Nippert stadium gets its name not from some wealthy benefactor, but from a largely unknown lineman that played for UC. On Thanksgiving Day 1923, during the Battle for the Bell between rivals UC and Miami (Ohio), the field was described by onlookers as "a sea of mud." At some point during the game the center for UC, James Gamble Nippert, had his leg cut open by a pair of cleats. The gash was quickly covered with mud and went unnoticed. Fast forward to Christmas Day, Nippert had developed an infection and consequently passed away.

Nippert's grandfather, James Gamble, was the first born son of one of the co-founders of Proctor & Gamble. He was deeply moved by his grandson's death and donated $250,000 to go towards the construction of a football stadium, with the requirement that the new stadium contain a fully equipped medical center. Thus he created a legacy for future Bearcats to boldly play as James Nippert did, and receive the timely medical care they need.

The playing surface at Nippert Stadium is called Carson Field in honor of Arch Carson. Construction of Carson Field began in 1900 and was completed in 1910. In 1915, construction was completed on the first sections of a brick and concrete structure to replace the wooden stands and continued for several seasons as funds were raised. In 1924, the completed structure was dedicated as James Gamble Nippert Memorial Stadium with a capacity of 12,000.

Gino Guidugli played collegiately at the University of Cincinnati from 2001 to 2004. He owns most of the school's passing and total offense records. He is ranked 29th for all-time yards and offense of all NCAA Division I A FBS schools by a quarterback.

On March 4, 2017 Cincinnati officially announced that Guidugli was hired as running backs coach. Previously, Guidugli was the running backs coach for Central Michigan University and was promoted to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.