The live taping of the Kelce brothers’ “New Heights” podcast is being moved from Nippert Stadium to Fifth Third Arena as severe weather is forecasted for the Tri-State.
University of Cincinnati made the announcement at noon on April 10, just one day before the show is scheduled to kick off at Travis and Jason Kelce’s former football home.
“For the safety and security of our talent, stage crews, students and most importantly our fans, the New Heights Live! Event and The Great Lombaby Games will move into Fifth Third Arena,” said UC athletics deputy AD Anthony Di Fino.
But seating for the show isn’t exactly identical — not even close. The seating capacity at Nippert Stadium is 40,000, while seating at Fifth Third is just over 13,000. While it’s not clear if tickets for the Nippert show were totally sold out before the switch, UC said their ticketing site was struggling to keep up with demand when tickets went on sale in March.
“We’re currently experiencing high levels of traffic to our ticket site, which may cause delays for some. Please bear with us as we process demand,” UC wrote on X.
Despite Nippert’s capacity far exceeding Fifth Third’s, the university is saying that everyone with a ticket will still be able to see the show.
“All purchased tickets will be honored. All efforts will be made to maintain the equivalent seating structure for fans,” UC wrote on X.
On its website, the university says general admission tickets will be seated on a “first-come-first-serve basis,” and that the first 1,500 fans to enter will receive a wristband that gains them access to section 113-119. Once lower bowl wristbands have run out, general admission ticket holders will be directed to the second level.
Those with a digital ticket will receive an email to download their new ticket by 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 11.
CityBeat reached out to the university to ask if ticketholders who do not download their new ticket by 11 a.m. Thursday will still be able to get in; UC did not immediately respond.
The boys are back in town
Last week, the podcast announced Joe Burrow as its special guest for the Cincinnati show.
“Couldn’t do a show in Cincinnati without some special guests … JOE BURROW x NEW HEIGHTS LIVE,” the show said on Instagram.
Cincinnati isn’t just a stop on the New Heights tour for Travis and Jason Kelce — famed football stars and celestial orbiters of Taylor Swift’s universe — they once shared a collegiate football journey at the University of Cincinnati. Travis played from 2008 to 2012, while Jason played for the Bearcats from 2006 to 2010. During his time at UC, Travis showcased his prowess as a dynamic tight end, notably recording 722 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his senior season, while Jason anchored the offensive line, earning All-Big East honors.
Travis and Jason started their New Heights podcast in 2022, giving listeners an intimate peek into the lives of the Super Bowl champs. Releasing episodes weekly, the brothers are known for injecting humor into insights on NFL news and sports headlines.
This article appears in Apr 3-9, 2024.