Nippert Stadium will feature more brand new amenities in 2005. A new, permanent grandstand provides new and improved seating in the North endzone. Underneath the structure are new game locker rooms for both the Bearcats and the visiting team.

The scoreboard will feature a new video board, nearly twice as large as the previous display, while the playing field will be replaced with a new installation of FieldTurf, the grass-like artificial turf.

These are just the latest enhancements which preserve the rich history and tradition of Nippert Stadium while making it a contemporary place in which to play and watch a game.

Nippert Stadium has been home to Bearcat football since 1902, making it the fourth-oldest playing site and fifth-oldest stadium in college football.

The stadium's founder was Arch Carson, who as captain and principal organizer, played a significant role in starting football on the UC campus in 1885. In 1901 as physical director of the university, Carson guided the construction of the field which was later named for him-the playing surface is still called Carson Field.

In 1916, construction began on a permanent brick-and-concrete stadium structure, which was completed, section-by-section, as funds were raised.

During the season-ending clash with rival Miami (Ohio) in 1923, Jimmy Nippert sustained a spike wound injury and died a month later from blood poisoning. His grandfather, James N. Gamble of Procter and Gamble, provided the funds needed to complete the horseshoe-shaped structure, and the James Gamble Nippert Memorial Stadium was dedicated on Nov. 8, 1924.

Nippert Stadium has undergone a series of expansions. In 1936, the playing field was lowered 12 feet to allow spectator seating to increase to 24,000. The Reed Shank Pavilion was added in 1954 to bring the capacity to 28,000. In 1991, the capacity was upped to 35,000 through extending the upper deck, now called the Herschede-Shank Pavilion, and a new pressbox was constructed.

Artificial turf was first installed in 1970 and in 2000, the stadium became one of the first in the U.S. to utilize FieldTurf, a grass-like synthetic surface.

Early-century brickwork combined with wrought iron gates and trim give Nippert a comfortable old-time stadium charm and appeal, while continuing renovations have enabled it to remain a classic showplace for college football.