One Rivalry, Two Men, 150+ Games Attended

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When Miami and Cincinnati kick off the 127th Battle for the Victory Bell Saturday night at Nippert Stadium, Andy Stefanopoulos and Dan Huss will be in the stands.

Where else would they be?

Huss owns an amazing streak of attending every meeting between the rival programs since 1951. Because the two schools did not play in 2020 due to COVID, that means Huss will be at his 72nd consecutive Miami-UC clash tomorrow.

Read that again so it sinks in.

72. In. A. Row.

Perhaps the only thing more amazing than Huss' streak? Somehow, it's not the longest one going.

That's because Stefanopoulos has been in the crowd at every Miami-Cincinnati game since 1945 (when the annual rivalry resumed after a two-year hiatus due to World War II).

The extra half-dozen years mean Stefanopoulos is heading to his 78th Bell battle in a row.

Yes, 78.

Between the two men, the streaks add up to a mind-boggling 150 Miami-Cincinnati games attended over the past three-quarters of a century or so.

To be fair for comparison's sake, 1951 wasn't the first time Huss saw the Red and White take on the Bearcats. In fact, the main difference between the two streaks is simply the weather impact of the famous 1950 'Blizzard Bowl.'

"By gametime, I think there was something like 12 to 14 inches of snow," recalled Huss, who was 10 years old at the time. "I wasn't old enough to drive at that point. I'd gone to games (like in 1949) with my dad, and I wanted to go to this, but my dad wouldn't go out in all that snow."

Woody Hayes' Miami team would prevail that day by a score of 28-0, one of the more memorable games Stefanopoulos remembers attending over the decades.

His string of consecutive Miami-UC contests began a few years earlier, and it didn't take Stefanopoulos long at all to decide to become a Miami fan.

"When I was a little kid, I lived about two blocks from the University of Cincinnati, and we used to go over to UC as kids and sneak into the games," Stefanopoulos said. "It cost 15 cents in those days for kids to get in; I sold papers on the corner and 15 cents was a big chunk of my earnings, so we would sneak in…"

"By halftime [in 1945], it was so cold that my friends all left and I didn't realize it. I'm walking around the track at UC, and I'm just cold. These two coeds from Miami jumped out of the stands, came and grabbed me, put me between them, and threw a blanket over me to keep me warm.

"Of course, they were cheering for Miami. I looked at it and said, 'Well, my mama didn't raise no dummy, so I'd better cheer for Miami!'

"From that time on, I always did."

Both men went on later to graduate from Miami, with Stefanopoulos earning his degree in 1959 and Huss finishing his in 1961. Huss also taught at the university from 1965 to 1992. Of course, they are far from alone in their respective families with their longstanding Red and White allegiance. A variety of parents, siblings, children, grandchildren and in-laws also own Miami degrees, dating as far back as Huss' mother, who completed hers in 1927.

Down through the decades, Miami Football —and specifically the annual Cincinnati game— has been a constant part of their lives. Through wins and losses…snow and sunshine…home and away…each fall brings another Battle for the Victory Bell to look forward to.

Sometimes the games are decided in the opening seconds. Huss vividly remembers watching Larry Harper take the opening kickoff of the 1973 game all the way back for a touchdown. "We were just going up to our seats, and we were still standing in the aisle," he remembered. "There was no more score for the rest of the game, and we won 6-0. We shut them out.

"That was one game that was amazing: If you missed the opening kickoff, you missed the game!"

Other times, the Bell comes down to one of the final plays. Huss cited Ty King's game-winning 82-yard kick return score with 19 seconds remaining in the 1995 edition of the rivalry as one of his favorite Miami-UC moments.

"You have to believe on any given day any team can beat the other," said Huss.

No matter the outcome of this weekend's game, both men are glad to be able to attend once again and continue their impressive streaks. Stefanopoulos is looking forward to watching the RedHawks again in person after he had a different string of consecutive games (more than 300 worth!) snapped in the 2022 regular-season finale.

"I had seen every Miami home game since I started there in 1954 until the last game of last year," said Stefanopoulos, who missed the comeback win over Ball State at Yager Stadium because he had just had back surgery.

"I did get to watch it on my phone in the hospital though!"

He's hoping to see the Red and White claim victory tomorrow and capture the Bell for the first time since 2005.

"The game to me is a big deal," Stefanopoulos said. "Rivalries, to me, are just phenomenal…and it's one of the oldest rivalries in the country.

"I think it's a great game."

Huss agreed. From his earliest memories of attending the traditional Thanksgiving Day matchup, there's been something special about Miami-UC. "This was a very intense rivalry," Huss said. "You just didn't want to miss that game!"

And if Miami pulls off a win tomorrow?

"It would be fantastic," said Huss. "I can't tell you how much I would enjoy that."

Find more Front Row Features at: MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures

Miami travels to Cincinnati for a 7 p.m. kickoff Saturday, Sept. 16 at Nippert Stadium. Coverage is available on ESPN+ and the Miami Radio Network. The RedHawks return to Oxford Saturday, Sept. 23 at 3:30 p.m. for the home opener against Delaware State; tickets are available now!

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