November 12, 2025 • 6 mins
CEO of BDG Sports Brooks Downing joins the show to preview Cincinnati vs Louisville at The Heritage Bank Center Friday November 21st.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Go twenty four from four o'clock.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty Moegger Sports headlines in just
a few minutes. But I don't want to make our
guest wait. So you see wins last night. Louisville wins
last night. Those two programs are going to play in
Cincinnati for the first time in a while, the Cardinals
coming to the Heritage Bank Center to take on the
Bearcats a week from Friday. Tip Off is going to
(00:25):
be at six thirty. This is obviously going to be
the third consecutive year that you see basketball plays at
the Arena downtown. This is an event put on by
BDG Sports, and our friend Brooks Downing from BDG Sports
is with us to talk about the game and the
event itself. Brooks, It's awesome to have you.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
How are you No, I'm doing great.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I'm doing well.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Hopefully some momentum for this game because of the respective
results by the Bearcats and Cardinals last night.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
I don't think there's any doubt. You know, it is
an early game. Obviously, November games are are just when
people are starting to turn their and of course, both
both football programs at the respective schools have been having
very good seasons. So a lot of folks are just
in that transition period which you and I call the
best time of the year with you know, football and
(01:13):
basketball both playing coming off the World Series. If our
Reds could ever do anything, that would be awesome. But nonetheless,
I tell you those wins last night and the performances
Michael Brown junior for Louisville was unbelievable. Twenty points in
the first half finished when twenty nine just dominated the
game against the Wildcats. And then of course, you know
(01:33):
everybody's looking forward to to Sean Baya that he gets
into fold two there and you see and all that
he's gonna bring those two five stars. I mean, these
are two you know, superstars in the NBA on the rise.
Guys here in the in the very near future, we're
gonna be able to see them live and in person
next week going against each other.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
It's gonna be awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
And you know, I'm older and off I've watched Cincinnati
and Louisville play as members of the Metro as members
of Conference usa IS members of the Big East Tech
for one year with Louisville as a member of the
American athletic conferences these programs should play. It's awesome that
you were able to put this game together. How did
it come about?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
It's really to your point, it's one of the oldest
rivalries in the sport if you're thinking about it, and
how many times they've played each other, And it's pretty
funny how these different leagues they've been in, but they've
kind of you joined forces all these years, and now
they find themselves in two Power four leagues, in the
Big twelve and ACC respectively. But you know, these teams
these days, there's so many different pressures, obviously with the
(02:34):
transition of NIL and all the transfers and everything else
that's happening, and so teams are looking for quality games.
And I don't think there's any question that the Big
twelve and the ACC are looking to really enhance their
non conference schedules so that they can keep up with
the competition level and the Big Ten and the SEC.
(02:55):
So with that said, they're looking for marquee opponents in
a regional environment, which I'd love as an operator to
be able to put a pair of teams like this
together that have played each other a number of times
in the past, have great history. Together are two very
successful programs and that are basically an hour apart down
the river. To bring them together for a two year
(03:17):
deal because the next year is going back to Louisville
and going to be played at Freedom Hall, the old
arena there where the Cards used to play and Cincinnati's
played on numerous occasions, So that'll be fun to get
a game back in there. But to be able to
do this in these two environments and really share the crowd,
it's going to give that postseason atmosphere. It's really going
(03:37):
to generate a ton of interest, and I tell you what,
it's going to be a heck of a game.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
You've also added to it the fact that Pat Kelsey's
from here.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Absolutely your boy Joe Frederick tells me there's going to
be five thousand Kelsey family members in the arena some
next Friday night. Like the dude has significant roots there
and all he's ever done is one as a coach,
the guys eat up with it. He does an exceptional
job with it. You saw it last night. His game plan,
(04:09):
his recruiting, all of it's coming together at Louisville as
he rebuilds that program. And now you got Wes Wes.
Wes has been fighting and grinding to get the Bearcats
program back. I think they're very similar because if you
look at Wes's roots from North Carolina and all the
history that he knows of this game, he knows that program,
and now he's got starting to get the talent in
(04:31):
to buy into his system. I think we're going to
have a two you know, top twenty five matchup. Louisville's
going to be top ten. Both will come in undefeated.
I mean, what's not to like.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
No, you can't beat it.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
It's a Friday night, it's a little bit of an
early tip off, six point thirty, and so you know,
you could go to the game and then still have
hours in front of you on a Friday evening. I know,
obviously Cincinnati has played dating each of the last couple
of years.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Those events have gone pretty well.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Correct they sure. I mean, we've basically sold it out
last year, was near a sellout the year before, and
of course you saw the two teams play last night.
They went back to it home and home as we
pulled Louisville into this this year.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
All right, tickets for a week from Friday, it's the
twenty first at six thirty. How do folks go about
getting them?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
The easiest way to do it is ticketmaster dot com.
What's great about it, there's still plenty of really good
seats left because the tension, and we're used to this.
November sales are always a little slow, but it will
sell out and it's going. It jumped a ton today,
as you can imagine with both teams winning last night.
I think the excitements there. Ticketmaster dot com, get your
(05:40):
great seats and we'll see at the Heritage Bank Center.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
It should be a lot of fun. I love the
fact that Cincinnati and Louisville are playing. Hopefully it's something
that continues, as does this event. Brooks, We thank you
for the time, man, thanks so much. Appreciate it MO anytime.
