The 65th annual CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament returned to Charlotte, NC, February 23 thru 27 at the Time Warner Cable Arena for its fifth consecutive year. Excitement filled the air as fans filled the Queen City for this weeklong event. New events that took place at this year’s Tournament included: Yolanda Adams Morning Show brought to you by Lowe’s, Food Lion Women’s Health & Wellness Symposium hosted by Nationwide Insurance, the CIAA Championship Concert featuring national recording group En Vogue, and the CIAA Day Parties at the Time Warner Cable Arena.
The CIAA encompasses relationships, fun and pride within its Tournament. It's about the ultimate camaraderie for one week out of the year that draws fans from all across the country to experience non-stop basketball action, concerts, celebrity appearances, reunions of all kinds, and much more. This is what separates the CIAA from any other event of its kind. Because of its popularity, the conference has worked hard to create activities for CIAA fans, many of which are free to the public and designed to give fans a true CIAA experience. Once you attend a CIAA Tournament, you will be hooked for life.
For every great event, there is a great team that works behind the scenes for countless hours planning, developing, and executing tactics and strategies to ensure a successful event. The CIAA team consists of organizations with a can-do spirit that propels this Tournament forward. The CIAA Conference staff and member institutions, French/West/Vaughan, Charlotte Local Organizing Committee, Urban Sports & Entertainment Group, and the CIAA’s corporate sponsors are the core members of this great team. Without everyone’s hard work and dedication, this event would not be as successful as it has been.
With the Charlotte as the host city, the CIAA is marked for continued success. Charlotte’s captivating cityscape and ever-increasing amenities have added to the Tournament’s success over the years, making it a not-to-be-missed event that lights up Center City each February. The Southern hospitality provided by Center City, with more than 4,100 hotel rooms, 150 dining and nightlife destinations, 45,000 parking spaces, and 850,000 square feet of meeting space within Charlotte Convention Center, has equipped the CIAA with the necessary tools to build the Tournament’s fan base and event offerings. The city is committed to the CIAA’s growth and achievement as well, pledging over $1 million in scholarship funds to the Conference’s General Scholarship Fund. For more information about the city of Charlotte, visit www.charlottesgotalot.com
The CIAA corporate sponsor retention rate is a phenomenal 93 percent over the past 20 years. Corporate partners have enabled the CIAA Conference to secure $12.03 million in scholarship money for the member institutions and an additional $23 million for other championships and television. Although the CIAA is a marquee cultural event recognized nationally, the primary goal of the Tournament is education. The corporate sponsors help to provide current and future students with the opportunity to attend an institution of higher learning through their continued support of the Tournament.
With the addition of TV One as a new television partner, who showcased the men’s quarter and semi-finals, over 50 million African American households was able to get a piece of the CIAA Experience. For more information about the CIAA Tournament, visit www.ciaatournament.org. For more information about the CIAA Conference, visit www.theciaa.com.
The newest member of the CIAA, Chowan University, enjoyed their first Tournament experience. The historic move to welcome Chowan into the conference was a vision of the CIAA’s Commissioner, Leon Kerry and the President of Chowan University, Dr. M. Christopher White. Chowan proved to be a perfect match for the CIAA in terms of historical foundation, geography, educational synergies, and commitment to its student athletes.
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