Axios reports that the city of Charlotte hopes to reclaim its title as home to the reputable Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament—also known as CIAA—for the next three years.
City officials announced on Feb. 12 their efforts to prepare for a bid in mid-April 2025 in collaboration with Charlotte Sports and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. If the bid is successful, the week-long tournament will return to the Queen City in 2027, 2028, and 2029.
The CIAA, a tournament of HBCU basketball teams, had a 15-year
run in Charlotte between 2006 and 2020. It is an annual celebration of Black culture and HBCU pride, including festivals, parties, celebrity-fueled entertainment, and economic prosperity for the city. Charlotte’s final CIAA spin took place in 2019 right before the COVID-19 pandemic and garnered $43.7 million and drew close to 140,000 fans.The tournament bid farewell to Charlotte after a devastating loss to Charm City in 2021, upsetting some of Charlotte’s HBCU alum leaders. City council member and Johnson C. Smith University alum Malcolm Graham labeled CIAA as “electric.”
“It was like a homecoming for the historically Black colleges and universities in the northeast,” he said.
Fellow city council member and North Carolina Central University alum James Mitchell remembers how much small businesses benefited from the city being flooded with fans and tourists.
He credits the tournament with increasing the city’s footprint and proving to be a candidate to host large-scale events like the Democratic National Convention, which Charlotte hosted in 2012.
In a lengthy letter, the group described CIAA’s potential return as an “incredible opportunity to reimagine how Charlotte and the CIAA can collaborate to deliver an unforgettable experience for athletes, fans, and stakeholders,” according to Queen City News
.“Charlotte offers a dynamic blend of world-class venues, thriving cultural attractions, and unmatched hospitality. Our infrastructure, accessibility, and commitment to guest experience make us an ideal partner for hosting a marquee event of this magnitude,” the bid letter reads.
“Additionally, our city’s diverse and welcoming community is eager to support and celebrate the CIAA, ensuring that its presence in Charlotte is met with the respect and enthusiasm it deserves.”
The announcement comes just two weeks before the 2025 tournament is scheduled
to take over Baltimore on Feb. 25 at CFG Bank Arena and days after the WNBA filed a trademark for the Charlotte Sting, a franchise that played in the league between 1997 and 2006.RELATED CONTENT: Fan Favorite, ‘Mr. CIAA’ Abraham Mitchell Dies At 95