That's our guy Brooks Downing BDG Sports. You see Louisville
next Friday, tip off at six thirty.
Go twenty four from four o'clock.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty Moegger Sports headlines in just
a few minutes. But I don't want to make our
guest wait. So you see wins last night. Louisville wins
last night. Those two programs are going to play in
Cincinnati for the first time in a while, the Cardinals
coming to the Heritage Bank Center to take on the
Bearcats a week from Friday. Tip Off is going to
(00:25):
be at six thirty. This is obviously going to be
the third consecutive year that you see basketball plays at
the Arena downtown. This is an event put on by
BDG Sports, and our friend Brooks Downing from BDG Sports
is with us to talk about the game and the
event itself. Brooks, It's awesome to have you.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
How are you No, I'm doing great.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I'm doing well.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Hopefully some momentum for this game because of the respective
results by the Bearcats and Cardinals last night.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
I don't think there's any doubt. You know, it is
an early game. Obviously, November games are are just when
people are starting to turn their and of course, both
both football programs at the respective schools have been having
very good seasons. So a lot of folks are just
in that transition period which you and I call the
best time of the year with you know, football and
(01:13):
basketball both playing coming off the World Series. If our
Reds could ever do anything, that would be awesome. But nonetheless,
I tell you those wins last night and the performances
Michael Brown junior for Louisville was unbelievable. Twenty points in
the first half finished when twenty nine just dominated the
game against the Wildcats. And then of course, you know
(01:33):
everybody's looking forward to to Sean Baya that he gets
into fold two there and you see and all that
he's gonna bring those two five stars. I mean, these
are two you know, superstars in the NBA on the rise.
Guys here in the in the very near future, we're
gonna be able to see them live and in person
next week going against each other.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
It's gonna be awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
And you know, I'm older and off I've watched Cincinnati
and Louisville play as members of the Metro as members
of Conference usa IS members of the Big East Tech
for one year with Louisville as a member of the
American athletic conferences these programs should play. It's awesome that
you were able to put this game together. How did
it come about?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
It's really to your point, it's one of the oldest
rivalries in the sport if you're thinking about it, and
how many times they've played each other, And it's pretty
funny how these different leagues they've been in, but they've
kind of you joined forces all these years, and now
they find themselves in two Power four leagues, in the
Big twelve and ACC respectively. But you know, these teams
these days, there's so many different pressures, obviously with the
(02:34):
transition of NIL and all the transfers and everything else
that's happening, and so teams are looking for quality games.
And I don't think there's any question that the Big
twelve and the ACC are looking to really enhance their
non conference schedules so that they can keep up with
the competition level and the Big Ten and the SEC.
(02:55):
So with that said, they're looking for marquee opponents in
a regional environment, which I'd love as an operator to
be able to put a pair of teams like this
together that have played each other a number of times
in the past, have great history. Together are two very
successful programs and that are basically an hour apart down
the river. To bring them together for a two year
(03:17):
deal because the next year is going back to Louisville
and going to be played at Freedom Hall, the old
arena there where the Cards used to play and Cincinnati's
played on numerous occasions, So that'll be fun to get
a game back in there. But to be able to
do this in these two environments and really share the crowd,
it's going to give that postseason atmosphere. It's really going
(03:37):
to generate a ton of interest, and I tell you what,
it's going to be a heck of a game.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
You've also added to it the fact that Pat Kelsey's
from here.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Absolutely your boy Joe Frederick tells me there's going to
be five thousand Kelsey family members in the arena some
next Friday night. Like the dude has significant roots there
and all he's ever done is one as a coach,
the guys eat up with it. He does an exceptional
job with it. You saw it last night. His game plan,
(04:09):
his recruiting, all of it's coming together at Louisville as
he rebuilds that program. And now you got Wes Wes.
Wes has been fighting and grinding to get the Bearcats
program back. I think they're very similar because if you
look at Wes's roots from North Carolina and all the
history that he knows of this game, he knows that program,
and now he's got starting to get the talent in
(04:31):
to buy into his system. I think we're going to
have a two you know, top twenty five matchup. Louisville's
going to be top ten. Both will come in undefeated.
I mean, what's not to like.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
No, you can't beat it.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
It's a Friday night, it's a little bit of an
early tip off, six point thirty, and so you know,
you could go to the game and then still have
hours in front of you on a Friday evening. I know,
obviously Cincinnati has played dating each of the last couple
of years.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Those events have gone pretty well.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Correct they sure. I mean, we've basically sold it out
last year, was near a sellout the year before, and
of course you saw the two teams play last night.
They went back to it home and home as we
pulled Louisville into this this year.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
All right, tickets for a week from Friday, it's the
twenty first at six thirty. How do folks go about
getting them?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
The easiest way to do it is ticketmaster dot com.
What's great about it, there's still plenty of really good
seats left because the tension, and we're used to this.
November sales are always a little slow, but it will
sell out and it's going. It jumped a ton today,
as you can imagine with both teams winning last night.
I think the excitements there. Ticketmaster dot com, get your
(05:40):
great seats and we'll see at the Heritage Bank Center.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
It should be a lot of fun. I love the
fact that Cincinnati and Louisville are playing. Hopefully it's something
that continues, as does this event. Brooks, We thank you
for the time, man, thanks so much. Appreciate it MO anytime.
That's our guy Brooks Downing BDG Sports. You see Louisville
next Friday, tip off at six thirty.
Mo Egger News
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