Princeton's varsity football team will kick off the 2026 season inside Paycor Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals, when the Vikings host Archbishop Moeller at 7:07 p.m. August 20.
Princeton City Schools announced the finalized agreement August 3. The Week 1 matchup will be televised live on Spectrum Sports Channel 1, with audio streaming on vikenation.org.
"To have an opportunity to take our school and Moeller down to Paycor Stadium — that's going to be an experience that students will remember for years to come," Athletic Director Joe Roberts told WCPO. "They'll look back — may not always remember the wins and losses — but they'll remember experiences they had."
The game lands on the Bengals' home turf just two days before Cincinnati hosts the Chicago Bears in a preseason game August 22. When St. Xavier and Elder played the Division I, Region 4 final at Paycor Stadium in November 2025, the venue drew 22,374 fans.
How the deal came together
Princeton City Schools credited the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamilton County Commission Vice President Alicia Reece, and the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners for helping finalize the agreement. Reece announced July 9 in a news release that a deal was nearing completion.
The opportunity arose in part because Pat Mancuso Field at Jake Sweeney Automotive Stadium is undergoing summer renovations. Roberts told WCPO on July 29 that the team anticipates returning to its home field for Week 3 against Colerain, with a Week 2 road game at Middletown in between.
New facilities on the horizon
The Vikings enter 2026 with a facilities overhaul underway. A new three-story field house will house locker rooms, team and training rooms, coaches' offices, concessions, public restrooms, and a press box. Renovated concession stands and a new practice field round out Phase 1 of a master plan being built by Megen Construction, scheduled for completion this fall.
Tickets and parking
General admission tickets cost $12 plus a processing fee. The week of August 17, both Princeton and Moeller students can purchase advance tickets for $5 plus fees, with each school allotted 1,000 tickets at the student rate. Parking is $10. All tickets are electronic with no cash sales at the gate, though digital tickets can be purchased on-site. Fans can buy tickets at vikenation.org/tickets.
