Cincinnati Bearcats

The Cincinnati Bearcats play in Nippert Stadium, one of the oldest college football venues still in use in America, tucked right into the university's urban campus. Cincinnati has spent the last two decades transforming from AAC afterthought into a genuine national player, culminating in a historic 2021 College Football Playoff berth. The Bearcats now bring that same physical, disciplined identity to Big 12 play.

Football at Cincinnati dates to 1888, making it one of the sport's early adopters, though sustained national attention didn't arrive until the Brian Kelly and Butch Jones eras of the late 2000s and 2010s. The 2021 team, coached by Luke Fickell, went undefeated and became the first Group of Five program to reach the College Football Playoff — the signature moment in program history. Cincinnati's move to the Big 12 in 2023 marked its long-awaited arrival among the sport's power conferences.