It’s no secret that Charlotte is hotly pursing the crown jewel of HBCU basketball — the CIAA Tournament.
City officials were recently given an update on the bid to get the CIAA Tournament back to Charlotte by members of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. Baltimore has hosted the tournament since 2021 after the oldest HBCU conference in the country decided to move its tournament to Baltimore back in 2019.
Charlotte city councilman James Mitchell expressed that it was on the city to bring a package that will lure the tournament that brought $656 million in economic impact to the city from 2006 through 2020. That includes getting people into the game.
“Baltimore has figured out one thing that we were not able to do, and that’s put the fans in the game,” Mitchell acknowledged. “When you look at the attendance ratings, Baltimore has done a better job.”
Mitchell says competitive scholarship opportunities, attractive hotel rates, and exceptional venue experiences are the three areas where the bid to host the tournament from 2027-2029.
“I’m confident that if we can check three boxes, we’ll have the Spectrum Center ringing for a whole week,” Mitchell said. “I’m confident we can match the scholarship dollars and be very competitive on hotel rates. I think we’re going to be smiling in July when the CIAA returns to Charlotte.”
Baltimore has indicated that it will look to keep the tournament in town.
“I never it want to leave Baltimore,” Baltimore mayor Brandon M. Scott told HBCU Gameday in February. “And in this particular moment, we think that we’re the perfect fit because of where we sit in the country, in the world, because of what we’re going to invest in and know that this is not just some transactional deal, that this is family. We’re going to stand up with the CIAA no matter who is attacking it.”
Baltimore has a compelling case as not only has the focus returned to the games since it moved to Charm City, but the CIAA has seen the media focus on the positive things the historic HBCU tournament brings instead of violence of non-related events as was the case in Charlotte.
“Charlotte has a deep-rooted connection to the CIAA,” a CRVA spokesperson said. “We’re committed to reclaiming this important cultural and economic event.”
A decision on which city will win the bid is expected this summer.
