The University of Cincinnati began the Bearcats football program in 1954. Since that time, the program has competed in five National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) conferences, in addition to extensive stretches as an independent program. The Bearcats have won 10 conference championships over the years. The program maintains a winning record and has competed in 19 bowl games, winning eight.

The program experienced considerable success between 2018 and 2021, with a combined record of 44-7 under head coach Luke Fickell. The 2018 Bearcats brought the program its first bowl game victory since 2012 by defeating Virginia Tech with a score of 35-31. The Bearcats won the Birmingham Bowl the following season, throttling Boston College by 38-6. The team lost in the 2020 Peach Bowl and 2021 Cotton Bowl, but it posted a program-best 13-1 regular season record in 2021.

The Bearcats received national attention for the first time in years under coach Fickell. All three of the program’s pre-season Associated Press (AP) rankings came under Fickell, including No. 8 in 2021. Fickell also managed half of the program’s eight year-end AP rankings, including an all-time best No. 4 in 2021.