Charlotte, North Carolina, has lost its bid to host the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament during the upcoming 2027-29 cycle.
The city had launched its bid earlier this year after hosting the CIAA for 14 years. The tournament was moved to Baltimore in 2022 following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Charlotte lost its bid to regain its status as a host city
“We have been informed by the CIAA that Charlotte will not be considered as a host city for the upcoming tournament cycle,” reads a statement shared with Erik Spanberg, the managing editor of the Charlotte Business Journal.
“While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, we are proud of the strong, collaborative bid submitted by the City of Charlotte, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, and the Charlotte Sports Foundation to bring the CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments back to the Queen City,” it added.
The event generated millions of dollars in economic impact while Charlotte hosted the event from 2006 to 2020. It generated $656 million and the tournament was valued at around $43 million annually in 2020, according to WCNC.
Other cities put out their bid to host the event in January. Although Charlotte received a rejection, no city has yet been confirmed as a host.
“In January, we put out the intent to bid for those cities or states that were interested in being a part of hosting the CIAA tournament 2027 and beyond,” CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker told HBCU Legends in March.
“We’ve got intent from cities that want to be a part of the process of bidding and winning the tournament in their cities. We’ve heard Charlotte. Obviously, Baltimore has submitted their intent. We’ve heard Philadelphia. We’ve heard from Pittsburgh as well,” she added.
Why did Charlotte lose its bid to host the CIAA basketball tournament?
Several factors played a role in Charlotte losing its bid to reclaim its role as host city. The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority mentioned scheduling conflicts as some of the city’s venues were already committed for dates in 2027.
“When the CIAA requested 2027 dates in early 2025, our primary venues were already committed due to previously scheduled programming—a reflection of Charlotte’s growing momentum as a premier host city,” the statement read, per HBCU Legends.
Charlotte City Councilman Malcolm Graham added that the city did not accommodate the tournament’s request to have the Spectrum Center available for the event.
“I wish that we were all in,” he said. “I wish we got better support, quite frankly, from the office of the mayor and the city manager for sure. The CIAA is different than any other convention that we’re trying to attract to the city. It is culturally unique and different and requires a lot more hands-on from the political leaders.”
There have also been concerns regarding safety, such as unofficial parties and gatherings being organized during the tournament’s hosting in Charlotte. These happenings required the need for additional security measures, WCNC reported.
