Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, whose member institutions consist entirely of historically black colleges and universities.
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.
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.
History
The CIAA, founded on the campus of Hampton Institute 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 spanning the east coast from Pennsylvania to South Carolina.Founding leaders were Allen Washington and Charles H. Williams of Hampton Institute ; 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.
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.
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.
On August 27, 2012, the CIAA announced the appointment of Jacqie Carpenter, the first African-American female commissioner to hold the position.
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.
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.
On October 4, 2024, the CIAA suspended St. Augustine's membership within the conference for the 2024–25 academic year, citing failure to meet conference compliance requirements and concerns surrounding its ability to meet NCAA sports sponsorship and scheduling requirements. The suspension was extended indefinitely at the CIAA's 2024 Fall Board meeting on December 10, and the CIAA eventually voted to not extend their membership into the 2025–26 academic year at their 2025 Spring Board Meeting on June 20, effectively removing St. Augustine's from the conference.
Chronological timeline
- 1912 – The CIAA was founded as the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Charter member included Hampton Institute, Howard University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania; Shaw University and Virginia Union University, beginning the 1912–13 academic year.
- 1920 – Virginia State College joined the CIAA in the 1920–21 academic year.
- 1921 – Virginia Theological Seminary and College joined the CIAA in the 1921–22 academic year.
- 1923 – Saint Paul's Normal and Industrial School joined the CIAA in the 1923–24 academic year.
- 1924 – The Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina joined the CIAA in the 1924–25 academic year.
- 1926 – Johnson C. Smith University joined the CIAA in the 1926–27 academic year.
- 1928 – North Carolina College at Durham joined the CIAA in the 1928–29 academic year.
- 1929 – Morgan College joined the CIAA in the 1929–30 academic year.
- 1931 – Livingstone College joined the CIAA in the 1931–32 academic year.
- 1932 – Bluefield State Teachers College joined the CIAA in the 1932–33 academic year.
- 1933 – Saint Augustine's College joined the CIAA in the 1933–34 academic year.
- 1942 – [West Virginia State University|Virginia State University|West Virginia State College] joined the CIAA in the 1942–43 academic year.
- 1945 – Delaware State College and Winston-Salem Teachers College joined the CIAA in the 1945–46 academic year.
- 1950 – The CIAA has been rebranded as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in the 1950–51 academic year.
- 1954 – VUL left the CIAA after the 1953–54 academic year.
- 1954 – Fayetteville State Teachers College and Maryland State College at Princess Anne joined the CIAA in the 1954–55 academic year.
- 1955 – Bluefield State and West Virginia State left the CIAA to join the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after the 1954–55 academic year.
- 1957 – Elizabeth City State Teachers College joined the CIAA in the 1957–58 academic year.
- 1960 – Lincoln left the CIAA after the 1959–60 academic year.
- 1962 – Norfolk Polytechnic College joined the CIAA in the 1962–63 academic year.
- 1970 – Delaware State, Howard, Maryland–Eastern Shore, Morgan State, North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central left the CIAA to form the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference after the 1969–70 academic year.
- 1979 – Bowie State College joined the CIAA in the 1979–80 academic year.
- 1980 – North Carolina Central rejoined the CIAA in the 1980–81 academic year.
- 1995 – Hampton left the CIAA to join the MEAC after the 1994–95 academic year.
- 1996 – Norfolk State left the CIAA to join the MEAC after the 1995–96 academic year.
- 2006 – Winston-Salem State left the CIAA to join the MEAC after the 2005–06 academic year.
- 2007 – North Carolina Central left the CIAA for a second time to rejoin the MEAC after the 2006–07 academic year.
- 2008 – Lincoln rejoined the CIAA in the 2008–09 academic year.
- 2008 – Chowan University joined the CIAA as an associate member for football in the 2008 fall season.
- 2009 – Chowan upgraded to join the CIAA as a full member for all sports in the 2009–10 academic year.
- 2010 – Winston–Salem State rejoined the CIAA in the 2010–11 academic year.
- 2011 – Saint Paul's left the CIAA after the school announced that it was discontinuing its athletics program after the 2010–11 academic year.
- 2018 – Claflin University joined the CIAA in the 2018–19 academic year.
- 2019 – Chowan left the CIAA to join the Conference Carolinas after the 2018–19 academic year; while it remained in the conference as an associate member for football and women's bowling, beginning the 2019–20 academic year.
- 2021 – Chowan left the CIAA as an associate member for women's bowling after the 2021 spring season.
- 2023 – Chowan left the CIAA as an associate member for football after the 2022 fall season.
