Baltimore to get economic boost from CIAA Basketball Tournament
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore will host the 2024 CIAA Basketball Tournament in late February.
The CIAA is the nation's oldest historically Black athletic conference.
This year's tournament will be held at the CFG Bank Arena from Feb. 26 to March 3.
"It's Black History Month and February is all CIAA and celebrating HBCUs in the greatest excellence that we can," CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker said.
The weeklong festivities bring thousands of people to Baltimore. The tournament features men's basketball games and women's basketball games. There will be concerts, parties, and fan-friendly festivities, too.
"It's about community engagement, enrichment, connecting underserved communities to downtown basketball just brings it all together," Maryland Sports Commission Executive Director Terry Hasseltine said.
After years in Charlotte, North Carolina, the tournament returned to Baltimore, Maryland, in 2022. A recent extension will keep it in Charm City through 2026.
"From the time that we stepped foot in Baltimore, we have had an amazing time," Etienne Thomas, the director of athletics at Winston-Salem State University, said. "We are in a city that didn't just tolerate us but appreciates us and embraces us."
Last year, the tournament attracted nearly 40,000 fans and a total economic impact of $29.6 million.
"A lot of folks would not be working in our restaurants, museums, hotels if it were not for the CIAA, this tournament," Al Hutchinson, the president and CEO of Visit Baltimore, said. "Let's not lose sight of that."