The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association announced its arena entertainment lineup for the 2026 Food Lion CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament. It is set for Feb. 24–28 at CFG Arena. R&B standout Marsha Ambrosius, hip-hop hitmaker K Camp, and rising vocalist Gabby Samone headline the slate of performances scheduled to keep the energy high throughout tournament week.
The conference also revealed additional in-arena acts, including Dria The Artist, Cadence Peace, MAPY, Jaydon, and acclaimed saxophonist Mike Phillips. Those performances will be featured during tournament games on Friday, Feb. 27 and Saturday, Feb. 28 at CFG Arena.
On the floor, the CIAA says the tournament tips off Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. ET, featuring the league’s 12 member schools and 22 total men’s and women’s matchups as teams compete for conference championships.
But as the CIAA continues to brand it, “#February Is CIAA,” and the week extends beyond basketball. Tournament week programming is set to include Fan Fest, a Career Expo/Education Day, community service initiatives, step shows, parties and other performances, the John B. McClendon Jr. CIAA Hall of Fame Breakfast, plus town halls and symposiums centered on education, health, financial wellness, and innovation.
Now in its fifth year in Baltimore, the CIAA Tournament has generated more than $100 million in economic impact since relocating to the city, according to the conference, while also awarding millions of dollars in scholarships to student-athletes. The event routinely draws massive crowds, with the CIAA citing about 100,000 alumni, students, families and fans coming to “Charm City” each year to close out Black History Month.
Tickets and tournament updates are available at CIAATournament.org, with additional information posted on the CIAA’s social platforms.
The CIAA, founded in 1912, is the nation’s oldest historically Black athletic conference and competes at the NCAA Division II level. Its 12 member institutions include Bowie State, Bluefield State, Claflin, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, Johnson C. Smith, Lincoln (Pa.), Livingstone, Shaw, Virginia State, Virginia Union, and Winston-Salem State.