In this week’s review, the busiest week in local professional sports in months. From FC Cincinnati’s return to Opening Day news and more. Plus, a local college and minor league sports midyear review.

Cincinnati Professional sports weekly review

FC Cincinnati played their first match since March on Saturday night. Losing 4-0 to the Columbus Crew in Orlando. FC Cincinnati looked as rusty as a team that hadn’t played in four months could look. They also looked as tired as a team playing past midnight could look. The match began after 11 PM Eastern time and stretched into Sunday morning. FC Cincinnati will face Atlanta United next on Thursday. Kickoff for that game is set for 9 AM Eastern time on ESPN. 

The Cincinnati Reds’ revised 2020 regular season schedule was released last Monday. In keeping with tradition, the Reds will open their season at home. Facing the Detroit Tigers on July 24th; the Tigers had the league’s worst record last year. First pitch at Great American Ball Park is set for 6:10 PM Eastern time. Last Wednesday, the Reds named Sonny Gray as their Opening Day starter.

Meanwhile, Cole Custer won this year’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. The area’s most notable NASCAR race was held in Sparta, KY on Sunday. In football news, the Cincinnati Bengals revealed fan guidelines for home games next season. Doing so through an e-mail to season ticket holders last Friday. Among the changes, capacity at Paul Brown Stadium is being significantly reduced for this upcoming season. Fans will be required to wear masks for games. Plus, tailgating at PBS parking lots will not be permitted.  

A local midyear College and Minor League sports review

Cincinnati Football began the year with a Birmingham Bowl victory. Wrapping up a season where the Cincinnati Bearcats won their division. Meanwhile, Cincinnati Football and College Football’s 2020 season is now in a state of flux. Due to several announcements by three conferences last week. First, the Ivy League announced they won’t play any fall sports this year.

Elsewhere, the Big Ten and Pac 12 teams will play a conference only schedule this fall. The Big Ten’s move is effecting Cincinnati’s schedule. Cincinnati’s September 26th road game against Nebraska Football has been cancelled. Other conferences could follow the Big Ten and Pac 12’s lead. There’s also the realistic possibility that there won’t be a 2020 college football season.

Beyond football, the University of Cincinnati is in the midst of a wild 2020. The university dropped their men’s soccer program in April. Becoming among the first of several schools to drop athletic programs in the age of COVID-19. Last week, Stanford University cut 11 athletic programs. Dayton’s Wright State University dropped three programs in June.

UC is also removing Marge Schott’s name from their baseball stadium. After public pressure and a petition campaign supported by current and former UC Baseball players. Schott was the former owner of the Cincinnati Reds. She drew controversy through making several racist and anti-Semitic statements. No decision has been made about the stadium’s future name.

Another move in recent weeks effects both UC and Xavier University. On July 1st, the University of Connecticut left UC’s American Athletic Conference. Re-joining the Big East Conference after a seven year absence. Xavier moved into the Big East when Connecticut moved out in 2013. When former Big East schools with football split to form the AAC. Since the Big East doesn’t sponsor football anymore. Connecticut Football is joining six other schools as FBS Independents.

In basketball news, 2020 will go down as the first year since 1938 with no March Madness. The NCAA’s DI men’s and women’s basketball tournament’s were cancelled on March 12th. Just three days before Selection Sunday was set to be. Before the NCAA Tournament’s cancellation, NKU’s men’s basketball team won the Horizon League’s tournament. Their third in program history and first under new head coach Darrin Horn.

Horn’s NKU predecessor John Brannen led Cincinnati Basketball to a No.1 seed in the AAC Tournament. That tournament was cancelled a day before UC was set to play. Xavier Basketball did get to play in their conference tournament. Losing in the first round of the Big East Tournament. In the last Big East Tournament game completed before it was cancelled.

In minor league sports, the Cincinnati Cyclones season came to an end in March. When the ECHL cancelled the remainder of their regular season and playoffs. The Cyclones qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs days before play was suspended. Meanwhile, Minor League Baseball’s season was officially cancelled on June 30th. The Florence Y’all’s independent Frontier League also cancelled their season. Despite the cancellation, the Y’all’s will try to play some games this year. By joining the Lexington Legends in what’s being dubbed “The Battle of The Bourbon Trail.”