Formerly | Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
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Association | NCAA |
Founded | 1912 |
Commissioner | Jacqie McWilliams (since 2012) |
Sports fielded |
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Division | Division II |
No. of teams | 13 |
Headquarters | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
Region | Mid-Atlantic states, South Atlantic states |
Official website | theciaa |
Locations | |
Part of a series on |
African Americans |
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The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, whose member institutions consist entirely of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). [1]
The thirteen member institutions reside primarily along the central portion of the East Coast of the United States, in the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Since a majority of the members are in North Carolina, the CIAA moved its headquarters to Charlotte, North Carolina from Hampton, Virginia in August 2015. [2]
The CIAA sponsors 14 annual championships and divides into north and south divisions for some sports. The most notable CIAA sponsored championship is the CIAA Basketball Tournament having become one of the largest college basketball events in the nation. [3]
The CIAA, founded on the campus of Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in 1912, is the oldest African-American athletic conference in the United States. It was originally known as the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association and adopted its current name in December 1950. The conference composes predominantly of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) spanning the east coast from Pennsylvania to South Carolina.
Founding leaders were Allen Washington and Charles H. Williams of Hampton Institute (now Hampton University); Ernest J. Marshall of Howard University; George Johnson of Lincoln University (PA); W. E. Atkins, Charles Frazier, and H. P. Hargrave of Shaw University; and J. W. Barco and J. W. Pierce of Virginia Union University. [4]
Football experiences a major resurgence after going through a period of decline at several member universities. Football was absent from the campus of Saint Augustine's University for nearly three decades, before the administration reinstated it in 2002. Shaw University then brought back its football program in 2003, following a hiatus of 24 years. [5]
Lincoln University, a charter member, added varsity football in 2008 and was readmitted to the CIAA after nearly three decades in Division III. Chowan University joined the CIAA in 2008 for football only. On October 14, 2008, the CIAA Board of Directors admitted Chowan as a full member effective July 1, 2009, the first non-HBCU to play in the conference. [6]
On August 27, 2012, the CIAA announced the appointment of Jacqie Carpenter, the first African-American female commissioner to hold the position. [7]
In 2014, a collection of records, including the original 1912 documents leading to the formation of the CIAA and meeting minutes from 1913 to 1922, were sold at auction after being discovered in a storage locker. The lot sold for $11,500 to an unnamed bidder. [8]
On May 22, 2018, Chowan University announced its athletic department will realign with the Conference Carolinas as a full member while maintaining an associate relationship with the CIAA for both football and women's bowling. [9]
The CIAA currently has 13 full members, seven are public schools and six are private schools:
The CIAA had 12 former full members, all but 5 were public schools:
The CIAA had one former associate member, which was also a private school:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | CIAA sport | Primary conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chowan University | Murfreesboro, North Carolina | 1848 | Baptist | 1,316 | Hawks | 2019 [lower-alpha 1] | 2021w.b. 2023fb | women's bowling football | Carolinas (CC) |
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football-only) Associate member (sport)
A divisional format is used for basketball (M / W), bowling, football, softball, tennis (W), and volleyball. | |
North
| South
|
Sport | Men's | Women's |
---|---|---|
Basketball | ||
Bowling | ||
Cross Country | ||
Football | ||
Golf | ||
Softball | ||
