Friend and Foe: UC, XU Mix Cooperation and Competition

There’s nothing like the annual Univerity of Cincinnati-Xavier University Crosstown Shootout to fire up the city of Cincinnati and the alumni of both schools. But clearly, the action is not limited to the court.

Ten days before the game, more than 1,000 UC and XU alumni, friends and students got together in support of the annual Crosstown Helpout. The event is a massive volunteer effort that gives back to the community in the form of clean-up, repairs and other hands-on work benefiting Cincinnati-area urban schools, agencies and community centers.

The participants began their day at UC’s Fifth Third Arena, where the volunteers were thanked personally by UC President Nancy Zimpher and XU President Michael Graham. It was the first time the Crosstown Helpout launch was attended by either university president, let alone both. In addition, President Zimpher read a proclamation from Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken hailing the event, its participants and its spirit of giving, officially proclaiming January 24 to be “XU-UC Crosstown Helpout Day.”

By mid-afternoon, 35 worksites had received a visit, as the volunteers performed a variety of duties, including painting, waxing floors, cleaning windows, collecting trash, weather-proofing buildings, and building bookshelves.

As for the game, thanks to its annual exposure on ESPN, the Crosstown Shootout has become a national event. To underscore that fact as well as the intense nature of the rivalry, fans and alumni of each university converged in 32 cities for game-watching Shootout Parties, which were held in conjunction with Xavier and UC Alumni Association chapters.

Collectively, nearly 1,000 rabid UC fans from coast to coast watched, cheered, and then came to realize that while the Crosstown Helpout had been about collaboration, the Crosstown Shootout was not, as the Bearcats were upset by the Musketeers, 71-69.