By Will Coffman, Local and Lifestyle Editor 

Since its opening in June of 2000, the Cintas Center has been Xavier’s premier entertainment venue. It’s time for it to become Cincinnati’s as well. 

For the last few years, Cintas Center’s events have overwhelmingly been Xavier volleyball matches and basketball games. Cintas has been quite successful in this role, thriving as a basketball arena with one of college basketball’s best atmospheres. 

In a Fox Sports article from 2023, Cintas was named among the arenas listed for best home court advantages in college basketball. It is this atmosphere that led the NBA to choose Cintas to host a 2014 game between the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Still, the history of Cintas is more than just basketball games. The arena hosted Bob Dylan in 2001. Jimmy Fallon and Dave Chappelle made stops at Cintas for comedy tours.

George Clooney and Ryan Gosling used it as a filming location for their 2011 film “The Ides of March.” It has hosted speakers like Auschwitz survivor Elie Wiesel and zoologist Jane Goodall. These events and more have shown Cintas Center’s ability to host the best of the best, which is why it only seems fair to say it is currently being underused.

Cincinnati is no stranger to world-class events. The Cincinnati Open brings the best tennis players in the world to our city. We host the country’s largest Oktoberfest celebration. Most importantly, we have a consistent schedule of some of the best entertainers performing here. 

Before his diagnosis with normal pressure hydrocephalus, Billy Joel was set to perform at Paycor this September. The Aronoff is hosting Jerry Seinfeld in December, as well as some of Broadway’s best musicals and plays year-round. Recently, Snoop Dogg performed at Great American Ballpark following the Reds game against the Phillies on Aug. 11.

Between Music Hall, the Taft Theatre, the Aronoff Center, Paycor Stadium and Great American Ball Park, one may ask if the city really needs Cintas as another entertainment venue. This question should be answered with a resounding yes. 

Cintas has unique advantages that these other places do not have. It is an indoor arena, so it does not have the weather concerns of Paycor and Great American. Its seating capacity of 10,224 is about four times that of the Aronoff Center, which seats 2,700. Its location on a college campus gives performers a built-in audience. The time has come for Xavier to advocate for Cintas and bring the stars to campus, especially with a potential window of opportunity appearing on the horizon.

Right now, when the city looks to host an indoor concert with a large crowd, it turns to Heritage Bank Arena. Heritage Bank, an almost 50-year-old stadium currently home of the Cincinnati Cyclones, has faced questions about its future for some time now, including talks of demolition and replacement. Regardless of whether Heritage Bank is demolished or remains standing, Cintas should strive to take its place, and Xavier should be leading that charge.

With the university’s master plan of focusing on meeting the demands of a new era in higher education, it rightfully identifies ways that the campus can improve and expand. Cintas Center stepping into the limelight would be a great step.