Tennis | ||
Track & Field Indoor | ||
Track & Field Outdoor | ||
Volleyball |
School | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Golf | Track & Field Indoor | Track & Field Outdoor | Total CIAA Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bluefield State | 6 | ||||||
Bowie State | 5 | ||||||
Claflin | 4 | ||||||
Elizabeth City State | 4 | ||||||
Fayetteville State | 4 | ||||||
Johnson C. Smith | 6 | ||||||
Lincoln | 5 | ||||||
Livingstone | 6 | ||||||
Saint Augustine's | [lower-alpha 1] | 5 | |||||
Shaw | 3 | ||||||
Virginia State | 6 | ||||||
Virginia Union | 6 | ||||||
Winston-Salem State | 4 | ||||||
Totals | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 65 |
School | Basketball | Bowling ‡ | Cross Country | Softball | Tennis | Track & Field Indoor | Track & Field Outdoor | Volleyball | Total CIAA Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bluefield State | 8 | ||||||||
Bowie State | 8 | ||||||||
Claflin | 6 | ||||||||
Elizabeth City State | 6 | ||||||||
Fayetteville State | 7 | ||||||||
Johnson C. Smith | 8 | ||||||||
Lincoln | 6 | ||||||||
Livingstone | 8 | ||||||||
Saint Augustine's | 6 | ||||||||
Shaw | 7 | ||||||||
Virginia State | 8 | ||||||||
Virginia Union | 8 | ||||||||
Winston-Salem State | 7 | ||||||||
Totals | 13 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 93 |
School | Men | Women | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baseball | Lacrosse | Soccer | Tennis | Wrestling | Golf | Lacrosse | Soccer | Wrestling | |
Bluefield State | IND | IND | CC | IND | IND | SACC [lower-alpha 2] | |||
Claflin | PBC | ||||||||
Johnson C. Smith | IND | ||||||||
Lincoln | ECC [lower-alpha 3] | ECC [lower-alpha 3] | |||||||
Shaw | IND | IND | IND | ||||||
Virginia State | IND | IND | IND | IND | IND | IND |
School | Football | Basketball | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Stadium | Capacity | Arena | Capacity | |
Bluefield State | Mitchell Stadium | 10,000 | Ned E. Shott Gym | 1,500 |
Bowie State | Bulldog Stadium | 2,964 | A.C. Jordan Arena | 2,200 |
Claflin | non-football school | Edward Tullis Arena | 3,000 | |
Elizabeth City State | Roebuck Stadium | 6,500 | R. L. Vaughn Center | 5,000 |
Fayetteville State | Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium | 5,520 | Felton J. Capel Arena | 4,000 |
Johnson C. Smith | Irwin Belk Complex | 4,500 | Brayboy Gymnasium | 2,316 |
Lincoln | Lincoln University Stadium | 2,600 | Manuel Rivero Hall | 3,000 |
Livingstone | Alumni Memorial Stadium | 5,500 | William Trent Gymnasium | 1,500 |
Saint Augustine's | George Williams Athletic Complex | 2,500 | Emery Gymnasium | 1,000 |
Shaw | Durham County Stadium | 8,500 | C.C. Spaulding Gym | 1,500 |
Virginia State | Rogers Stadium | 7,909 | VSU Multi-Purpose Center | 6,000 |
Virginia Union | Hovey Field | 10,000 | Barco-Stevens Hall | 2,000 |
Winston–Salem State | Bowman Gray Stadium | 22,000 | C.E. Gaines Center | 3,200 |
The CIAA is the first NCAA Division II conference to have its tournament televised as part of Championship Week on ESPN. Over 100,000 fans and spectators are in attendance annually and it has become one of the largest college basketball events in the nation. During the week of the tournament, there are many high-profile social and celebratory events associated with the event. [11] [12] The last day of the tournament is known as "Super Saturday" in which the men's and women's tournament champions are crowned. For 15 years, the tournament had an annual $55 million economic impact on Charlotte, North Carolina and was consistently the largest event held in the city every year. [13] The conference was offered better incentives to move it to Baltimore, Maryland, in 2021, [14] [15] where it will remain at least through 2025. [16]
Men's tournament results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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One of the signature events of "Super Saturday" at the CIAA Basketball Tournament is the Cheer Exhibition. At the exhibition, CIAA cheer squads showcase elaborate routines to entertain spectators and display their talents. [19] [20] Excluding Bluefield State's cheerleaders, every cheerleading team in the CIAA is a "Stomp-N-Shake" squad which is a unique style of cheer that is most common among historically Black colleges and schools located in the East Coast region.
