2022 CIAA Basketball Tournament Tips Off February 22-26 at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore

Charlotte, NC –The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA®), the nation’s oldest historically Black athletic conference, announced today that the 2022 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament will be held in-person at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, MD on February 22-26. This will be the first year of a multi-year partnership with ESPN to broadcast the men’s and women’s tournaments, marking the first time all 22 games across both events will have expanded coverage on their platforms. 

This is a significant year for the CIAA Basketball Championship Tournament, as it marks the conference’s first in-person basketball championship tournament since 2020, and is the first tournament held in Baltimore since 1952. The popular event was held virtually in 2021, and was recently named a finalist for the 2022 NCAA Division II Award of Excellence. The CIAA Championship Basketball Tournament is one of the largest and most anticipated NCAA college basketball events in the country, drawing over 150,000 fans annually.  

“We’re excited to hold our first live tournament since the start of the pandemic in Baltimore,” said  CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams. “This is an exciting time for the CIAA as we have an opportunity to bring our signature event to a new market, moving closer to many of our fans, alumni, and institutions in the northeastern corridor, who have traveled south to attend the tournament over the years.”  

CIAA Impact on Baltimore Community

The CIAA Tournament has had an annual economic impact of nearly $50 million and over $650 million during the 15-year run in Charlotte.  The goal in 2022 is to have a similar impact on the greater Baltimore community, state of Maryland, and surrounding region. 

“Baltimore is the first new location for the event since 2005 and we are thrilled to welcome thousands of fans, alumni and players from our great HBCUs for a weekend of reunions, basketball, and celebrating our culture,” said Al Hutchinson, President and CEO of Visit Baltimore. “CIAA’s arrival will not only reinvigorate Baltimore’s industry and economy, but also its tradition of celebrating academic contributions, culture and the sports legacy of HBCUs. It will also allow our city’s youth to learn more about HBCUs and set their sights on attending one of these storied institutions.”

Visit Baltimore is working in conjunction with the CIAA to offer meaningful off-the-court educational programming for the community and student-athletes focusing on topics including wellness, mental health and women in sports. Over 1,500 students across the country are expected to attend the virtual CIAA High School Education Day, one of the conference’s staple events of tournament week.  

The annual High School Education Day offers high school students an opportunity to learn more about CIAA’s 12 HBCU member institutions and helps students make informed decisions about selecting and applying to college. The High School Education Day event also provides onsite admissions and scholarship opportunities for all qualified students.

Another plus will be a sports clinic featuring former NBA Basketball Hall Of Famers Earl “the Pearl ” Monroe and Bobby Dandridge – both CIAA graduates.

Title IX – 50th Anniversary

The CIAA Basketball Championship Tournament is a precursor to March Madness, and also intentionally falls during the last week in February, timed to Black History Month.  As one of the country’s top 10 cities with the highest percentage of Black or African-American residents, one that celebrates and amplifies Black culture, Baltimore is the perfect destination for the CIAA Tournament. Of equal note, as the country celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Title IX civil rights law, the conference is proud to be one of the few tournaments to feature both male and female competitions during the same week and at the same facility. It also boasts the first female Commissioner of the CIAA and the first-ever appointed African American female Commissioner in the NCAA across Divisions I, II and III. CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams, a two-sport star athlete at Hampton University, was a member of the 1988 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball national championship team and the 1987 and 1990 CIAA Volleyball championship teams. She was inducted into the Hampton University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018 and was a member of the 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame class at Virginia Union University, where she was the school’s first volleyball coach of the NCAA era and became the first female assistant coach of a men’s basketball program in the CIAA. 

Community Events

In addition to the 22 games featured in this year’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament, the CIAA will again offer a week of celebratory affiliated events that appeal to a diverse demographic of alumni and fans. Tournament week will include annual staple events such as Fan Fest, High School Education Day, CIAA Career Expo, Super Saturday, The 6th Annual Samaritan’s Feet “Shoes of Hope” initiative, The John B. McClendon Jr. CIAA Hall of Fame Breakfast, and other exciting events. The CIAA is partnering with Visit Baltimore to create a series of town halls and symposiums to include a Tech Summit, Money Moves Financial Summit, CIAA Men’s & Women’s Student-Athlete Symposium, Mental Health Panel Discussion, and more.

Additionally, fans will enjoy the annual entertainment events happening during Tournament week such as the CIAA Old School Jam & Skate Party, CIAA Step Shows, CIAA Comedy Show and others. Artists confirmed to perform include The Magnificent DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Legendary DJ Kool, Big Daddy Kane, YoYo, Monie Luv, Rakim and Michel’le.

Safety Protocols

To ensure that all appropriate COVID-19 health and safety protocols are being addressed, the following safety plan and guidelines* will be in effect throughout Tournament week: 

• Patrons at the CIAA Basketball Tournament will be REQUIRED to wear face coverings for all games at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Vaccinations are recommended but not required.  
• Those attending any official ancillary events during CIAA Tournament Week will be REQUIRED to wear face coverings. 
• Proof of vaccination and/or negative COVID test results will be required at select private (Invitation-Only) events. 

*Guidelines and Protocols are subject to change at any given time due to recommendations provided by the City of Baltimore, the State of Maryland, Center for Disease Control (CDC), NCAA Sports Science Institute, and the CIAA Athletic Trainers Association. Please check back periodically at the 2022 CIAA Basketball Tournament COVID 19 Guidelines and Protocols website for updates.

For more information about  the CIAA, visit CIAA.com. You can also like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and on Twitch. To get the latest updates on the CIAA Tournament or to sign up for the CIAA Newsletter, visit CIAATournament.org.

The 2022 CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament is sponsored by corporate partners Coca-Cola, Food Lion, Nationwide, and Lowe’s.    

About the CIAA 

Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. In 2020, the conference celebrates the special 75th anniversary of its Championship Basketball Tournament – an event that has become a must-see in the African American community. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019. 

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member-institutions: Bowie State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine’s University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University. Chowan University is an associate member in football and women’s bowling. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.  

About Visit Baltimore

Visit Baltimore is the official sales and marketing arm for the City of Baltimore. The 501(c)(6) organization generates economic benefits for stakeholders through the attraction of convention, group and leisure visitors. In 2019, spending by travelers totaled $6 billion in direct spending throughout the city, supporting 86,827 total jobs and generating $750 million in state and city tax revenues. For more information, please visit Baltimore.org.

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