Vote: Is Cincinnati Still A Basketball School, Or A Football School Now?

I’ve probably told this story before but it’s worth sharing again.

When I was back in Cincinnati visiting my parents in 2009 I happen to run into a few kids in my neighborhood, then high school juniors and seniors. As we were catching up, if you want to call it that, the conversation eventually steered to the topic of where they were going to college. Being the oldest member in the group, it was likely me who brought up that up, but let’s move past how old I’m getting.

As each kid ran through their schools, many were considering Miami, UC, Xavier, Indiana, Purdue, one of them emphatically declared he was going to Cincinnati because “it’s such a football school”.

I’m not sure if he wound up enrolling at UC or if they read this blog (if so, “Hi there!”) but his reaction was surprising to say the least.

Obviously I liked his answer and even more so his determination. But I found the statement peculiar. When I was growing up, UC was first and foremost a basketball school. The Bearcats regularly dominated their opponents and lived at the top of the rankings. It was easy to support UC back then in the same manner it was easy to root for them when Brian Kelly was leading Cincinnati to back-to-back BCS Bowl games.

So I can understand a potential shift in mindset for fans newer to the red and black.

Is UC now more a football school? On the one hand, the Bearcats have posted double-digit win seasons 5 of the last 8 years and conference championships 5 of the last 7, are favorites to repeat next season, and dropped a truckload of cash on future college football hall of famer Tommy Tuberville’s doorstep to coach their team.

On the other, Cincinnati just earned their fifth NCAA Tournament bid in as many seasons, also winning 20+ games in each of those years. Mick Cronin has loaded the roster with scorers like never before but is still emphasized the type of suffocating defense that lifted Bearcats basketball out of the ashes 8 years ago. In essence, Cincinnati is a program that can win at least 20 games and be on the cusp of a NCAA bid in a bad year. The ceiling, though, is conference championships, Final Fours, and more.

So I leave the question up to you. Is Cincinnati considered a “basketball school” still or have they become a “football school”? Vote in the poll below to voice your opinion and elaborate on your choice in the comments section.

You have to choose one or the other, not both. Sorry, I’m a jerk like that.