The History of the CIAA

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) was founded in 1912 as the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association and is the oldest African-American athletic conference in the nation. Although the membership has changed since 1912, the CIAA consists of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) spanning the east coast from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. The membership: Bowie State University, Chowan University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Elizabeth City State University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine's College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University is comprised of both private and public colleges and universities with enrollments ranging from 750 - 7,000 students. Currently, eighty percent of CIAA alumni reside in District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia.

The CIAA is incorporated in the District of Columbia and is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. The conference is headquartered in Hampton, Virginia and is governed by the thirteen Presidents and Chancellors of its member institutions.

The conference holds championships annually in the following sports: Men's and Women's Cross Country; Volleyball; Football; Men's and Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track; Men's and Women's Basketball; Women's Bowling; Men's and Women's Tennis; Golf; Baseball and Softball. In addition to its outstanding basketball history, the CIAA pioneered the divisional conference football championship game format. In 1970, after dividing the conference into Northern and Southern Divisions, the CIAA played the first conference football championship game in college football history in Petersburg, Virginia. The first black college football game was also played between CIAA schools, Livingstone College and Biddle (now Johnson C. Smith University) in 1893.

Academic success is a staple of the conference. The CIAA recognizes the academic achievement of its student-athletes annually by naming its top student-athletes to the Commissioner's All-Academic Team. The conference also recognizes the Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for student-athletes who have excelled on the field and in the classroom.

CIAA student-athletes have achieved success in the professional ranks. Ben Wallace, former basketball standout from Virginia Union University, was named to the 2004 Olympic Team and was instrumental in helping the NBA Detroit Pistons win the 2004 NBA Championship. Charles Oakley also from Virginia Union has played with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, and Toronto Raptors. Darrell Armstrong of Fayetteville State University recently retired from the NBA New Jersey Nets and Ronald Murray of Shaw University currently plays with the NBA Chicago Bulls. Most recently, Greg Taylor of St. Paul's College was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the 31st round of the 2009 NFL draft.

Former CIAA alumni who found success in professional sports include Earl "The Pearl" Monroe (Winston-Salem State University), Sam Jones (North Carolina Central University), Earl Lloyd (West Virginia State University), and Bobby Dandridge (Norfolk State University). The late John McClendon and C.E. "Big House" Gaines are coaching legends and pioneers.

CIAA alumni list boasts some of the country's prominent leaders. They include: the late Reginald Lewis (the owner of the first black billion dollar business - Beatrice Foods); the late Maynard Jackson (first black mayor of Atlanta, GA); Douglas Wilder (first elected black governor - Virginia); Art Shell (the first black NFL head coach in the modern era); and Andrew Young (the first black United States Ambassador to the United Nations).

The CIAA receives significant support from corporate America. Over the past 12 years companies such as Alltel, Anheuser Busch, Bank of America, Coca-Cola USA, Food Lion, and Ford Motor Corporation, Glaxo Smithkline, Geico, Nationwide Insurance, Nike, McDonald's, Russell Athletic, the American Red Cross, the United States Army, Navy, and Marine Corp have assisted the conference in securing over $13.5 million in scholarship money for the member institutions and an additional $23 million for other championships and television. With the help of these sponsors, the CIAA can boast its position as the first NCAA Division II conference to have its tournament televised as part of Championship Week on the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (ESPN), the cable television giant.

One of the nation's premier sporting events is the annual CIAA Basketball Tournament. Touted as the third most attended basketball tournament among all NCAA divisions, the first tournament was a 2,000 seat sellout in Washington, D.C. The CIAA Tournament recorded consecutive sellouts in the 20,000 seat RBC Center, located in Raleigh, NC when the city was awarded the event in 2000 and 2003. The 2011 CIAA Tournament, in its sixth year in the "Queen City", Charlotte, NC, boasted 190,000 fans during the course of the week, while making an economic impact of over $44.3 million. Since the year 2000, the CIAA has generated over $266 million in economic impact for the state of North Carolina and over $16.5 million in overall scholarship dollars for CIAA member institutions.

Tournament Week offers events for every social palate including parties, numerous educational and healthy-living components, step shows, and a battle of the bands. The men's and women's tournaments are held simultaneously and their respective championship games are on Saturday night.

The CIAA has received national recognition by being featured in EBONY magazine for six consecutive years, USA Today (front page cover story), UPTOWN magazine, Sister 2 Sister magazine, VIBE magazine, and Essence magazine. The Tournament has also become an annual staple of the Steve Harvey Morning Show.

The CIAA Tournament is televised into more than 57 million homes nationwide. In 2005, the conference partnered with ESPN, which included coverage on ESPN Classic, ESPN Plus and ESPN In-Game. ESPN reaches over 99.5 million homes.

