Last September after breaking a 16-game skid in the Battle for the Victory Bell with an overtime win over the Cincinnati Bearcats, Miami University canceled their future trips to Nippert Stadium.
That move wiped out UC home games in 2025 and 2028. In response, UC canceled its appearances at Yager Stadium in 2007 and 2009. That leaves the Sept. 14 game in Oxford as a possible swan song at Yager Stadium and also earmarks the 2026 neutral site game at the Bengals’ Paycor Stadium as the last chance to secure the coveted bell.
The teams have been playing since 1888 making it the oldest non-conference football rivalry in the United States (though they briefly were Mid-American Conference rivals for six seasons between 1947-1952).
NFL quarterbacks who played for the Victory Bell include Greg Cook and Desmond Ridder at UC and Sherman Smith and Ben Roethlisberger at Miami. Smith turned to an NFL running back but suffice it to say, the game has seen its share of stellar players.
Though there may be a slight window to play in the future, the current college landscape has forced the hands of both teams to discontinue the series. Thus, here’s a quick look at 10 significant games for both schools.
10 notable Cincinnati Bearcat games vs. Miami University
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Oct. 20, 1894 – Cincinnati gets its first win in the series by scoring the game’s lone touchdown 6-0. UC had dropped the first five to Miami. The game was played at Union Ball Park somewhere in the West End near where Union Terminal is now. W. Durant Berry’s Bearcats were 3-3 that year which included a tight loss to Ohio State 6-4.
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Nov. 22, 1923 – This was a 23-0 Bearcat victory spoiled by the fact UC player Jimmy Nippert was spiked and suffered from blood poisoning which would end his life a month later. His grandfather, James Gamble of Procter & Gamble donated funds to complete UC’s stadium now known as Nippert Stadium.
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Nov. 23, 1968 – Down 21-6 UC quarterback Greg Cook rallies the Bearcats along with receiver Jim O’Brien. UC recovers an onside kick, Cook completes a pass, then O’Brien boots a 47-yard game-winning field goal. Former UC receiver and radio analyst Jim Kelly, then a ball boy, catches the game-winner and runs it into the Bearcat locker room (the ball technically was a Miami team ball). Bengals coach Paul Brown witnessed Cook’s performance and made him the team’s first-round draft pick that year. It also was the last game Bo Schembechler coached at Miami before heading to the Michigan Wolverines.
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Nov. 18, 1982 – The Bearcats and Miami meet at Riverfront Stadium with the game televised by TBS. Mike Gottfried’s team would finish 6-5 quarterbacked by Danny Barrett. After beating Miami 20-10 they faced the Miami Hurricanes in Florida the following week and fell short 19-13 after not scoring in the final seconds on the goal line.
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Sept. 26, 1996 – Coach Rick Minter finally gets his first Miami win, albeit in triple overtime, 30-23. Daryl Royal ran for 282 yards for the Bearcats. Miami’s bid to tie the game in the third overtime failed when future NFL linebacker Brad Jackson forced a fumble by Miami’s Nod Washington at the goal line.
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Oct. 25, 1997 – This time at Yager Stadium, the teams would go to overtime again. Eric Richards would provide the game-winning field goal, then circle the field as if he were a flying bird.
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Oct. 30, 1999 – UC’s third and last win of the season (after a 2-1 start including a victory over No. 9 Wisconsin) came vs. Miami in Oxford. It was a score fest with the Bearcats winning 52-42 thanks to Robert Cooper’s 209 yards rushing and three touchdowns. You may have heard of UC’s offensive coordinator that season: Jimbo Fisher.
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Sept. 16, 2017 – It was Luke Fickell’s first season as head coach and a classic case of “snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.” With 4:45 left in Oxford, UC trailed 17-6 and fans were heading to the parking lots. Over the final 2:52, the Bearcats scored 15 unanswered points. The icing on the cake was a Malik Clements interception of Miami quarterback Gus Ragland near the RedHawks 10-yard line that Clements returned for the winning score in a 21-17 victory.
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Sept. 4, 2021 – After the COVID-19 shortened season of 2020 when the game was canceled, the two teams returned to Nippert Stadium. On the second play from scrimmage, Desmond Ridder hit Tyler Scott for an 81-yard touchdown and the Bearcats rolled 49-14.
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Nov. 12, 2022 – Trailing Miami 17-7 early in the second quarter at Paycor Stadium UC put up 31 unanswered points to take the home the bell 38-17. Ben Bryant threw for 337 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
10 notable Miami University games vs. UC
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Dec. 14, 1889 – In the second-ever meeting, a winner is finally declared as Miami puts a 34-0 whipping on the Bearcats. The inaugural game the year before was a scoreless tie.
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Nov. 25, 1950 – In a clash of Hall of Fame coaches, Miami’s Woody Hayes shuts out the Bearcats of Sid Gillman 28-0 in the snow. Coincidentally, Ohio State lost to Michigan in the snow that day which led to the Buckeyes hiring Hayes away from Miami.
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Sept. 17, 1994 – UC’s Jon Bacon drilled a school-record 58-yard field goal which appeared to put new coach Rick Minter in position for his first win with a 17-14 lead. But, Miami moved downfield and with some…
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