CINCINNATI — Though they’ve been playing soccer there for three years, FC Cincinnati’s 2019 season at historic Nippert Stadium will be a first. This will the first in which Major League Soccer is played in the Queen City.
The 104-year-old Nippert Stadium is in the heart of the University of Cincinnati campus in the densely-populated neighborhood of Clifton. And when packed to the brim with 32,250 screaming fans, it truly presents one of the country’s most unique soccer experiences.
But even for veterans of FC Cincinnati matchdays, the beginning of the MLS era will usher in some changes at Nippert. So for the unacquainted, and those looking to polish up their plans for the day, here’s a quick guide to taking in an FC Cincinnati home match.
How to get there
Cincinnati is very much a driving city. So by extension, getting to a match at Nippert Stadium means you’re going to have to take a car. Accessing the stadium is a snap from the two main highway thoroughfares in the city. Those coming from I-75 can head east off the Hopple Street exit, while drivers coming from I-71 can take the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive exit to the west.
Once you’ve arrived, there’s ample parking around the University of Cincinnati campus off of Woodside Drive and Clifton Avenue. Four on-campus garages are available on matchdays for cash parking. Shown in blue here, in any of those garages will run $15. It’s highly recommended fans arrive early to avoid long lines just before kickoff. Several off-campus parking garages are also available, as is limited on-street parking.
Pregame festivities
Unlike many MLS experiences, tailgating really isn’t a thing at FC Cincinnati home matches. Instead, congregating at one of a slew of nearby bars and restaurants close take its place. Concentrated on Short Vine to the east of campus and Calhoun and McMillan Streets to the South, almost every establishment is within a 10-minute walk of Nippert.
But the real highlight of the prematch festivities is the march. Originating from the home bars for the club’s two largest supporters groups — Mecklenburg Gardens for Die Innenstadt and Top Cats for The Pride — the two groups convene on Short Vine around 45-minutes before kickoff and march to the stadium as one. The crowd can grow to upward of a thousand supporters and takes over entire streets. And after quickly passing through the gates, the march reorganizes inside the stadium and continues down the canyon-like East concourse.
That's one BIIIIIIIIG march. #CINvCHI pic.twitter.com/adpRUUwH7J
— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) June 28, 2017
For those with younger fans, there’s also the club’s pregame kids zone, with activities ranging from face painting to small sided games. The kids zone itself can be found just outside Gate 2 and the box office on the southeast side of the stadium.
Where to sit
Due to the historic nature of Nippert Stadium, the concrete stands sit steeply against the pitch. As such, there truly is no bad seat in the place.
The hardest place to get tickets, however, is in The Bailey. Situated at the north end of the pitch below the scoreboard, The Bailey is where the club’s supporters groups gather. Sold out for the season and requiring a wristband for entry, you might just have to know someone to get into the most in-demand section in Cincinnati sports. Though if you do get in, remember to stand — sitting will earn you multiple reminders.
Where to Celebrate
The aforementioned bars around campus make for a great place to congregate again after the final whistle. In fact, with long lines to exit the parking garages, grabbing a postmatch drink or bite to eat might even be advisable. FCC supporters group The Pride frequently host postmatch parties at their home bar, Top Cats. But any of the surrounding establishments make for great pit stops before calling it a night, and will be packed with the Orange and Blue until the wee hours of the night.