Mussatto: What does hosting OU football in Big 12 opener mean to Cincinnati? Everything

As Ben Hofstetter looks out of his office window Thursday and into Cincinnati's 100-year-old Nippert Stadium, Hofstetter sees a few students studying in the stands. Others are working out. Not only are UC students allowed in the stadium, but they also have access to the field.

The Bearcats’ Stadium is both a communal ground and main thoroughfare on campus. Want to get from one side of campus to another? The only viable route is through Nippert, smack dab in the middle of everything.

“It’s so unique,” said Hofstetter, Cincinnati’s associate athletic director of strategic and digital engagement. “It’s something you just don’t find at other places.”

The serene setting is certain to turn ominous Saturday, at least for the visiting Sooners. Nippert will transform into a black hole of 40,000 fans, most of whom will be cheering on the Bearcats in their Big 12 debut — against an outgoing member of the conference’s old guard.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better game to open our tenure in the Big 12,” Hofstetter told The Oklahoman.

It will be the first OU vs. Cincinnati Big 12 game, and likely the last barring further conference realignment decades from now. The Sooners are SEC bound while the Bearcats ditched their mid-major status in the American Athletic Conference to join the revamped Big 12.

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“It’s really neat to be playing at this level and playing in this new league,” Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield told reporters. “They are putting us with one of the better teams … for the first game in the Big 12 with Oklahoma.”

The No. 16 Sooners (3-0) are 14.5-point favorites over the Bearcats (2-1), which suffered a surprise loss to Miami (Ohio) last weekend. But UC, despite transitioning to a new conference under a new coach, has a rich recent history.

Cincinnati and Oklahoma are two of only 15 schools to ever appear in the College Football Playoff. Cincinnati has the 12th most wins in college football over the last 15 years, with the Bearcats winning seven conference titles in that span.

In the last five years, Cincinnati, OU, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State and Notre Dame are the only programs to average at least 10 wins per season. Granted, Cincinnati’s schedule was easier by comparison, but the Bearcats were annually one of the Group of Five’s best teams.

Now comes the dawn of a new era for UC as a power-conference program.

“There’s always a buzz this time of year, but it’s different this year,” Hofstetter said. “We’re officially part of the Power Five, and it’s a feeling that brings us tremendous excitement.”

Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show will air live from a commons area outside of Cincinnati’s College of Arts and Sciences, and a blackout has been planned.

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“No one wants to play at Nippert,” Hofstetter said. “Oklahoma would never come to Nippert unless forced to. And that’s not a knock on them, it’s just not smart to come here. The ability to have them have to come here is really exciting for everyone.”

When OU played at Cincinnati in 2010, the game was played at Paycor Stadium, the downtown home of the NFL’s Bengals. The Sooners eked out a 31-29 win.

Cincinnati came to Norman two years earlier and were whacked by the Sooners 52-26.

Dustin Grutza was Cincinnati’s starting quarterback in that 2008 game. In the fourth quarter, Grutza broke his right leg as he was sacked. That game, and that injury, is still hard to talk about for Grutza, who lives in Cincinnati and remains involved with the Bearcats.

He’ll be at the game Saturday, wanting revenge against the Sooners.

“Over any of the Big 12 opponents,” Grutza said, “I want this one more because of how that ended, how that affected my career.”

Texas isn’t on UC’s schedule, which leaves OU as the Bearcats’ marquee opponent.

“This game’s been circled for sure since spring camp,” Grutza said. “This game’s gonna be the one I think our team gets most up for.”

Grutza expects Nippert Stadium to be as loud Saturday as any venue he’s played in — Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, The Horseshoe at Ohio State and Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium among them.

“It’s going to be electric,” Grutza said.

Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing adigital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Cincinnati excited to host Sooners to kick off Big 12 era