In conjunction with the 128th Battle for the Victory Bell on Saturday at Yager Stadium, fans can obtain a Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Miami RedHawks commemorative bobblehead.
The series is tied 60-60-7 and with Miami University opting out of their return trip to Nippert Stadium in 2025, this possibly is the last game in Oxford . The only remaining rivalry game after Saturday is 2026's scheduled neutral site gathering at Paycor Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Standing side-by-side on a football field base that reads “BEARCATS” in one end zone and “REDHAWKS” in the other end zone, Cincinnati’s mascot The Bearcat and Miami’s mascot Swoop the RedHawk are wearing their respective uniforms while giving the No. 1 signal and holding a football with their school logo. Positioned in between The Bearcat and Swoop is a replica of the Victory Bell Trophy which rotates so either side of the bell can be visible from the front. The front of the base also features the logos for each team.
Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,024. The bobbleheads are now available in the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store at www.bobbleheadhall.com . They are expected to ship in January and are $50 plus shipping of $8 per order. Depending on what side of the score your team falls, it could be a keepsake.
"We’re excited to unveil this limited-edition Cincinnati vs. Miami Rivalry Bobblehead ahead of Satirday's game in Oxford,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “This bobblehead will be the perfect way for Cincinnati and Miami fans, alumni, students, faculty, and staff to show off their school pride.”
Victory Bell trivia
Having first been played in 1888, the Cincinnati Bearcats-Miami University rivalry is tied for being the oldest in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The North Carolina-Wake Forest rivalry and North Carolina-Duke rivalry also date to 1888. It's also the fourth-most played FBS rivalry game, with 127 meetings going into the current matchup. Miami won 31-24 in overtime in last year’s meeting at Nippert Stadium, snapping a 16-game losing streak to UC and tying the all-time series record at 60-60-7.
The campuses are 35 miles apart and the series is the oldest Division I rivalry west of the Allegheny Mountains. After NCAA conference realignment led to the end of several historic rivalries, Cincinnati-Miami is now the most-played currently active rivalry involving schools from the same state.
The much-traveled Bell
The original Victory Bell hung in Miami’s Harrison Hall near the site of the first game in Oxford and was used to ring in Miami victories. The traveling trophy tradition began in the 1890s when some Cincinnati Bearcats fans “borrowed” the bell. The bell went to the winner of the annual game for the next 40 years until it mysteriously disappeared in the 1930s. The original bell reappeared in 1946 and was on display in the lobby of Miami’s Murstein Alumni Center for years. The current trophy is a replica of the original bell and is kept in the possession of the winning team each year. One side of the bell is painted black with white numbers showing Cincinnati’s victories, while the other side is white with red numbers showing Miami’s victories.
Saturday's game is a noon kickoff. You may follow along on Cincinnati.com for live score updates and @sspringer on X.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: There's a Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Miami RedHawks Victory Bell bobblehead available
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