In the early 1990s, Columbus native John Pace organized a Historically Black Colleges and Universities football classic as a fundraiser for the King Arts Complex, which was then in its early years.
The tournament was a great success, and after a few years it moved to NFL stadiums in Cincinnati and Cleveland. Pace moved on but later revived the tournament in Columbus in 2021 as he established a nonprofit, Classic For Columbus. The organization produces sports and entertainment events to promote education, economic development and mobility while raising money for student scholarships to HBCUs.
Now, Pace and Classic For Columbus are combining basketball with workforce development to connect the community in a new initiative. This spring, Classic For Columbus hosted a monthlong Sports & Music Extravaganza through a grant from America 250-Ohio. The central event: a three-on-three basketball game offering an opportunity for workforce recruiting by inviting local employers to participate in their own division.
The celebration spanned April 3 to May 3. Providing programming for the whole community was a priority, so organizers made sure to include low- and no-cost experiences. “We have an entire 30 days of educational, cultural history storytelling, sports and music events that’s going to help celebrate our nation’s semiquincentennial,” Pace says.
The basketball tournament, hosted by former NBA player Kenny Anderson, was set to be held at the Ohio State University Recreation and Physical Activity Center. Employers have their own division, and players and spectators—from middle school students to recent college graduates—were encouraged to bring their résumés to connect with the companies.
“We really want to emphasize 3v3 hoops as an innovative solution for workforce recruiting. We have a lot of data from academia that says [when] employers participate in athletic competition, the outcomes for recruiting are just so great. So, we’ve put together a design that will allow employers being able to network and connect,” Pace says.
“It’s really going to be a lot of fun. It’s going to be entertaining. But the community impact will be in connecting employers with the workforce.”
Other events also took place at Ohio State, including a Patti LaBelle concert at Mershon Auditorium on April 3.
Classic For Columbus will award $15,000 in scholarships to participants, Pace says. Since launching, the nonprofit has awarded more than $750,000 in student scholarships to HBCUs.
Michael Gatto, the chief venue officer with Columbus Arena Sports & Entertainment, which manages Nationwide Arena and the Schottenstein Center among other facilities, says the decision to have events on campus was largely due to this educational component. “John does a wonderful job of just making sure that it’s more than just a basketball game. There really is something for everyone,” Gatto says.
“It’s really a great community. It’s not just an event for the African American or Black community. It’s an event for all people from Columbus.”
Following the Sports & Music Extravaganza, Pace says Classic For Columbus is hoping to bring back the HBCU football classic in 2027.
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This story appears in the Spring 2026 issue of Columbus CEO. Some date references have been updated. Subscribe now.
This article originally appeared on Columbus CEO: Classic For Columbus Event Spotlights Scholarship and Workforce Connections
Reporting by Sophia Veneziano, Columbus CEO / Columbus CEO
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sophia Veneziano, Columbus CEO | USA TODAY Network
