New Nippert Stadium Review
On December 6, 2013 Cincinnati lost to Louisville in the last game played in Nippert Stadium before the $86 million renovation to the stadium. In the 637 days since that game arguably no topic surrounding Cincinnati athletics has been more discussed than the reopening of the stadium.
Despite the lightning/rain delay putting a damper (see what I did there?) on the start of the festivities a great crowd was on hand to witness the historic moment in Cincinnati football history. Fortunately, I was one of the lucky people to not only attend the game, but to take in the action from the Scholarship Club Level of the stadium. Below is my review with some photos I took throughout the night.
THE FOOD
Put it this way, I sacrificed my own personal well being in the form of thousands of calories consumed to bring you, the loyal reader, this review. Here now, a plate by plate play by play.
Plate One: Italian Sausage, Cheddar Cornbread, Collard Greens, and Spicy Shrimp & Grits. I give this plate a solid B+. I like that they are going to incorporate key components of the visiting team’s local cuisine each game and the southern style food didn’t disappoint.
Plate Two: Italian Pasta Salad, Cheese Cubes, Fresh Veggies, and Potato Salad. Another B. More classic Hors d’oeuvres but quality food nevertheless.
Plate Three: Hamburger on Pretzel Bun, Herb Crusted Pork Loin, and Brownie. Don’t judge me, it was a long lightning delay… I give this plate a C+. The creativity points were there (looking at you pretzel bun) but the execution wasn’t what I was hoping for or expecting. Plus, I couldn’t find any cheese for the burger.
THE BAR(s)
I will give them this, there was no shortage of booze in the club lounge. And some good stuff too. Multiple bars were set up with a nice variety of micro brews and various types of liquor at each bar complimented with plenty of TV’s to watch different games on.
The best part about the bar was that everything was GASP… reasonably priced!!!
I give the bar scene an A with the only room for improvement being the lack of variety on the TV’s. The Indiana/Southern Illinois game was playing on all three TV’s at my bar of choice and the bartenders could not figure out how to put the Temple/Penn State game on. Once they get the TV’s figured out it will definitely be an A+.
GAME EXPERIENCE
Without question an A+! The view was perfect and the seats were VERY comfortable. At 6’1″ I’ve always had trouble with leg room at Nippert. That will not be an issue anymore. The only thing I noticed was my ticket stub said Row H while the rows were labeled with numbers on the end of the aisle. It threw me off, but I have an undergraduate from UC and am smart enough that Row H = Row 8.
OVERALL
I give the total experience an A. Right off the bat, shelter from the storm was a MAJOR positive. Stepping into the air conditioning and lounging on a couch at halftime was also very nice.
The menu was enormous and the food was above and beyond the typical stadium experience.
The one thing that set the experience apart from the rest was the staff. They were absolutely phenomenal. They were friendly and accommodating and very clearly were busting their butts to provide a top of the line gameday experience. When the storm hit, the lounge got very crowded but they never missed a beat keeping the food coming and the drinks stocked. If you have the means and the ability to experience the Scholarship Club, I highly recommend you give it a try.
This is my first post to Cincy on the Prowl. Give me some feedback! You can follow me on Twitter @TravisBHolmes.