This season marks the end of a 78-year streak of the annual Battle for the Victory Bell. Each year since 1945 (excluding 2020), the Miami University RedHawks and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats have squared off in a yearly competition to determine the best football team in southwest Ohio.
One more game is scheduled for 2026 at Paycor Stadium, home to the Cincinnati Bengals. The 2025, 2027 and 2028 matchups have been canceled.
The Battle for the Victory Bell rivalry dates back to 1888, when the two teams faced each other in the first collegiate football game in the state of Ohio. Since then, they have met 127 times, each team with 60 wins, 60 losses and seven ties.
Having earned the bell last year, the RedHawks plan to hold onto their victory and take the advantage in the series.
“We have the bell right now, [and] we want to keep it,” senior linebacker Ty Wise said. “If we’re going to discontinue the series, we want to keep that trophy in our locker room and go out on top.”
The rivalry provides a local competition for the greater-Cincinnati area. Players from both teams know each other, and the energy around the matchup brings a new excitement for fans. Redshirt-junior offensive lineman Will Jados has a personal history with the rivalry.
“It’s a little upsetting: That’s a game that we get very excited for,” Jados said. “Even the student section at UC has all their chants, and the fans love it. I’ve got friends and family that have gone to Cincinnati, and I love just having that competition and trash-talking leading up to the game.”
The 128th meeting between the schools takes place at Yager Stadium for the first time since 2017, when the RedHawks squandered their lead late in the game in a 21-17 loss.
Miami alum and sports journalist Terence Moore attended the 2017 game. During his time as a student in the 1970s, Moore remembered fans packing the stands for the RedHawks’ games. Attendance decreased in the 2010s, but the 2017 game was an opportunity to bring back excitement for the program.
“Not only were the students still there, they were standing and cheering like I have not heard in decades,” Moore said. “I just remember how deflated that crowd was. I remember turning to somebody, and I said, ‘We just lost a generation of Miami fans just like that.’”
Moore believes that the current state of intercollegiate athletics has become overly complicated. The transfer portal, NIL and conference realignments have disrupted the traditions in college football. For him, the Battle for the Victory Bell is a casualty of this overcomplication.
“How many times have you had a rivalry of that type ended?” Moore said. “This is a rarity. One of the reasons that I’m going to the game on Saturday is because it’s the last game that’s coming to Oxford.”
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Moore’s frustration is elevated considering the history of both programs. The Battle for the Victory Bell is the longest non-conference rivalry in all of college football. It is also the rivalry with the fourth-most meetings.
Great players and coaches have originated from both schools. Former player Jay Fry remembers the rivalry fondly.
“It’s really disappointing,” Fry said. “It’s always been a terrific rivalry, and it’s a shame that we’re stepping away from it.”
Disappointment, frustration and confusion plague Miami fans and alumni. The end of the rivalry feels like the end of a nearly 200-year long story. The uncertainty with its future and the tied series has both sides fighting for the permanent rights to the bell this year.
Fry believes that both sides need to do whatever it takes to continue the rivalry. Financial matters don’t take precedence over the history between the two programs.
“If UC won’t come to Oxford and play here, play at Paycor or take it to Indianapolis,” Fry said. “I hope they come to terms in agreement to keep it going.”
The RedHawks have a chance to continue their winning streak from last year and close out the rivalry with the series advantage. Defensive plays last year significantly impacted the game, including a blocked field goal and the game-winning interception from cornerback Yahsyn McKee.
Defensive coordinator Bill Brechin has seen this rivalry 11 times. For him, the defense needs to play their hardest against a resilient Cincinnati offense, but the importance in their playing style is honoring Miami.
“My key is, win or lose, did we play the game the right way?” Brechin said. “Obviously, everything we do, we’re preparing to win this game. Yes, it’s a big rivalry, and yes, it’s crazy important, but I’m worried about our defense [and honoring] this game and the university with the way we play.”
The battle starts at noon on Saturday. Fans are traveling from all over to see the conclusion to the rivalry, and Miami cannot disappoint.
“They’ve got to win this game,” Moore said. “There is no way on God’s green earth that Miami of Ohio, the school of Paul Brown, Ara Parseghian, Woody Hayes, Sean McVay and John Harbaugh should lose the last home game ever to that team 37 miles to the south.”
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