# Cincinnati–West Virginia rivalry

The Cincinnati–West Virginia rivalry is a college sports rivalry between the University of Cincinnati Bearcats and West Virginia University Mountaineers, which are about 300 miles (480 km) apart. The rivalry dates from their first college football game in 1921, and has continued across all sports, including basketball since 1940. The rivalry intensified while the two schools were conference foes and members of the Big East Conference.

## History

College Comparison :
| | Cincinnati | West Virginia |
| Founded | 1819 | 1867 |
| Type | Public | Public |
| Location | Cincinnati, OH | Morgantown, WV |
| Conference | Big 12 | Big 12 |
| Students | 44,338 | 29,933 |
| School colors | | |
| Nickname | Bearcats | Mountaineers |
| Stadium | Nippert Stadium | Milan Puskar Stadium |
| Arena | Fifth Third Arena | WVU Coliseum |
The schools have not played since West Virginia left the Big East for the Big 12 in 2012. Cincinnati remained in the Big East, which became the American Athletic Conference in 2013. Cincinnati was later invited on September 10, 2021, into the Big 12 Conference, starting in 2023–24 season.
In men's basketball both Gale Catlett and Bob Huggins were successful head coaches at both institutions.

## Football
### Notable games

November 17, 2007: West Virginia had momentum as the No. 5 ranked team in the nation, and Cincinnati was ranked No. 21 after back-to-back wins against ranked opponents No. 20 USF and No. 16 Connecticut. West Virginia was able to hold on for a victory by defeating No. 21 Cincinnati 28–23 to keep its Big East title hopes alive.
November 13, 2009: Cincinnati was undefeated with a 9–0 record and ranked No. 5, the Bearcats seeking a second consecutive Big East Championship. West Virginia was ranked No. 23. Cincinnati would hold off the Mountaineers to remain undefeated, beating West Virginia 24–21, which helped propel Cincinnati to the 2010 Sugar Bowl.

### Game results

Rankings are from the AP Poll (1936–present), CFP Poll (2014–present)
| Cincinnati victories | West Virginia victories | Tie games |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 1 | October 1, 1921 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 50–0 |
| 2 | November 4, 1922 | Cincinnati, OH | West Virginia | 34–0 |
| 3 | September 26, 1936 | Cincinnati, OH | West Virginia | 40–6 |
| 4 | October 14, 1939 | Cincinnati, OH | West Virginia | 7–0 |
| 5 | November 9, 1940 | Morgantown, WV | Tie | 7–7 |
| 6 | September 13, 1969 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 57–11 |
| 7 | September 6, 1980 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 41–27 |
| 8 | October 17, 1987 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 45–17 |
| 9 | November 5, 1988 | Cincinnati, OH | #4 West Virginia | 51–13 |
| 10 | October 21, 1989 | Morgantown, WV | #18 West Virginia | 69–3 |
| 11 | October 17, 1990 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 28–20 |
| 12 | September 14, 2002 | Cincinnati, OH | West Virginia | 35–32 |
| 13 | September 13, 2003 | Morgantown, WV | Cincinnati | 15–13 |
| 14 | November 9, 2005 | Cincinnati, OH | #14 West Virginia | 38–0 |
| 15 | November 11, 2006 | Morgantown, WV | #10 West Virginia | 42–24 |
| 16 | November 17, 2007 | Cincinnati, OH | #5 West Virginia | 28–23 |
| 17 | November 8, 2008 | Morgantown, WV | Cincinnati | 26–23 $^{OT}$ |
| 18 | November 13, 2009 | Cincinnati, OH | #5 Cincinnati | 24–21 |
| 19 | November 13, 2010 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 37–10 |
| 20 | November 12, 2011 | Cincinnati, OH | West Virginia | 24–21 |
| 21 | November 18, 2023 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 42–21 |
| 22 | November 9, 2024 | Cincinnati, OH | West Virginia | 31–24 |
| Series: West Virginia leads 18–3–1 |||||

## Men's basketball
### Notable games

March 14, 1998: In the round of 32 of the 1998 NCAA tournament #2 Seed Cincinnati would take the lead with 7.1 seconds remaining in the second half before the #10 Seed Mountaineers stormed back down the court and took the lead back with their own 3-point shot, upsetting the Bearcats 75–74.
January 30, 2008: In his first game at West Virginia facing his former school, Bob Huggins lost to his former assistant coach Mick Cronin as Cincinnati beat the Mountaineers 62–39 in Morgantown.

### Game results

Rankings are from the AP Poll (1936–present)
| Cincinnati victories | West Virginia victories | Tie games |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 1 | January 21, 1941 | Cincinnati, OH | West Virginia | 47–43 |
| 2 | February 15, 1941 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 55–36 |
| 3 | January 1, 1949 | Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati | 72–62 |
| 4 | January 29, 1949 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 81–63 |
| 5 | January 19, 1950 | Cincinnati, OH | No. 20 Cincinnati | 69–59 |
| 6 | February 11, 1950 | Morgantown, WV | Cincinnati | 69–64$^{2OT}$ |
| 7 | February 23, 1976 | Cincinnati, OH | No. 18 Cincinnati | 66–56 |
| 8 | February 24, 1978 | Cincinnati, OH | No. 18 Cincinnati | 96–80 |
| 9 | January 24, 1979 | Morgantown, WV | Cincinnati | 79–65 |
| 10 | March 14, 1998$^A$ | Boise, ID | West Virginia | 75–74 |
| 11 | February 4, 2006 | Morgantown, WV | No. 11 West Virginia | 66–57 |
| 12 | March 4, 2006 | Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati | 78–75 |
| 13 | January 20, 2007 | Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati | 96–83$^{OT}$ |
| 14 | March 3, 2007 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 79–65 |
| 15 | January 30, 2008 | Morgantown, WV | Cincinnati | 62–39 |
| 16 | February 26, 2009 | Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati | 65–61 |
| 17 | February 27, 2010 | Morgantown, WV | No. 8 West Virginia | 74–68 |
| 18 | March 11, 2010$^B$ | New York, NY | No. 7 West Virginia | 54–51 |
| 19 | January 29, 2011 | Cincinnati, OH | West Virginia | 66–55 |
| 20 | January 21, 2012 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 77–74$^{OT}$ |
| 21 | January 31, 2024 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 69–65 |
| 22 | March 9, 2024 | Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati | 92–56 |
| 23 | March 12, 2024$^C$ | Kansas City, MO | Cincinnati | 90–85 |
| 24 | February 2, 2025 | Cincinnati, OH | West Virginia | 63–50 |
| 25 | February 19, 2025 | Morgantown, WV | West Virginia | 62–59 |
| Series: West Virginia leads 13–12 |||||

#### Notes

$^A$1998 NCAA Round of 32 $^B$2010 Big East men's basketball tournament $^C$2024 Big 12 men's basketball tournament