In addition to the CIAA’s earlier run, the ACC’s Men’s Basketball Tournament will return to the Spectrum Center for the 14th time in March. The Spectrum Center also hosted early round NCAA men’s basketball tournament games in 2024, with March Madness scheduled to return to uptown in 2027.

Last week, during a forum including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and former mayors Harvey Gantt and Patrick Cannon, Cannon told the audience that the city needs to bring back the CIAA both for its economic might and because of the rich cultural history it brings with the presence of HBCU schools, teams and fans.

The CIAA Tournament stands as a hallmark event, blending high-caliber Division II basketball with a week-long array of festivities, including concerts, parties, and cultural exhibitions. During its 15-year tenure in Charlotte from 2006 to 2020,

Charlotte last hosted the Historically Black Division II conference’s events in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic.