Recently the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA®) , the nation's first African American athletic conference, announced that it has selected Baltimore as the official site of the 2021-2023 CIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament.

Visit Baltimore president and CEO Al Hutchinson was joined by Mayor Pugh, Lt. Governor Rutherford, CIAA Commissioner McWilliams, and CIAA Board Chair Dr. Anderson for a celebration on January 8th at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture.

Over three years, the tournaments will be held during the last week in February, which provides a tremendous opportunity for our hospitality and tourism community - hotels, restaurants, retail and more - to roll out the red carpet and make meaningful social and business connections over what is historically a slower season.

As one of the most highly attended basketball tournaments among all NCAA divisions, the CIAA Tournament brought more than 140,000 fans to Charlotte in 2018, driving $50 million in total economic impact.