>

River City Rivalry Pitt Panthers-Cincinnati Bearcats
History
1st Meeting	October 15, 1921 PITT Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... : 21-14
Last Meeting	November 5, 2011 CIN Cincinnati Bearcats football The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as... : 26-23
Next Meeting	TBD
Number of Meetings	11
All-Time Series	PITT Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... : 8-3
Largest victory	PITT Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... : 38-0 (9/30/1922)
Current Streak	CIN Cincinnati Bearcats football The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as... : Won 1
Longest PITT Win Streak	7 (1921–2007)
Longest CIN Win Streak	2 (2008–2009)

The River City Rivalry is an annual game played between Big East

Big East Conference

The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...

 rivals

Big East rivalries

The Big East Conference, founded in 1979, features many ongoing rivalries amongst its members. Many deal with the basketball teams, the original focus of the conference.-Named and trophy rivalries:* Backyard Brawl: Pittsburgh Panthers v...

 University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...

 and University of Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....

. The rivalry itself is relatively new, played regularly only since 2005, during which season the rivalry trophy was introduced. Before the rivalry was titled, the two teams played each other in 1921, 1922, 1979, and 1981. The game has only been played as a regular season matchup in either Cincinnati or Pittsburgh at each respective University's home football stadium.

Trophy

The Paddlewheel Trophy is the rivalry trophy that was created in 2005 when the Bearcats

Cincinnati Bearcats

The Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference....

 joined the Big East Conference to which the Pittsburgh Panthers

Pittsburgh Panthers football

Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...

 already belonged. Prior to 2005, the teams had met previously on only four prior occasions, most recently in 1981. However, the teams decided to create a trophy that would help their new conference rivalry grow and reflect the sports rivalry that already existed between the cities' professional football and baseball teams. The trophy is designed and named in honor the historic link between the cities from the days in the 19th and early-20th centuries when Paddle wheel

Paddle wheel

A paddle wheel is a waterwheel in which a number of scoops are set around the periphery of the wheel. It has several usages.* Very low lift water pumping, such as flooding paddy fields at no more than about height above the water source....

-powered boats

Paddle steamer

A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...

 traveled between the two cities along the Ohio River

Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

. The trophy stands 46 inches (116.8 cm) tall and weighs 95 pounds (43.1 kg). Mounted on the base is an authentic brass, engine-room telegraph that is a working model that was set for use on a ship in Seattle, Washington. The face of the trophy's telegraph was redesigned with logos from both teams on either side that can light up. The lever can be pulled to the side of the school who has won which also causes the ringing of bells. The front includes a steel plate featuring a carved outline of Allegheny

Allegheny River

The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

, Monongahela River

Monongahela River

The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...

s and Ohio River as it runs from Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

 to Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

. The 22 by base is made out of Ipê

Tabebuia

Tabebuia is a neotropical genus of about 100 species in the tribe Tecomeae of the family Bignoniaceae. The species range from northern Mexico and southern Florida south to northern Argentina, including the Caribbean islands of Hispaniola and Cuba...

 wood. The trophy was designed by the architectural firm of Robert Busch and Karl Wallick, the steel plate was manufactured by Vulkane of Cincinnati, and the remaining trophy was manufactured by Trophy Awards Manufacturing. Over 175 man-hours of design and labor went into its construction.

2009

The 2009 matchup between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh was described by one national columnist as the most "fascinating game I've ever seen." The game functioned as a Big East championship game, with Cincinnati entering first in the conference, and Pittsburgh at second. Additionally, the Bearcats entered the game undefeated and trying to earn a spot in the BCS National Championship Game

BCS National Championship Game

The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...

, while the 9–2 Panthers were trying to secure their first BCS bowl

Bowl Championship Series

The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...

 since the 2004

2005 Fiesta Bowl

The 2005 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2005, was the 34th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game was played between Utah and Pittsburgh, in front of 73,519 fans. It is notable for being the first BCS game to feature a team from a non-BCS conference, and the only BCS bowl to feature a...

 season. The Panthers had an early 31-10 lead, however, the ensuing kickoff was returned for a touchdown by Mardy Gilyard to make it a 31-17 game at halftime. Cincinnati completed the comeback, tying the game at 38 late in the 4th quarter. Pittsburgh running back Dion Lewis

Dion Lewis

Dion John Lewis is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft...

 scored a touchdown with 1:36 left in the game, but a mishandled snap prevented the Panthers from converting the extra point. The Bearcats then drove down the field and scored on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Tony Pike

Tony Pike

Anthony Steven "Tony" Pike is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft...

 to Armon Binns with 33 seconds remaining. Bearcats kicker Jake Rodgers converted the extra point attempt, and Cincinnati held on to win by the score of 45-44. Following the game, Cincinnati rose to a #3 ranking in the final BCS standing while Pitt dropped to #17. The game has been described as "one of the most crushing losses in the history of Pitt football."

Game results

Pittsburgh leads the all-time series with eight wins while Cincinnati has three wins.

#	Date	Winner	Score	Location	Series
1	October 15, 1921	Pittsburgh	21-14	Forbes Field Forbes Field Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise... , Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...	PITT 1-0
2	September 30, 1922	Pittsburgh	38-0	Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio is the University of Cincinnati's football stadium, home to their Bearcats football team in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since 1924, making it the fourth oldest playing site and fifth oldest stadium in college football.In 1895, the... , Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...	PITT 2-0
3	October 13, 1979	Pittsburgh	35-0	Pitt Stadium Pitt Stadium Pitt Stadium was a stadium located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1925 to 1999. It served primarily as the home of the University of Pittsburgh's football team, the Pittsburgh Panthers... , Pittsburgh, PA	PITT 3-0
4	September 19, 1981	Pittsburgh	38-7	Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA	PITT 4-0
5	October 8, 2005	Pittsburgh	38-20	Heinz Field Heinz Field Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively... , Pittsburgh, PA	PITT 5-0
6	September 8, 2006	Pittsburgh	33-15	Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH	PITT 6-0
7	October 20, 2007	Pittsburgh	24-17	Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA	PITT 7-0
8	November 22, 2008	Cincinnati	28-21	Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH	PITT 7-1
9	December 5, 2009	Cincinnati	45-44	Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA	PITT 7-2
10	December 4, 2010	Pittsburgh	28-10	Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH	PITT 8-2
11	November 5, 2011	Cincinnati	26-23	Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA	PITT 8-3

External links

• The Rivalry