The CIAA is one of the only conferences in the country that has an annual All-Conference Cheerleading Team. The All-Conference Cheerleading Team is a recognition bestowed on select cheerleaders in the conference that exemplify the epitome of school spirit, leadership, athleticism, and academic excellence. [21]
Institution | Squad name |
---|---|
Bluefield State University | ----- |
Bowie State University | The "Golden Girls" |
Claflin University | The "Panther Dolls" |
Elizabeth City State University | The "D'Lytes" |
Fayetteville State University | "Cheer Phi Smoov" |
Johnson C. Smith University | The "Luv-A-Bulls" |
Lincoln University | The "Fe Fe's" |
Livingstone College | The "La La's" |
Saint Augustine's University | The "Bluechips" |
Shaw University | The "Chi Chi's" |
Virginia State University | The "Woo Woo's" |
Virginia Union University | The "Rah Rah's" |
Winston-Salem State University | The "Powerhouse of Red and White" |
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a collegiate athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for most sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly referred to as Division I-AA.
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I, and in football, in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Formed in 1913, it consists mostly of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), with all but one member located in the Southern United States.
The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) was a collegiate athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but briefly had one Kentucky member in its early years, and expanded into Pennsylvania in its final years. It participated in the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), originally affiliated in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) until 1995, but held its final athletic competitions in spring 2013, and officially disbanded on September 1 of that year. Its football-playing members announced in June 2012 that they planned to withdraw to form a new Division II conference at the end of the 2012–13 season; this led to a chain of conference moves that saw all but one of the WVIAC's members find new conference homes.
The USA South Athletic Conference is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member schools are located in North Carolina and Virginia.
The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), formerly the Colonial Athletic Association, is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states, from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Most of its members are public universities, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond. The CAA was historically a Southern conference until the addition of four schools in the Northeastern United States after the turn of the 21st century, which added geographic balance to the conference.
Bluefield State University is a public historically black university (HBCU) in Bluefield, West Virginia. Despite being an HBCU, Bluefield's undergraduate student body is now over 80% white. The university is part of West Virginia's public university education system.
The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Members of the conference are located in the Southeastern United States in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) primarily at the Division II level. It is also considered as one of the seven Division I conferences for men's volleyball. Originally formed in 1930, the league reached its modern incarnation in 1994. Member institutions are located in the southeastern United States in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The Conference Carolinas membership currently consists of 14 small colleges or universities, 12 private and two public.
Bobby Lee Collins is an American college basketball coach and the former head men's basketball coach at Maryland Eastern Shore. Prior to Maryland Eastern Shore, Collins had been the head coach at Winston-Salem State University and Hampton University.
The Hampton Pirates and Lady Pirates refer to the sports teams representing Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia in intercollegiate athletics. The Pirates and Lady Pirates compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Coastal Athletic Association.
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The Chowan Hawks are the athletic teams that represent Chowan University, located in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports.
The North Carolina A&T Aggies are the athletic teams that represent North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The Aggies compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) in all sports with the exception of football and women's bowling. North Carolina A&T fields varsity teams in 13 sports, five for men and eight for women. The football team competes in Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, in the CAA's technically separate football arm of CAA Football.
Joe Taylor is an American college athletics administrator and former football coach. He is the athletic director at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia, a position he has held since 2013. Taylor served as the head football coach at Howard University in 1983, Virginia Union from 1984 to 1991, Hampton University from 1992 to 2007, and Florida A&M University from 2008 to 2012, compiling a career college football coaching record of 232–96–4. Taylor led the Hampton Pirates to five black college football national championships and eight conference titles. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
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The Gold Bowl was an American college football bowl game between teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association (CIAA), two athletic conferences traditionally consisting of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The game was played on a Saturday in early December from 1976 through 1980 at City Stadium in Richmond, Virginia. Reflecting its origins in the bicentennial year, the first edition of the game was called the Bicentennial Bowl.
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