When the University of Cincinnati football team opens its season Sept. 4 against in-state rival Miami University, the Bearcats will do so in front of a capacity crowd.
Nippert Stadium will return to full capacity for the 2021 football season, UC Director of Athletics John Cunningham announced Friday.
This will be the first football season played in front of a capacity crowd at Nippert since the 2019 campaign before the coronavirus pandemic.
"Thrilled to have one of our greatest assets back -- a packed and crazy Nippert Stadium," Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell told The Enquirer in a text message following the announcement.
After playing all of last season in front of a limited home crowd of a few hundred fans, Cincinnati hosted the 2020 American Athletic Conference championship game on Dec. 19, 2020, in front of 5,831 spectators after the State of Ohio approved the university's attendance variance request.
More:Ohio approves nearly 6,000 fans at Nippert Stadium for Saturday's AAC championship game
Nippert has a fixed seating capacity of 32,574, including bowl seats and seats in clubs and suites, according to the university's request.
The Bearcats, who finished No. 8 in the final College Football Playoff standings last season, have won 20 straight games at Nippert – the fourth-longest active home winning streak in college football.
Only Ohio State (23), Notre Dame (24) and Clemson (28) have longer on-going winning streaks at home.
UC will look to snap the Fighting Irish's streak when the two teams clash in South Bend on Oct. 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on NBC.
Cincinnati hasn't lost at Nippert since falling to Temple on Nov. 10, 2017, Fickell's first season.
Fickell, the 2018 and 2020 AAC Coach of the Year, is entering his fifth season at the helm of the UC program. Fickell is 35-14 at Cincinnati.
The Bearcats finished last season with a 9-1 mark, going unbeaten en route to winning the program's first AAC championship before suffering a season-ending loss to Georgia in the Peach Bowl on New Year's Day.
UC gets a visit from Gus Malzahn and the UCF Knights on Oct. 16 in what likely will be Cincinnati’s toughest matchup at home this year.
The Bearcats open the season against the Miami RedHawks on Sept. 4 at Nippert. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+. Cincinnati has won 14 straight against Miami.
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