For the 2010 Tournament, the CIAA entered into a first-ever partnership with TV One, a television network that chronicles African-America culture and achievement, to broadcast the men's quarterfinals and semifinal rounds.

The CIAA is undoubtedly celebrated as a conference of "firsts". Its innate spirit of ingenuity and innovation continues to keep the CIAA in the forefront; blazing trails for other conferences to follow. As the CIAA nears 100 years of excellence in athletic competition, the conference and its member institutions continue to build on the rich and honorable traditions of its past; while providing leadership into the future.

Timeline of Events

1830s - First HBCUs were established in the country

1892 - Livingstone College and Johnson C. Smith University (then Biddle University) played in the first football game between two African-American colleges.

1912 - The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association was founded in Hampton, VA. When the conference was founded, it was originally known as the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association. It's founding fathers were Allen Washington and C.H. Williams of Hampton Institute; Ernest J. Marshall of Howard University; George Johnson of Lincoln University (PA); W.E. Atkins, Charles Frasher and H.P. Hargrave of Shaw University; and J.W. Barco and J.W. Pierce of Virginia Union University.

1920 - The Pittsburgh Courier selected the first unofficial black college basketball champions, Howard and Talledega

1927 - There were a total of 77 HBCUs enrolling almost 14,000 students

1946 - First CIAA Basketball Tournament

John B. McLendon, now known as the "Father of Black Basketball," along with Talmadge Hall, John Burr and Harry Jefferson formed the first CIAA basketball tournament in a small gymnasium in Washington, D.C. on a $500 budget. The tournament was played in Turner Arena. Many southern cities didn't want a predominantly Black collegiate conference in their venues and didn't rent to the CIAA. And when the conference finally secured Turner Arena, the players had to sleep on the floor because they weren't allowed in the hotels. Still, students and fans turned out at the gymnasium for that first tournament.

1954 - Brown V. The Board of Education desegregated public schools

1965 - The NCAA began accepting black colleges for membership

1967- NBA Hall of Famer Earl "The Pearl" Monroe played for Coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines at Winston-Salem State and helped his team win the Division-II national title.

1973 - NCAA Division II and III playoffs began

1980 - Virginia Union Panthers won the NCAA Division II Championship

1988 - CIAA Tournament moves to Richmond, VA

1989 - President George Bush issued Executive Order 12677 to strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to provide quality education and to increase their participation in federally sponsored programs.

1990 - Leon G. Kerry is promoted to Commissioner of CIAA

1992 - The Virginia Union Panthers won the NCAA Division II Championship

1994 - CIAA Tournament moves to Winston-Salem, NC

1998 - Commissioner Leon Kerry secured the largest sponsorship package in history among HBCU conferences and Division II when Coca Cola North America signed a five year, $2 million agreement with the CIAA. He surpassed the preceding record when Coke renewed the contract at $3 million for another five years in 2003.

2000 - The CIAA2000.com website is believed to be the first college sports internet homepage developed singularly for one event, the CIAA Basketball Tournament.

2000 - The CIAA Tournament moves to Raleigh, NC

2005 - CIAA teamed up with ESPN, the nation's sports leader, to create the largest HBCU conference television package in history

2005 - The Virginia Union Panthers win the NCAA Division II Basketball Championship and visit the White House

2006 – The CIAA Tournament moves to the city of Charlotte
2006 – The CIAA sets a Tournament record by drawing over 124,114 fans and $15.4 in economic impact

2007 – The CIAA sets a new Tournament record by drawing over 165,000 fans and $27.7 million in economic impact to Charlotte

2008 – ‘Black Magic’ featuring the CIAA becomes the most watched documentary in ESPN history
2008 – Former ‘Lady Viking’ Celeste Trahan became the first woman in NCAA Division II history to record 2,000 points and 1,500    rebounds in a career
2008 – The CIAA sets a new Tournament record by drawing over 181,000 fans and $30.7 million in economic impact to Charlotte
2008 – Chowan University is voted as a full member of the CIAA
2008 – Barack Obama is elected as the first African American President of the United States of America. (44^th President)
2008 – CIAA renews another three-year contract with Charlotte
2008 – CIAA welcomes Nationwide Insurance as the “Official Insurance Provider” for the CIAA

2009 – The CIAA sets a new Tournament economic impact record by drawing over $38.2 million to  Charlotte
2009 – CIAA Board of Directors vote to re-admit WSSU to the conference
2009 – CIAA welcomes TV One as a new “Official Broadcast Partner”

2010 - CIAA Welcomes Toyota as the "Official Automotive Sponsor" for the CIAA
2010 - CIAA renews another three-year contract with Charlotte

2011 - CIAA sets a new Tournament economic impact record by drawing over $44.3 million to Charlotte
2011 - CIAA sets a new Tournament attendance record by drawing over 190,000 fans during the week-long event