UC Bearcats shooting for packed Nippert Stadium with 3 September games

Showcasing the year-old Sheakley Indoor Athletic Performance Center, University of Cincinnati Bearcats football has been entertaining recruits this June, hosting camps and conditioning the 2026 team for a Big 12 run.

Big 12 media day for head coach Scott Satterfield and select Bearcats is a month away at the Dallas Cowboys headquarters in Frisco, Texas. A training camp period will come in early August, then later in the month, attention will focus on the Nippert Stadium opener, which is less than 90 days away Sept. 5.

June also brings a season-ticket push, which UC kick-started Monday, June 8.

Cincinnati Bearcats to play 6 home games at Historic Nippert Stadium

The Bearcats kick off the season at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, versus ACC-opponent Boston College before welcoming Western Carolina for a “Nipp at Night” contest at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13. UC will open Big 12 conference play by hosting Kansas State for the first time since 1995 on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Nippert Stadium will also welcome Big 12 opponents Texas Tech, Utah and Colorado for the first time.

The clash against Texas Tech on Oct. 24 will also mark UC’s 100th Homecoming weekend.

"We've got to try and take care of our games at home in Cincinnati, and win those games," UC head coach Scott Satterfield said. "It's going to be critical and huge for us, and it starts with Boston College, an ACC team. We've got to be in midseason form when we play a team like BC."

Following the matchup with the Red Raiders, the Bearcats host the Utes on Halloween (Oct. 31) before welcoming the Buffaloes and "Coach Prime" Deion Sanders for Senior Day on Nov. 21.

Led by preseason All-America guard Evan Tengesdahl (Wayne High School) and all-conference teammates Taran Tyo and Joe Cotton, the Bearcats feature one of the nation’s top offensive lines heading into the 2026 season. Coached by Nic Cardwell, who is now co-offensive coordinator, UC's men up front were Joe Moore Award (nation's top offensive line) semifinalists.

They will protect transfer quarterback JC French, who takes the reins of one of the Big 12's most productive offenses. The defense will be led by linebackers and Ohio natives Antwan Peek Jr. (Indian Hill HS) and Jonathan Thompson under first-year defensive coordinator Nate Woody’s new-look scheme.

Cincinnati Bearcats football season ticket prices

Season ticket packages start as low as $300. A three-month payment plan is available, too. Season parking can be purchased for $100 at Eden Garage.

There is a Ticketmaster interactive Nippert Stadium map to select seats and a Ticketmaster Help Guide

For information, visit GoBearcats.com/tickets, call 1-877-228-7849 or email uc.tickets@uc.edu.

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Miami RedHawks Victory Bell game

The renewed “Battle for the Victory Bell” game against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 20 is not part of the season-ticket package. However, season-ticket members will receive an exclusive window to purchase tickets. Those details will become official soon, as well as the location, which The Enquirer has previously reported to be FC Cincinnati's TQL Stadium.

"It's certainly good to be playing all games in Cincinnati in September," Satterfield said. "This year we've got five road games in the Big 12. It's hard and when you're going two and three time zones away, it makes it a lot more challenging."

The Bearcats aren't on the road until the fifth game of the season at Casino Del Sol Stadium in Tucson against Arizona.

Nippert Stadium, college football's Wrigley Field?

For over a century, Nippert Stadium has stood at the heart of the University of Cincinnati campus and remains one of the most distinctive venues in college athletics. Football has been played on the site since 1901, and the stadium was formally dedicated in 1924. Nestled below ground level in the center of campus, Nippert's steep seating bowl places fans virtually on top of the action.

The stadium hosted the Midwest's first intercollegiate night football game in 1923 and has served as the launching pad for generations of future NFL stars, including Cincinnati legends Jason and Travis Kelce and All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner. Though it seats nearly 40,000 fans, the roar inside Nippert Stadium often sounds much louder, bouncing off the adjacent Lindner Center and Tangeman University Center.

UC was 5-2 in seven games played at Nippert Stadium last season.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC Bearcats football in town for all of September with 3 Nippert games