Cincinnati Adds HOP Shops Tunnel Club at Nippert Stadium
The new 30-person premium space will sit directly above the Bearcats’ entrance and include field access, private indoor dining, an all-inclusive buffet, and dedicated service.
Cincinnati Athletics is adding a new premium hospitality experience at Historic Nippert Stadium for the 2026 football season with the debut of the HOP Shops Tunnel Club, an elevated space constructed directly above the tunnel where the Bearcats enter the field.
Created in partnership with Cincinnati Athletics’ premium hospitality partner REVELxp, the new club will be positioned in the stadium’s northeast corner overlooking the north end zone. Guests will have views of the field from above the team entrance, along with exclusive end zone field access.
“The HOP Shops Tunnel Club is unlike anything we've offered before at Nippert Stadium. You're overlooking the field from the northeast corner and then have our football team running directly underneath you as they take the field. We wanted to create something that takes advantage of the intimacy and energy that make Nippert special, and this will be an incredible way to experience a Bearcats game.” – John Cunningham, Director of Athletics, University of Cincinnati
The Tunnel Club can be purchased as two separate 15-person packages or combined into a single 30-person hospitality experience. Cincinnati is positioning the space for corporate entertaining, employee rewards, group outings, and private gatherings.
Each package includes access to an adjacent private indoor hospitality and dining space, with an all-inclusive buffet, soft drinks and refreshments, and a cash bar. Guests will also receive a personal suite attendant throughout the game, an in-suite television, complimentary parking passes, and access to nearby restrooms.
The combination of indoor hospitality and outdoor viewing gives the product multiple components within a relatively small footprint. Guests can use the private dining area before and during the game, watch from the elevated north end zone location, and access the field from the end zone.
REVELxp is working with Cincinnati on the new club as the athletic department’s premium hospitality partner. The company provides premium hospitality management, venue installations, ticket sales, event staffing, and event management for collegiate and professional sports organizations and major events.
The naming-rights partner, HOP Shops, is operated by Valor LLC, which operates convenience stores and truck plazas across Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Cincinnati said elements of the HOP Shops brand, including references to its well-known “disco bathrooms,” will be incorporated into the Tunnel Club experience.
The new product adds another premium option within Nippert Stadium without requiring a major expansion of the historic venue. Its location uses the existing team entrance as part of the hospitality experience, combining the tunnel, field access, elevated seating, and private indoor space within a single package.
Cincinnati has not announced pricing for the HOP Shops Tunnel Club or identified a separate food and beverage provider, architect, designer, or construction partner for the project in its announcement. Packages are being sold through REVELxp, with Cincinnati REVELxp General Manager Walker Tice serving as the contact for interested fans and businesses.
Zach Stipe
