaller regional opponent (Miami, Ohio, etc) or a distant conference foe that probably won't bring a ton of fans (UConn, Cuse, TCU next year, USF, Pitt) need to be moved to PBS? Probably not as I don't think that the increase in ticket sales would be high enough to justify the cost of renting the stadium. I think those games should be played at Nippert as it is a cool venue and the smaller seating capacity will keep demand high.