About 30 miles separate the University of Cincinnati from Miami University in Oxford. But the schools' football programs are much closer than that.
The Cincinnati Bearcats and Miami RedHawks have played on the gridiron 125 times, with the first meeting occurring more than 130 years ago. The two teams played to a 0-0 tie in their inaugural matchup on Dec. 8, 1888.
The Battle for the Victory Bell, the name of the football rivalry series between the Bearcats and RedHawks, is the oldest nonconference rivalry in college football. The latest installment of the rivalry will take place Saturday (noon on ESPNU) at Paycor Stadium, the home of the Cincinnati Bengals, and there will be a couple of twists to the 126th meeting between the two teams.