Fifth Third Arena A Priority In Massive University Of Cincinnati Capital Campaign?

Jan 1, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; The Cincinnati Bearcats dance team performs before the game against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Leifheit-USA TODAY Sports

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Cliff Peale of the Cincinnati Enquirer released an column late last night announcing that the University of Cincinnati was on the cusp of embarking on a massive campaign to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for projects across campus. Such priorities include:

"…investing in the Cincinnati Cancer Center to reach the top national designation, building a new neuroscience building on the medical-school campus, renovating Fifth Third Arena, and hiring dozens of new researchers and teachers in engineering and other high-growth areas."

Well would you look at that.

Unless Peale is being very loose with his phrasing, it would appear that UC has intentions of renovating Fifth Third Arena rather than moving the basketball program to US Bank Arena. Whether the school has a hard, step-by-step strategy or if they are rough at best is unknown. But if we’re taking Peale’s report literally, the University of Cincinnati is carving out parts of their upcoming fundraising campaign to invest in their on campus basketball arena.

Again, these are just a few words in a broader article about raising money for projects across UC. It’s anyone’s guess if the school has ultimately decided to keep the program in Clifton. But despite apparent pressure from “major” donors to play downtown, Cincinnati may be moving in the direction of renovating Fifth Third Arena. This is something that we should all keep an eye on in the coming days and weeks.