CINCINNATI — The University of Cincinnati football team is scheduled to open the 2022 season at the University of Arkansas Sept. 3. The program announced its entire scheduleThursday afternoon.
It will be the Bearcats' first-ever matchup with Arkansas and UC's first regular-season game against a Southeastern Conference opponent since traveling to Knoxville to battle Tennessee in 2011.
The Bearcats (13-1 in 2021) return 12 starters and is led by reigning consensus national coach of the year Luke Fickell after making a trip to the 2021 College Football Playoff when they lost to Number 1 seed Alabama. Fickell has agreed to an extension that will be approved by the board of trustees on Feb. 22. The extension would keep him in Clifton through 2028.
UC has the nation's second-longest home win streak (27 games) entering this upcoming season. The Bearcats' home opener is Sept. 10 against Kennesaw State.
The Bearcats will host five other games at Nippert Stadium including Indiana (Sept. 24), South Florida (Oct. 8), Navy (Nov. 5), East Carolina for a Friday night game (Nov. 11) and Tulane (Nov. 25 or Nov. 26).
UC plays Miami University Sept. 17 for the 126th Battle for the Victory Bell at Paul Brown Stadium. The RedHawks are the home team for the annual rivalry series which is tied at 59-59-7 overall.
The two-time defending American Athletic Conference champion Bearcats will start conference play at Tulsa on Oct. 1 and travel to Southern Methodist University (Oct. 22) and University of Central Florida (Oct. 29) in consecutive weekends following a bye.
The team's final road trip of the regular season comes at Temple (Nov. 19). The American Athletic Conference Championship will be on Dec. 3.
UC has a 44-7 record since the start of the 2018 season.
The Bearcats will host their annual spring game April 9 at Nippert Stadium with a time to be determined. Spring football opens in early March.
