Cincinnati doesn't have "promise". Cincinnati has a long strong tradition of football, but fell into a deep malaise for many decades. We have had intermittent spots of revival, but never truly sustained. With entry to the Big East, and the arrival of Coach Dantonio, we look to the sustained revival of our football -- and moreover, for the program to achieve national prominence.
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Bearcat Football- A Strong Tradition
Bearcat football is rich in history and tradition.
In fact, the University of Cincinnati football program is one of the nation�s oldest. When the Bearcats played Miami (O.) on Oct. 24, 1998, UC became only the 30th program in NCAA Division I-A history to play 1,000 intercollegiate football games.
UC first fielded football teams in 1885, playing against athletic clubs in the area. Three years later, in 1888, Cincinnati was featured in the very first intercollegiate football game played in the state of Ohio when a team representing UC visited nearby Oxford to play a team of students from Miami University. That contest, played on Sept. 24, was the birth of the rivalry which today ranks as the eighth-oldest and 11th-longest running rivalry in NCAA Division I college football. Only four NCAA Division I-A schools can boast of football programs older than Cincinnati's 111 years -- Rutgers, which took part in the nation's very first college football game in 1869, Michigan, which began play in 1879, Navy (1880) and Minnesota (1883).
College Football Hall of Fame coach Frank Cavanaugh began his 24-season career at Cincinnati.
Sid Gillman, a member of the College and National Football League hall of fame shrines, was the architect of one of the top eras of Cincinnati football history. He directed the Bearcats to three conference titles and a pair of bowl game appearances during his six seasons (1949-54) before leaving for the professional ranks.
That coaching tradition has continued. Three current and three recent college head coaches have Cincinnati coaching and/or playing backgrounds, while six NFL head coaches have come through the UC ranks.
Cincinnati, with Gillman developing the passing offenses which would make him successful in the pro ranks, became known for its aerial attack in the early 1950�s. That notoriety continued.
In 1968, the Bearcats were the nation�s top passing team. Quarterback Greg Cook was the NCAA�s total offense leader with receiver/kicker Jim O�Brien the national scoring champ. A year later, Cook earned Rookie of the Year honors as a Cincinnati Bengal. Two years later, O�Brien kicked the game-winning field goal for the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl. A third member of that passing tribunal, Tom Rossley, is now the head coach at Southern Methodist.
With 80 players advancing into the professional ranks, 30 earning All-American honors and 11 garnering Verizon Academic All-America recognition, Cincinnati football clearly has a history of accomplishments, both on and off the gridiron.
College Football's Oldest Programs
NCAA Division I-A
1st Year
1. Rutgers 1869
2. Michigan 1879
3. Navy 1880
4. Minnesota 1883
5. Cincinnati 1885
Bearcat Football Timeline
1885 UC fielded its first football team under the organization of Arch Carson, who served as the first coach. The team won a pair of games over a club from neighboring Mt. Auburn.
1888 Cincinnati played Miami in Oxford in the first college football game in the state of Ohio. The game ended in a scoreless tie, but launched a rivalry which is the nation's eighth-oldest and 11th-longest college grudge match.
1897 Cincinnati compiled a 9-1-1 record, closing the season with a win at LSU. UC's lone loss was to the fabled Carlisle Indians.
1898 Frank Cavanaugh, immortalized as the Iron Major, got his head coaching start at Cincinnati. He was elected to the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame at the conclusion of his illustrious career.
1902 Cincinnati played its first home game at the current site of Nippert Stadium, defeating Hanover, 18-0.
1912 Cincinnati scored a school-record 124 points in a shutout win over Transylvania. Ike Stewart and Bob Heuck each tallied six TDs and Alonzo Wells kicked 12 PATs, all UC records.
1912-16 Cincinnati teams began using the nickname Bearcats.
1916 Construction began on Nippert Stadium.
1922 George McLauren, another Bearcat mentor to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, began his four-season tenure as UC's head coach.
1923 Nippert Stadium was the site of the first night football game in the Midwest as Cincinnati defeated Kentucky Wesleyan, 17-0.
Jimmy Nippert sustained a wound in the season-ending Miami (OH) game and died a month later of blood poisoning. His grandfather, James Gamble, donated the money needed to finish the stadium construction.
1924 Nippert Stadium was dedicated.
1933 Cincinnati wins the first of two straight Buckeye Athletic Association championships.
1934 UC played its first Homecoming game, defeating Marshall, 7-0.
1935 The Bearcats' first NFL players, Bill Feldhaus (Detroit) and Ray Nolting (Chicago), lead UC to a 7-2 record before embarking on their pro careers.
