The sub-committee made bid specifications available this week to prospective tournament hosts and plans to announce the host city in December 2018. The selected city will serve as the official tournament location for a three-year term, from 2021-2023. The CIAA Tournament has been hosted in Charlotte since 2006 and will continue its existing agreement with the city through 2020.
Prospective bid cities are asked to submit a declaration of intent to bid, including a draft budget, hotel rates, and confirmation of adherence to the CIAA’s bid specifications by September 9, 2018. When evaluating prospective hosts, the committee will review each city’s competition venue, lodging and transportation, ability to create an advertising-free or “clean” zone to protect sponsors, and to prevent ambush marketing within that footprint. The region’s overall commitment to the annual event, including a provision for scholarship dollars to be distributed to member institutions, will weigh heavily in the decision.
Venues must hold a minimum of 8,000-10,000 fans and host cities or regions must be able to provide at least 6,000 full-service hotel rooms within reasonable proximity to the competition venue.
“The selection of the future CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament site is in alignment with site selections for all CIAA championships. The conference’s Board sees this as a great opportunity to open the tournament experience to other markets and to forge new alliances,” said Jacqie McWilliams, CIAA Commissioner. “Charlotte has been a great home for us and we look forward to continuing our partnership. Our future includes writing a new chapter in our tournament’s history, with a goal of creating exciting, once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our student-athletes, coaches, alumni, sponsors, and fans.”
In 2018, the CIAA Basketball Tournament brought over 140,000 fans to Charlotte during the week of competition with an economic impact of $50.5 million. Since 2000, the CIAA has generated more than $650 million in economic impact and an average of $500 million in the state of North Carolina.
