The Cincinnati Bearcats have added the Bowling Green Falcons to their 2025 football schedule, FBSchedules.com has learned.
A copy of the football game contract with the University of Cincinnati was obtained from Bowling Green State University via a state public records request. The contract was executed on Oct. 17, 2023.
Cincinnati will host Bowling Green at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. The Bearcats will pay the Falcons a $975,000 guarantee for the game, according to the copy of the contract.
The 2025 Cincinnati-Bowling Green contest will mark the fifth overall meeting between the two schools on the gridiron. The two schools first met in 1990 and played most recently in 1994 in Cincinnati, which resulted in a 38-0 victory for the Falcons.
With the addition of Bowling Green, Cincinnati now has all three opponents set for its 2025 non-conference schedule. The Bearcats are scheduled to open the season on Aug. 30 against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., which we reported last month. The Bearcats will then host the Northwestern State Demons on Sept. 13 at Nippert Stadium.
Cincinnati was previously scheduled to face the Miami RedHawks in 2025, but that game and four additional future contests have reportedly been canceled.
Bowling Green also has all four of its non-conference opponents set for the 2025 season with the addition of Cincinnati. The Falcons are slated to open the season at home against the Lafayette Leopards on Aug. 30 before traveling to Cincinnati on Sept. 6. The Falcons will then host the Liberty Flames on Sept. 13 before traveling to face the Louisville Cardinals on Sept. 20.
Football Schedules
Is it correct that Bowling Green hosts Liberty in 2025 and 2028? The original 2020 Liberty at BG game was rescheduled for 2028. Don’t remember any news about them also playing at BG in 2025
See here:
https://fbschedules.com/liberty-adds-bowling-green-completes-2025-non-conference-football-schedule/
After respecting them for many years now I am a Fan of cupcakes games with travel expanded during conference play.
@Kevin Kelley
Curious if you’re privy to the Miami-OH-Cincinati contract and how much Miami was being paid out, if at all? Did Miami get too greedy or did Cincinnati just lose money to play BG? Can’t also imagine BG being an improvement to Cincinnati’s attendance vs Miami, but possibly making up any difference without having to schedule neutral sites and lose revenue on the split.
Also curious if these “gaurantee” payments have changed significantly, whether in the contractual terms or payment amounts (taking into account inflation), since the OU-Texas realignment news. Would make for a good article/topic how ADs are changing their strategies.
The Cincinnati-Miami contract is easily findable via Google. Miami wasn’t being paid out at all – it was a recurring Home & Home agreement with no additional compensation for either side. That’s why Miami wanted out – they’d rather go get a $1.2M check for a road buy game than play a H&H where the only financial benefit was selling an extra 10,000 tickets to Cincinnati fans when they were at home.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Victory Bell game comes back every 3-4 years as a buy game with UC writing MU a big check. Both ADs have made statements alluding to the fact that they are “keeping to door open to playing again in the future.”
I like OOC games regardless of level whether it would be West Georgia-Georgia or Eastern Michigan-Michigan or Oklahoma State-Oklahoma especially when it comes to crosstown in-state or border rival.
@Benjamin You’re right, the 2017 agreement only references that the gaurantee payments to the visiting team have been eliminated. And maybe in a few years time Cincinnati writes the check to host Miami. I don’t think it will be that simple, especially if that’s the ultimate intention why not commit to paying Miami now instead paying another school that would result in lower attendance.
Agreement Reference:
https://miamioh.edu/_files/documents/athletics/public-records/game-contracts/cincinnati-multiple-years.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiKjcqtv9yHAxXNEUQIHbo2L7gQFnoECBAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw33DpcfrDPjlz6DGIYKpkoM