UC Police award $8,000 in scholarships at second annual basketball tournament
UC students competed in the UCPD 3v3 Scholarship Classic at the Campus Recreation Center on Feb. 21, 2026. Photo by Kelly Cantwell.
The University of Cincinnati Police Division awarded eight students with a $1,000 scholarship on Feb. 21, 2026, during the UCPD 3v3 Scholarship Classic event.
UCPD partnered with Campus Recreation to hold the event, the second in what has been established as an annual opportunity to give back to students and build relationships between students and police officers.
“The main goal for hosting an event like this is to help the students achieve success at UC. I cannot think of a better way to support this goal than to help them pay for their tuition. We also want to help the students feel safe while they are at UC and such a critical part of feeling safe is knowing your own police department,” said Sgt. Greg Valerius, who created the tournament.
Brooke Grinstead, Kylie Fugett, Ella Doseck, and Fatoumata Bah, on team “Gaitkeepers,” cheer as they move their team name to the champion spot on the bracket after winning the women's bracket during the UCPD 3v3 Scholarship Classic on Feb. 21, 2026. Photo by Kelly Cantwell.
Valerius added that he is thrilled with the success of the Scholarship Classic. Thanks to a great partnership with Campus Recreation and all the university staff who volunteered their time, Valerius said it is clear that, “the impact and mission of the event is something we need to continue to invest in.”
The event allowed for 16 teams in two brackets, an open bracket and a women’s bracket. Each team was assigned a UC police officer as a coach, giving students a unique opportunity to get to know a police officer in an informal setting.
“I mean, it was just a great experience being able to compete with these other girls. We really brought out, like, the teamwork…I feel like we were working constantly together, and overall it was just a lot of fun. And also with our Officer Kevin [Ellison], he was amazing. He was our biggest cheerleader. I mean, I don't think we would have been able to do it without him,” said Brooke Grinstead, a member of the women’s bracket winning team.
The UCPD officers who volunteered as team coaches for the UCPD 3v3 Scholarship Classic pose before the tournament, held on Feb. 21, 2026, at the Campus Recreation Center. Photo by Kelly Cantwell.
The Scholarship Classic was held at the basketball courts in the Campus Recreation Center on UC’s Uptown Campus. It is funded in part by the UCPD Benevolent Fund, which exists to enhance public safety and community relations.
“For a second year in a row, it was a fantastic event where UC students and UCPD came together to compete for a $1,000 scholarship (and bragging rights amongst the UCPD and UC Public Safety). Thanks to all involved that made such a huge effort to make this event bigger and better than last year. Students reported a completely positive experience with their UCPD coaches and all the staff that worked for the event. The Campus Recreation team was grateful to be involved again and host the space for this great community event,” said Will Nordquist, the assistant director of Intramural Sports and Events.
UCPD Officer Josh Thomas is lifted into the air by three other UCPD officers after winning the knockout tournament during the UCPD 3v3 Scholarship Classic on Feb. 21, 2026. Photo by Kelly Cantwell.
The Scholarship Classic began with round robin games to determine bracket placement. Each team was guaranteed to play a minimum of three games in the tournament. Once the bracket placement was determined, teams fought through three rounds of games to make it to the championship.
The competition was briefly paused for a knockout tournament, and to heighten the competition both Campus Recreation staff and Public Safety staff were allowed to compete, along with two players from each team. Officer Josh Thomas, who volunteered as a coach in 2025 and 2026, won the knockout tournament, and quickly gave the swag bag provided by UC Athletics to the student that Thomas beat out to win.
Officer Josh Thomas poses with UC student Hayden Hays. Thomas beat out Hays to win the knockout tournament during the UCPD 3v3 Scholarship Classic on Feb. 21, 2026. Thomas did not accept the swag bag that was provided as the prize for the tournament, instead giving it to Hays. Photo by Kelly Cantwell.
“It was a big highlight this year to see the UCPD join in to compete in the knockout tournament and for one of them to win on a fade-away bank shot three-pointer! The energy was electric, the competition was strong, and the camaraderie noticeable between students and UCPD,” Nordquist said.
Finally, the championship games were played, first the women’s and then the open. The competition was intense and the players determined to secure a scholarship.
Grinstead, Kylie Fugett, Ella Doseck, and Fatoumata Bah, on team “Gaitkeepers,” won the women’s bracket. They were coached by Officer Kevin Ellison. Kyle Dodig, Nathan Zimmerman, Jimmy Schlangen, and Sean Keller with team “Twin Towers” won the open bracket. They were coached by Sgt. Jordan Blanton.
Sgt. Jordan Blanton poses with the team he coached, team "Twin Towers," after they won the open bracket during the UCPD 3v3 Scholarship Classic on Feb. 21, 2026. Photo by Kelly Cantwell.
A highlight of the event, according to Kyle Dodig, a member of the winning team in the Open Division, was that two members of his team were members of the second-place team last year.
“I think it was especially awesome for the older guys, losing to that same team last year, and getting the win against the team they lost to,” Dodig said.
He added that having a UC police officer as a coach reinforced his positive impression of UC Police and how present and engaged they are in the campus community.
Officer Christopher Thomas, who coached for the first time in 2026, said, “I think when you get young people to come together and do something like...it gives them an opportunity to bridge that gap with us, especially in law enforcement, because they’re the generation that we really need to touch, and I think that’s the best part about it is that we’re affecting youth."
Officer Kevin Ellison poses with the team he coached, team "Gaitkeepers," after they won the women's bracket during the UCPD 3v3 Scholarship Classic on Feb. 21, 2026. Photo by Kelly Cantwell.
Fans of the event can look forward to its return in 2027.
“I am already looking forward to our third annual UCPD 3v3 Scholarship Classic next year! The collaboration and effort from all the groups who donated items or helped run the event are the reason we can keep this going and keep supporting our students as they work towards their goals to succeed,” Valerius said.
Featured image at top: The participants, coaches, Campus Recreation staff, and volunteers for the UCPD 3v3 Scholarship Classic pose before the event kicked off on Feb. 21, 2026, at the Campus Recreation Center. Photo by Kelly Cantwell.
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