The "Truth" has arrived and one could envision the University of Cincinnati's fight song changed from "Cheer Cincinnati" to "Cheers Cincinnati!".
Cincinnati's most successful craft brewery, Rhinegeist, has partnered up with the University of Cincinnati's name, image and likeness collective, Cincy Reigns. The result is a light lager coined "Cincy Light". It comes in a white can trimmed in red and black as you might expect.
To the best knowledge of both parties, it's the first name, image and likeness collaboration with a brewery in college athletics.
Jason Williams:Rhinegeist launches first light beer to help pay Cincinnati Bearcats athletes
Rhinegeist interim CEO Adam Bankovich says $2 per case will go toward the NIL efforts of Bearcat student-athletes. It's something close to the 2008 UC grad and his wife Colleen (2006, 2008 UC) who met in UC's Catskellar, a campus pub that sat adjacent to Nippert Stadium where cans/pours of Cincy Light are expected to add beer and cash flow.
He learned the beer industry in the campus pub then transferred his skills to Rhinegeist. Now, it's come full circle with his work at the 23rd-best craft brewery in the country.
"We knew we had the chance to be the first in a Power Five conference," Bankovich said of the partnership. "We don't know what anyone else is doing. We also knew we were on a tight timeline. We wanted this beer available for football season."
In addition to the $2 per case sold, there are draft contributions and taproom contributions that will go to Cincy Reigns supporting UC student-athletes.
Helping bring the parties together was former UC quarterback Dustin Grutza, a Lindner College of Business grad still in the area. The former No. 4 for the Bearcats who played for Mark Dantonio and Brian Kelly is on the Cincy Reigns Board of Trustees.
After throwing for 29 touchdowns between 2005-2008, Grutza hopes the Cincy Light suds scores with fans.
"Just being a connecter, I thought this would be something great for both sides," Grutza said. "People are passionate about this project on the Rhinegeist side and with Cincy Reigns. I think it's good for the city and the university. I'm really excited to see this launch for the Big 12 opener. It shows with NIL, the collectives, there's more than just donating money outright. We have outside-the-box ways like this to raise money."
Cincy Reigns Chair Brian Fox calls the partnership game-changing combining the love UC fans have for Bearcat athletics along with the city-wide heritage of the beer industry.
"This is a beer town and Rhinegeist is a big provider and servicer of that," Fox said. "They've been creative, flexible and industrious the whole path to getting here. We trying to build a beer that even Xavier fans might like. The goal is to create something our fan base, our community can benefit from."
At the announcement was UC athletic director John Cunningham. As the entry into the Big 12 grows closer, it's another feather in the C-Paw cap for the school.
"Cincy Reigns has this incredible relationship that's been formed over the last couple of months," Cunningham said. "This all just came together. It makes so much sense to me. I think it connects our entire fan base and tells the story of the collective."
He looks forward to walking around Bearcat tailgates in football season with the new 'Cat can, Cincy Light, present.
Source link
