Nippert Stadium

Nippert Stadium

Location	2700 Bearcats Way (174 W Corry St.), Cincinnati, Ohio 45221
Coordinates	39°7′52″N 84°30′58″W
Owner	University of Cincinnati
Operator	University of Cincinnati
Capacity	35,098
Surface	FieldTurf (2000-present) AstroTurf (1970-1999) Grass (1924-1969)
Construction
Broke ground	1916
Opened	1924
Renovated	1936, 1954, 1970, 1991-1992, 2000, 2005
Construction cost	$10.5 million USD
Tenants
Cincinnati Bearcats (NCAA) (1924-present) Cincinnati Bengals (AFL) (1968-1969) Moeller High School (2006-2009)

Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is the University of Cincinnati's football stadium, home to their Bearcats football team in rudimentary form since 1902, and as a complete stadium since 1924, making it the fourth oldest playing site and fifth oldest stadium in college football.

In 1895, the organizer of UC's first football team, Arch Carson, introduced a plan to build a stadium complete with wooden bleachers on the site upon which Nippert Stadium currently stands. The plans became a reality in 1901 while Carson was serving as UC's physical education director. A year later it became home to Bearcat football. The playing surface at Nippert Stadium is called Carson Field in honor of Arch Carson.

In 1916, construction began in sections of a brick and concrete structure to replace the wooden stands and continued for several seasons as funds were raised. During the final game of the 1923 season with intrastate rival Miami University, UC player James Gamble Nippert sustained a spike wound injury. He died a month later of blood poisoning, reportedly due to having been infected by droppings left after a pre-game chicken race. Nippert's grandfather, James N. Gamble of Procter & Gamble, donated the required funds to complete the stadium. In 1924, the completed structure was dedicated as James Gamble Nippert Memorial Stadium. It has been updated many times through the years and currently seats 35,000 people with press boxes and a second tier yet the stadium retains much of its brick, masonry and wrought iron charm. On November 22, 2008 in a game against the University of Pittsburgh Panthers, the stadium broke the record for largest attendance in stadium history with an attendance of 35,098.

Nippert Stadium has been the site of many UC-Miami games over the years. The quest for the Victory Bell is the fifth-most played rivalry in college football and the oldest west of the Allegheny Mountains. The first clash between the two schools resulted in a 0-0 tie in 1888. With the exception of the World War II years of 1943 and 1944, the series has run continuously since 1909.

The stadium also served as home for the American Football League expansion team, the Cincinnati Bengals, in 1968 and 1969, while their eventual permanent home at Riverfront Stadium was being constructed.

Along with this, the stadium has served as a venue for concerts by Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, NSYNC, Janet Jackson, KT Tunstall, The North Mississippi All-Stars, The Roots and many more. On November 2, 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama held a rally at Nippert two days before the election to an estimated 27,000 attendees.

Nippert Stadium is one of the few college stadiums open to its student population and the surrounding community free of charge every day for intramural sports, non-organized sports and community activities.

Cincinnati head football coach Brian Kelly recently signed an extension, and one of the clauses in the contract was to expand Nippert Stadium. Sources indicate that the expansion will add up to 15,000 seats, but exact details are unknown. The University of Cincinnati has hired US-based design consultancy CSL International to finalize the right number of premium seating that can be added to the stadium, while US-based architectural firm HNTB has been hired to design the improvements.

File:NippertStadiumAWAY.jpg

East Stands 2008

File:NippertStadiumHOME.jpg

Exterior 2008

External links

• Nippert Stadium - Home of Bearcat Football
• Photographs of Nippert Stadium