UC faithful flock to Miami

The University of Cincinnati just experienced its first BCS Bowl in school history, and Bearcats fans showed up en masse.

An estimated 20,000 UC fans made the 1,100-mile commute to the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area to experience the Bearcats’ first appearance in the FedEx Orange Bowl.

“Going to the Orange Bowl was a great thrill,” said Pat Lough, a fifth-year mechanical engineering major. “What made the trip even better was the support other fans showed.”

"When I first came to UC, I would have never imagined this much fan support.”

The UC Department of Athletics was proud about how  many fans traveled to the Orange Bowl.

“It was pretty impressive that we were able to sell more bowl tickets – in terms of dollar amount – than we have before. It was overwhelming in some ways, and to see how well our fans responded in comparison to what Virginia Tech fans responded to,” said Mike Waddell, UC’s senior associate director of athletics. “It was a positive experience. There is also room to improve on, and it will be a great launching point for 2009, where our goal is to sell out the season.”

That amount of fan support was largely viewed as unrealistic years ago.

When he left in 2006, former head coach Mark Dantonio said UC fans have not “taken ownership” of the team,.At that time, they were averaging just 20,373 fans, which ranked 90th out of 119 in the FBS. Now the Bearcats’ fan base has been energized because of head coach Brian Kelly.

“I never thought that they would get there,” said Paul Riehle, a season ticket holder for 10 years. “My enthusiasm has jumped 500 percent with coach Kelly here.”

The UC Department of Athletics announced they sold approximately 13,000 tickets, compared to Virginia Tech, which sold less than 5,000. Many fans from both schools, however, bought tickets through independent sources. 

One Miami television station estimated more than 10,000 people, mostly UC fans, parked in front of Dolphins Stadium hours before kickoff to take part in the tailgating festivities.

“The gates opened at 11, we got there at about ten minutes to 11 and when we pulled in, we were able to get a spot on the front line there … It was mostly UC people there tailgating,” Riehle said.

Bowl games are big business, and Waddell believes the support UC fans showed in the Orange Bowl will have great ramifications in the future.

“Bowl people talk, and they’ll remember everything about UC’s bowl experience, from the way the team conducted themselves in a very professional manner, to the way the students behave” Waddell said. “UC made a great showing, and that all pays dividends, both now, and in the future.”

The Bearcats may have suffered a 20-7 loss to the Hokies, but UC fans enjoyed the trip and the memories of the 2008 season.

“Even though we lost, it was still a great trip, and we’re proud about the way they [represented] Cincinnati,” Waddell said.