CHARLOTTE, NC (February 10, 2023) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the nation’s oldest historically Black athletic conference, announces Wells Fargo as its official banking partner.
The new relationship makes Wells Fargo the exclusive manager of banking and related financial services for the CIAA. Additionally, Wells Fargo will be featured in all CIAA championship events as well as regular season game broadcasts as a major partner of the CIAA.
“It is an honor to have Wells Fargo as a corporate partner of the CIAA. We have had a long-standing relationship that has supported initiatives and opportunities, particularly during the CIAA tournament, so we are thrilled to expand our esteemed partnership with Wells Fargo and fill this category for greater visibility, access, and opportunities,” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker. “We are fortunate that Wells Fargo shares our same values and vision in providing an unparalleled experience for women and men student-athletes to succeed and thrive at our HBCUs. We look forward to having Wells Fargo play such a visible role in the CIAA and our championships throughout the year.”
Over the years, Wells Fargo has been engaged with the CIAA during the conference’s annual basketball tournament, providing more than $70,000 in scholarships as a sponsor. The bank also curated the inaugural financial literacy luncheon in 2018, which featured Wells Fargo leaders presenting a curriculum focused on budgeting, credit, and investing for more than 200 student-athletes. Moreover, 10 of the 12 CIAA schools are part of Wells Fargo’s HBCU Legends Collection, which allows customers the chance to customize a debit card with their favorite HBCU brand logo.
“The CIAA’s commitment to excellence in everything they do to support the well-being of student-athletes on and off the court or playing field is a mission that resonates with our bank,” said Gigi Dixon, Wells Fargo’s head of External Engagement for Diverse Segments, Representation, and Inclusion (DSRI). “While helping the conference achieve their financial goals, we also look forward to being at the forefront of aiding in the strengthening and growth of each of the member institutions and surrounding university communities.”
Overall, this relationship further reinforces Wells Fargo’s long-standing support of HBCUs. For more than 11 years, the company has provided more than $34 million in programming and scholarships directly to HBCUs as well as to organizations that support them.
During the 2023 CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament, Wells Fargo will be hosting Super Saturday on February 25, which will feature bands and cheerleaders from the CIAA ahead of the championship games. To purchase tickets to the 2023 CIAA Basketball Tournament taking place in Baltimore, MD, from February 21 – February 25th, visit www.ciaatournament.org.
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. To get the latest information about the CIAA, visit theciaa.com. You can also like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Twitch.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is a leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 41 on Fortune’s 2022 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy.
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