The Cincinnati Bearcats will travel to Columbus to play Ohio State on Saturday, finally fulfilling the two teams contract after 16 long years.
In 2003, Ohio State and Cincinnati agreed to a two-game contract in men’s football. The first of those two games took place in 2014, and the second will be this Saturday, September 7.
Per USA Today, UC has had five athletic directors, and even Ohio State’s Gene Smith, who has been OSU’s athletic director since 2005, wasn’t there for the original contract.
The deal between the two teams was amended time and time again, pushing back the dates which they’d play. The contracts also stipulated how much the home team would pay the away team for coming to their stadium and where the games would be held.
The differing coaches, ADs, and other personnel have caused the extended talks along with many other scheduling issues that have popped up seemingly every time a deal gets nearly finalized.
However, these two teams will hopefully renew a rivalry that should be the best of inner-Ohio collegiate football.
The two teams already played once at Ohio Stadium five years ago. The Buckeyes won that game 50-28. The Buckeyes have won ten-straight meetings between the two teams and hope to continue that streak Saturday.
