Scott Satterfield's UC football Bearcats make their 1st appearance at Camp Higher Ground

WEST HARRISON, Indiana – Just shy of 27 miles from their urban campus, the University of Cincinnati football team has set up training camp at the Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center for the 25th straight season. As the buses pulled up the dusty hill to the player dorms, the new signage read "Cincinnati Bearcats Welcome To Big 12 Country" with the Nike swoosh on either side.

With a new coaching staff and 33 new scholarship players, a good bit of the roster has never been away for a training camp. Early signs are positive, which is good as the team will spend two weeks in the woods just a few miles off of Interstate 74, save for a quick trip back to Nippert for a scrimmage in between.

So how was Day 1 away on the Higher Ground gridiron?

Coach Scott Satterfield

"It feels like this is our place," Satterfield said. "These guys do an unbelievable job of taking care of each and every one of us out here. We're all family out here. Sleep, eating, working, everything we're doing, we're all together. There's no distractions."

Starting with Rick Minter in 1999, Satterfield is the seventh coach to use the facility. Some were not initially receptive but later were sold. Count Brian Kelly in that camp. He initially didn't want to come, then changed his tune so much that he tried to secure it for Notre Dame a few years later.

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Now, TQL sponsors the two-week football field trip.

"You've got so much room," Satterfield said. "That's probably the biggest thing. When we're on campus, everything's a little bit tighter. You don't have as much room to spread out. We've got a couple fields out here so we've got a lot more room."

Emory Jones

"It's different, but it's fun," Jones said Higher Ground. "At Florida, we didn't actually go to a different site that I wasn't familiar with."

Jones knew many of the players before coming to Cincinnati and was heavily involved in helping the Bearcats land deep threat Xzavier Henderson. One he didn't play with that has helped is Malik Vann, the Fairfield High product that met Jones on a recruiting visit.

"We both were talking to Ohio State coming out of high school," Jones said. "He helped me out a lot just learning more about Cincinnati in general and even Higher Ground. He's a guy that's been here and been around. He knows everything about this place."

Deshawn Pace

"It's a blessing," Pace said of coming back to Higher Ground. "We get to come out here and bond as a team and become one. I take walks and meditate by myself on breaks."

Pace also checks in with his brother Ivan who is in the Minnesota Vikings training camp. After playing together on last year's team, the brothers have split apart again. Deshawn says when he talks to Ivan, it's usually not about football but just about how each other is getting along. Early indications have the undrafted Ivan Pace faring well in Minnesota, to the surprise of no one that saw him play as a Bearcat.

"I knew it was going to happen!" Pace said. "You doubted him, he's going to show you!"

UC to have new Big 12 opponents by 2024

As for Arizona, Arizona State and Utah joining the Big 12 for 2024, joining the recent addition of Colorado. UC athletic director John Cunningham released the following statement:

"We are thrilled to welcome Arizona, Arizona State and Utah to the Big 12 Conference," Cunningham said. "We're proud to be in a dynamic and fun conference. We're happy that our student-athletes will get to compete for championships against these great institutions."

Grab of the day

Florida transfer Henderson tracked down two balls lofted up by Emory Jones for scores, much like they did a couple seasons ago with the Gators. Henderson and Louisville transfer Dee Wiggins give Jones solid options in the deep game.

"That's what we expect out of him," Satterfield said of Henderson. "He's a long guy, but he really can run. The thing he can do is run by some guys. Emory really worked on today putting some air under the ball and letting him go get it."

Wearing No. 0, Braden Smith has caught the eye of defender Deshawn Pace and continues to be a consistent presence. The redshirt senior went up for a deep ball between taller defenders and came away with the pigskin for the score. Jones scored it a "10" on his judge's card.

"He's electric!" Jones said. "He can do anything on the field. He can run deep routes, he's open in the middle of the field. He's a guy with a lot of experience. It's always great to have guys like that. Me and him have a great connection. He made me look good (on the play)."

MMCNB

Perpetually ignited defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs was seen at the ever-generous Higher Ground food hall wearing a black T-shirt with red letters reading "MMCNB".

Depending on the performance of the secondary, they could be a hot item as it stands for "My Man Catches No Balls."

UC has a slew of promising receivers but also has worthy defenders like Trotwood-Madison's Sammy Anderson Jr., returning starters Bryon Threats and Taj Ward, newcomers Jordan Young (Florida), D.J. Taylor (Arizona State) and Pace at his hybrid star position.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Scott Satterfield experiences Camp Higher Ground with UC football team