One of the oldest educational institutions in Cincinnati is proud to call Cincinnati Bearcats their football team, although there was a time when they were winning basketball players. This team has had multiple outstanding football players who made this team worth to be noticed. In fact, they made it to the College Football Playoff, which made the team well-known across the nation despite the fact that they did not win the game.

Meaning and History

The first team began playing over 100 years ago, in 1914. The name and the mascot of the university might make it look like the team is named after a binturong, an animal also known as a bearcat. However, it was originally part of the chant that referred to Leonard “Teddy” Baehr being on the team and the team having a “Baehr-cat” to oppose the Kentucky Wildcats.

What is Cincinnati Bearcats?

The Cincinnati Bearcats football team is an American football team that represents the University of Cincinnati. These players loyally stand behind its campus and put in all the effort to be one of the best college teams. Its success throughout the team’s history has changed along with its coaches and players.

1959 – 1968

The first team emblem with a reference to their name “Bearcats” appeared in the late ’50s. It depicted an angry cat with an arched back and a bear’s head and feet. The cat was drawn in bright orange color with black contouring. The team’s name was written on a banner that followed the arch of the back and in a straight banner across the body of the bearcat. Off-white lettering stood out against the black color of the banner.

1983 – 1989

The next logo featured the same animal that instilled fear and respect. It was just its head. The animal was drawn in a circle with a thin double border with ears just barely sticking out. The bearcat was black on a white background. The white was also used to draw the eyes, whisks, teeth, and other facial features. Overall, the logo presented the same witty character with a good share of determination.

1990 – 2005

The team’s name was brought back. The word “Cincinnati” was written in bright, capitalized red letters of various heights with “Bearcats” written in smaller font and positioned right below. The key feature of the new emblem was a cat. It was gray with white accents and a red tongue. The cartoonish cat was confidently walking on its two feet with one “hand” being clenched in a fist and the other stretched out up in such a way that the second “C” was right on its paw and the claws were sticking out from the above it. Its facial expression and posture were saying that you do not mess with such a cat.

2006 – Today

A very minimalistic logo was introduced in 2006. It kept the idea of the bearcat and black and red colors. This time, it was a paw with four claws. The paw was drawn to resemble a classic letter “C” which stood for the team’s name. It was drawn at a slight inclination in the right direction and had sharp, pointy ends, just like the claws. An underscore in the form of a red rhomboid right under the paw added an energetic feeling. Actually, the letter “C” and underscore were simply taken from the previous version of the emblem.