1942 UC hosted No. 2-ranked Georgia at Nippert Stadium. The Bulldogs won, 35-13, and won the Rose Bowl a few months later. The lone other blemish on UC's 8-2 record was to Sugar Bowl victor Tennessee.
1943-44 Football suspended due to World War II.
1946 Cincinnati defeated Big 10 defending champ Indiana in the season opener en rout to a 9-2 record and an 18-6 win over Virginia Tech in the Sun Bowl.
1947 UC won its first Mid-American Conference championship. The Bearcats won four crowns in their six-year association with the league.
1949 Sid Gillman took over as head coach and promptly piloted UC to a Mid-American Conference title and a win over Toledo in the Glass Bowl. Tom O'Malley's 1,617 passing yards led the nation.
1950 The Bearcats advanced to the Sun Bowl, but are edged by West Texas State, 14-13.
1951 UC posted an all-time best record of 10-1. Gene Rossi and Bob Stratton became the first of 29 Bearcats to earn All-American recognition.
1953 Cincinnati led the nation in both total offense (409.5 yards per game) and total defense (184.3), a feat accomplished by only three other teams in college football history.
1954 Sid Gillman left for the Los Angeles Rams after directing UC to an 8-2 ledger. In six seasons under the eventual college and pro hall of fame coach, the Bearcats posted a 50-13-1 record and won three Mid-American Conference titles.
1956 Cincinnati led the nation in punt return average, averaging 17.7 yards per return.
1959 Dave Canary became the first of eight Bearcats to earn Academic All-American honors. Canary pursued an acting career and was a regular in several TV series. Teammates Jack Lee and Jim Leo were named MVP of the Senior Bowl and College All-Star games, respectively.
1963-64 Cincinnati won back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference titles under Chuck Studley, who went on to become head coach of the Houston Oilers. UC compiled a 14-6 records during those two seasons.
1968 Cincinnati led the nation in passing offense, averaging 335.8 yards per game. Greg Cook led the nation in total offense, amassing 3,210 yards, while receiver/kicker Jim O'Brien was the nation's leading scorer with 142 points. Cook, later an NFL first round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals, went on to earn AFL Rookie of the Year honors while O'Brien booted the game-winning field goal for the Baltimore Colts in the 1971 Super Bowl.
1970 Artificial turf was installed in Nippert Stadium. Bob Bell became the second Bearcat in as many seasons to be a first round selection in the NFL draft.
1976 Cincinnati posted an 8-3 ledger, later changed to 9-2 due to a forfeit, featuring wins over Arizona State and Vanderbilt. Co-captain Mike Woods earned first team All-American honors and was a second-round draft pick by the Baltimore Colts.
1979 Cincinnati entered the fourth quarter with a 21-7 lead over sixth-ranked Florida State, only to have the Seminoles rally for a 26-21 win at Nippert Stadium.
1983 UC opened the season with a 14-3 upset of defending national champion Penn State at Beaver Stadium.
1985 The Bearcats upset a pair of 1984 bowl teams, Virginia Tech and Boston College.
1986 UC hosted No. 1-ranked Miami (Fla.) at Nippert Stadium. The Hurricanes validate their ranking with a 45-13 win.
1992 Nippert Stadium reopened to full use following an extensive renovation. The Bearcats hosted eighth-ranked Penn State in the season opener, and nearly pulled off the upset before falling, 24-20. UC set a home attendance record by drawing 30,104 spectators for its 17-13 comeback victory over Kentucky.
1993 Cincinnati won its last five games to post an 8-3 record. The Bearcats earned consideration for the Independence and Carquest bowls.
1995 Robert Tate led the nation in kickoff return average, averaging 34.3 yards on 15 returns. Tate was named both Offensive and Special Teams MVP in Conference USA
1996 Cincinnati begins competition in Conference USA.
1997 Cincinnati played in the inaugural Humanitarian Bowl, where it defeated Utah State, 35-19, to finish the year at 8-4.
1998 Cincinnati sets Nippert Stadium attendance record for third time in three years with crowd of 32,117 for Indiana contest.
1999 Cincinnati upsets No. 8 Wisconsin, 17-12 in Nippert Stadium. Rick Minter passes Sid Gillman for longest head coaching tenure at UC.
2000 UC won five of its last six games to finish second in Conference USA and earn a bid to play Marshall in the Motor City Bowl. Jonathan Ruffin became the program�s first consensus first team All-America choice, receiving the 2000 Lou Groza Award after leading the nation in field goals.
2003 UC invited to join the Big East for all sports. Coach Rick Minter is fired, and replaced by Ohio State's Mark Dantonio.
2004 Mark Dantonio, in his first season as head coach, leads UC to a 7-5 record with wins in 5 of their last six games, including a victory over Marshall in the Fort Worth Bowl.
