Football Program Honored With Queen City Advocate Award

CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati football team was honored Thursday with the Erich Kunzel Queen City Advocate Award at the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau's annual meeting at the Duke Energy Center.

The award recognized the Bearcats for bringing positive media coverage to Cincinnati and the region during their record-setting 2009 season. UC went 12-0 during regular season, won its second-straight BIG EAST Conference Championship, and played in the 2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl against Florida, its second-straight Bowl Championship Series appearance.

This year, the bureau renamed its Queen City Advocate Award in honor of Erich Kunzel, the late conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

Director of athletics Mike Thomas, head football coach Butch Jones, senior offensive lineman Jason Kelce, junior quarterback Zach Collaros, junior defensive lineman John Hughes, and junior linebacker J.K. Schaffer accepted the award for the Bearcats.

UC opens up spring football on March 17, 2010 at Nippert Stadium.