Tuberville said #UC may make its 2015 Nippert opener a conference game, opponent TBA (per radio interview with @MoEgger1530)

— Tom Groeschen (@TomGroeschen) July 23, 2025

As it stands right now Alabama A&M; is still on the docket as the opening game, but everyone involved probably including Alabama A&M; knows that is less than optimal. If the Bearcats can't get a better non conference opponent to agree to come into Nippert Stadium the obvious solution is to have a conference game open it up.

The question is who? To my mind there are two options if the Bearcats do indeed go the conference route to reopen Nippert. The more preferable of the two would be to reopen with UCF. With the AAC opening divisional play there is no reason to hold onto the old idea of trying to get the championship game to be decided with the games on the last week of the season. More than that the Bearcats and Knights will be in the same division starting in 2015.

The Bearcats and Knights were two of the three best teams in the conference a year ago, and that they will not play yet again this year as co favorites. Making UC vs. UCF the opener makes a ton of sense. It is quite literally the biggest game the conference can offer the networks. That is an easy sell, and would make for a damn good game too.

The other conference option would be to open with Navy. 2015 will be the first year of their competition in the AAC, and what a better way to start it off than by playing UC? With Navy's national fanbase and appeal that is another game that could be sold relatively easily to a network.

Obviously this is just my opinion, but those are the match ups that the Bearcats should be pushing for, UCF first and foremost.