- 2023 – Bluefield State rejoined the CIAA in the 2023–24 academic year.
- 2025 – Saint Augustine's was removed from the CIAA beginning with the 2025–26 academic year due to compliance and operational concerns.
Member schools
Current members
The CIAA currently has 12 full members, seven are public schools and five are private schools:;Notes:
Former members
The CIAA had 13 former full members, all but 6 of which were public schools:;Notes:
Former associate members
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 | 2008 | 2009 | football | Carolinas (CC) |
| Chowan University | Murfreesboro, North Carolina | 1848 | Baptist | 1,316 | Hawks | 2019 | 2023 | football | Carolinas (CC) |
| Chowan University | Murfreesboro, North Carolina | 1848 | Baptist | 1,316 | Hawks | 2019 | 2021 | women's bowling | Carolinas (CC) |
;Notes:
Membership timeline
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id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only
id:OtherC1 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference
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bar:1 color:Full from:1912 till:1995 text:Hampton
bar:2 color:Full from:1912 till:1970 text:Howard
bar:3 color:Full from:1912 till:1960 text:Lincoln (Pa.)
bar:3 color:Full from:2008 till:end text:
bar:4 color:Full from:1912 till:1979 text:Shaw
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1979 till:2003 text:
bar:4 color:Full from:2003 till:end text:
bar:5 color:Full from:1912 till:end text:Virginia Union
bar:6 color:Full from:1920 till:end text:Virginia State
bar:7 color:Full from:1921 till:1954 text:VUL
bar:8 color:Full from:1923 till:2011 text:Saint Paul's
bar:9 color:Full from:1924 till:1970 text:North Carolina A&T
bar:10 color:Full from:1926 till:end text:Johnson C. Smith
bar:11 color:Full from:1928 till:1970 text:North Carolina Central
bar:11 color:Full from:1980 till:2007 text:
bar:12 color:Full from:1929 till:1970 text:Morgan State
bar:13 color:Full from:1931 till:end text:Livingstone
bar:14 color:Full from:1932 till:1955 text:Bluefield State
bar:14 color:Full from:2023 till:end text:
bar:15 color:Full from:1933 till:1965 text:Saint Augustine's
bar:15 color:FullxF from:1965 till:2002 text:
bar:15 color:Full from:2002 till:2024 text:
bar:16 color:Full from:1942 till:1955 text:West Virginia State
bar:17 color:Full from:1945 till:1970 text:Delaware State
bar:18 color:Full from:1945 till:2006 text:Winston–Salem State
bar:18 color:Full from:2010 till:end text:
bar:19 color:Full from:1954 till:end text:Fayetteville State
bar:20 color:Full from:1954 till:1970 text:Maryland–Eastern Shore
bar:21 color:Full from:1957 till:end text:Elizabeth City State
bar:22 color:Full from:1962 till:1996 text:Norfolk State
bar:23 color:Full from:1979 till:end text:Bowie State
bar:24 color:AssocF from:2008 till:2009 text:Chowan
bar:24 color:Full from:2009 till:2019
bar:24 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2021
bar:24 color:AssocF from:2021 till:2023
bar:25 color:FullxF from:2018 till:end text:Claflin
bar:N color:powderblue from:1912 till:1950 text:Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association
bar:N color:blue from:1950 till:end text:Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
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Sports
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
| Basketball | 12 | 12 |
| Bowling | – | 9 |
| Cross Country | 12 | 12 |
| Football | 11 | – |
| Golf | 8 | – |
| Softball | – | 12 |
| Tennis | – | 9 |
| Track and Field (Indoor) | 8 | 10 |
| Track and Field (Outdoor) | 8 | 11 |
| Volleyball | – | 12 |
Men's sponsored sports by school
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association which are played by CIAA schools:| School | Baseball | Lacrosse | Soccer | Tennis | Wrestling |
| Bluefield State | IND | IND | CC | ||
| Claflin | PBC | ||||
| Johnson C. Smith | IND | ||||
| Lincoln | CACC | ||||
| Shaw | IND | IND | |||
| Virginia State | IND | PBC | IND | IND |
Women's sponsored sports by school
- ‡ — D-I sport
| School | Golf | Lacrosse | Soccer | Wrestling |
| Bluefield State | IND | IND | CC | |
| Lincoln | CACC | |||
| Shaw | IND | |||
| Virginia State | GSC | IND |
CIAA Basketball Tournament
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. 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. The conference was offered better incentives to move it to Baltimore, Maryland, in 2021, where it will remain at least through 2025.| Year | Champion | Venue |
