CIAA Basketball Tournament brings business and opportunity to Baltimore

by Layla Eason

Image provided by Baltimore.org

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the nation’s oldest historically Black athletic conference, is back for another year and has announced the brackets for its 2024 Basketball Tournament along with a full week of fun events. 

Thousands of people are coming from all over the country and will be attending the games to watch athletes compete for the championship trophy. All events will be held from February 26th - March 3rd, 2024 throughout Baltimore City. 

Bowie State University is the host institution for this week-long sporting event but all HBCUs are encouraged to show their school pride throughout the week. 

However, this week is not solely focused on the basketball tournament. The weeklong event helps generate millions of dollars that will help improve the the local economy of Baltimore.

Today, CIAA is hosting the 2024 President’s Reception which will be held at the Horseshoe Casino, and the first session of the Women and Men’s Basketball Tournament which will be held at the CFG Arena. 

Tomorrow, February 27th, CIAA has teamed up with Wells Fargo, a sponsor for this week, to host a Financial Literacy Breakfast which will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center. 

Wells Fargo is aiming to educate people on financial management through workshops and activities. While the event is geared towards young people who need financial direction, it can be very beneficial to Baltimore community members. 

On Wednesday, February 28th, aside from the Basketball Tournament, CIAA is also hosting High School Education Day and an Athlete Empowerment Symposium which will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center. 

Thursday, February 29th, will be one of the busiest days of the week. CIAA has teamed up with the Pratt Street Library to host the 2024 Allegis Group Career Expo. This free event is geared towards upcoming and recent graduates who are interested in educational or career opportunities. 

For this year’s career expo, there are over 60 companies that will be in attendance such as Nationwide, Wells Fargo, Coca-Cola, NASA, and many more. This is a great networking opportunity for those who are interested.

On Thursday there will also be a Diversity Equity Inclusion reception, and a Health&Mental Wellness summit, along with the continuation of the Women’s & Men’s Tournament held at various times and locations throughout Baltimore.

On Friday, March 1st, There will be multiple dance parties catered to college students and young alumni which will be hosted at Rams Head Live accompanied by the semifinal basketball tournament games.

 Later in the evening, CIAA will be hosting their greatly anticipated Step Show Throwdown which is being presented by Wells Fargo. At the event, Greek letter fraternities and sororities will be battling each other in a showcase. 

The championship games for both men’s and women’s basketball teams will be held on Saturday along with the trophy presentation. All games can be viewed on ESPN Live and tickets to all events are still available on the CIAA website. 

There will also be various events and parties held on Saturday as well that are aiming to better the community of Baltimore by creating a sense of togetherness. 

On Sunday, March 3rd, Sagamore Pendry is hosting a celebratory brunch at 10 am. After brunch, everyone should head to the Poetry vs. Hip Hop event at Ram’s Head Live to close out the week of festivities.