Alabama head coach Nick Saban recently was quoted saying all power conference schools should play entire schedules made up of power conference opponents. It may sound like a good idea, but it is one that is clearly not likely to happen. Even Alabama is not following that idea while discussing future opponents, at least according to one Cincinnati-based reporter.
According to Tom Groeschen of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Alabama and Cincinnati are having talks about a potential scheduling agreement that could bring the Crimson Tide up to the state of Ohio for a game.Hearing that #UC has talked with #Alabama about future football dates. 2015 Nippert opener among possibilities. #Bearcats
— Tom Groeschen (@TomGroeschen) June 17, 2014
That would be nice of course, especially for Cincinnati. It is not often SEC powers travel up into the north for road games, although Alabama has not shied away from the idea under Saban (Alabama has played at Penn State and the Crimson Tide do take their show on the road for neutral site games). It would not be completely out of the realm of possibility to see Saban and Alabama make a trip into Ohio, a state ripe with football talent. It may not be Ohio State, but Cincinnati could be one of the top programs in the American Athletic Conference for years to come (unless an invite from the Big 12 ever shows up in the inbox). For Cincinnati to get a true home game against Alabama would be a pretty big deal too. Cincinnati has scheduled home games against programs like Purdue, North Carolina State and Oregon State in recent years, but a chance to get to host a blue blood in the sport in Nippert Stadium would be something else.
Cincinnati had a home-and-home series with Oklahoma in 2008 and 2010, but the home game for Cincinnati was moved to Paul Brown Stadium, home of the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals. A home date against Ohio State in 2002 was also moved to the NFL venue. It would not be a surprise to see similar treatment for a home game against Alabama, which makes even the hint of a Nippert Stadium deal a big deal for Cincinnati fans. But, alas, it is important to keep in mind this is nothing but a mild scheduling rumor at this point in time. It has legs to walk on though. Alabama needs a 2015 non-conference opponent and Cincinnati is re-opening their renovated stadium.
Cincinnati currently has schedule openings on September 12 and 26 in 2015. They also host Miami (and Miami Ohio and Alabama A&M), so it could be quite the attractive home schedule if Alabama is added. Alabama has a vacancy on September 12, 2015. It could work.
Alabama is 4-0 in the all-time series between the two schools. Alabama has played host in three of the four games played between 1982 and 1990, outscoring the Bearcats by a combined 140-27.