| 1946 | North Carolina College | Turner's Arena |
| 1947 | Virginia State | Turner's Arena |
| 1948 | West Virginia State | Turner's Arena |
| 1949 | West Virginia State | Uline Arena |
| 1950 | North Carolina Central | Uline Arena |
| 1951 | Virginia Union | Uline Arena |
| 1952 | Virginia Union | Hurt Gymnasium |
| 1953 | Winston-Salem State | McDougald Gymnasium |
| 1954 | Virginia Union | McDougald Gymnasium |
| 1955 | Virginia Union | McDougald Gymnasium |
| 1956 | Maryland State | McDougald Gymnasium |
| 1957 | Winston-Salem State | McDougald Gymnasium |
| 1958 | North Carolina A&T | McDougald Gymnasium |
| 1959 | North Carolina A&T | McDougald Gymnasium |
| 1960 | Winston-Salem State | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1961 | Winston-Salem State | War Memorial Coliseum |
| 1962 | North Carolina A&T | War Memorial Coliseum |
| 1963 | Winston-Salem State | War Memorial Coliseum |
| 1964 | North Carolina A&T | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1965 | Norfolk State | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1966 | Winston-Salem State | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1967 | North Carolina A&T | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1968 | Norfolk State | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1969 | Elizabeth City State | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1970 | Winston-Salem State | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1971 | Norfolk State | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1972 | Norfolk State | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1973 | Fayetteville State | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1974 | Norfolk State | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1975 | Norfolk State | Greensboro Coliseum |
| 1976 | Norfolk State | Hampton Coliseum |
| 1977 | Winston-Salem State | Hampton Coliseum |
| 1978 | Norfolk State | Hampton Coliseum |
| 1979 | Virginia Union | Norfolk Scope |
| 1980 | Virginia Union | Norfolk Scope |
| 1981 | Elizabeth City State | Norfolk Scope |
| 1982 | Hampton | Norfolk Scope |
| 1983 | Hampton | Norfolk Scope |
| 1984 | Norfolk State | Norfolk Scope |
| 1985 | Virginia Union | Norfolk Scope |
| 1986 | Norfolk State | Richmond Coliseum |
| 1987 | Virginia Union | Richmond Coliseum |
| 1988 | Virginia State | Norfolk Scope |
| 1989 | Virginia State | Norfolk Scope |
| 1990 | Norfolk State | Norfolk Scope |
| 1991 | Hampton | Richmond Coliseum |
| 1992 | Virginia Union | Richmond Coliseum |
| 1993 | Virginia Union | Richmond Coliseum |
| 1994 | Virginia Union | LJVM Coliseum |
| 1995 | Virginia Union | LJVM Coliseum |
| 1996 | Norfolk State | LJVM Coliseum |
| 1997 | Saint Augustine's | LJVM Coliseum |
| 1998 | Virginia Union | LJVM Coliseum |
| 1999 | Winston-Salem State | LJVM Coliseum |
| 2000 | Winston-Salem State | Entertainment & Sports Arena |
| 2001 | Johnson C. Smith | Entertainment & Sports Arena |
| 2002 | Shaw | Entertainment & Sports Arena |
| 2003 | Bowie State | RBC Center |
| 2004 | Virginia Union | RBC Center |
| 2005 | Virginia Union | RBC Center |
| 2006 | Virginia Union | Charlotte Bobcats Arena |
| 2007 | Elizabeth City State | Charlotte Bobcats Arena |
| 2008 | Johnson C. Smith | Charlotte Bobcats Arena |
| 2009 | Johnson C. Smith | Time Warner Cable Arena |
| 2010 | Saint Augustine's | Time Warner Cable Arena |
| 2011 | Shaw | Time Warner Cable Arena |
| 2012 | Winston-Salem State | Time Warner Cable Arena |
| 2013 | Bowie State | Time Warner Cable Arena |
| 2014 | Livingstone | Time Warner Cable Arena |
| 2015 | Livingstone | Time Warner Cable Arena |
| 2016 | Virginia State | Time Warner Cable Arena |
| 2017 | Bowie State | Bojangles' Coliseum Spectrum Center |
| 2018 | Virginia Union | Bojangles' Coliseum Spectrum Center |
| 2019 | Virginia State | Bojangles' Coliseum Spectrum Center |
| 2020 | Winston-Salem State | Bojangles' Coliseum Spectrum Center |
| 2022 | Fayetteville State | Royal Farms Arena |
| 2023 | Winston-Salem State | Royal Farms Arena |
| 2024 | Lincoln (PA) | CFG Bank Arena |
CIAA cheerleading
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. 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.
| Institution | Squad name |
| Bluefield State University | The "Beautiful Blue" |
| 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" |
| 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" |