Tournament Comes Back to Baltimore for First Time in 70 Years
BALTIMORE – Amtrak has been named the official transportation partner for the 2022 CIAA Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tournament in coordination with Visit Baltimore. The tournament is taking place in-person at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore between Feb. 22-26 following a successful virtual experience in 2021. This is the first time the tournament will be held in Baltimore since 1952, and it’s also the first new location for the event since 2005.
As background, the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) is the nation’s first African American athletic conference, and the annual basketball tournament is one of the most highly attended basketball tournaments among all NCAA divisions.
“As part of our ongoing diversity and inclusion initiatives, Amtrak is proud to partner with Visit Baltimore to help sponsor this event and to support all of the athletes participating in the 2022 CIAA Tournament,” said Amtrak Assistant Vice President of Talent, Culture & Inclusion, Benjamin Sims.
The tournament will include 12 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) made up of 24 teams of men and women. Universities participating include:
- Lincoln University, Chester County, Pa.
- Bowie State University, Bowie, Md.
- Virginia Union University, Richmond, Va.
- Virginia State University, Petersburg, Va.
- Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, N.C.
- Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, N.C.
- Claflin University, Orangeburg, S.C.
- Johnson C Smith University, Charlotte, N.C.
- Livingstone College, Salisbury, N.C.
- Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, N.C.
- Saint Augustine’s University, Raleigh, N.C.
- Shaw University, Raleigh N.C.
Baltimore is excited to welcome thousands of fans, alumni and players for a weekend of reunions, basketball and celebrations and Amtrak is ready to help take them there! Amtrak offers convenient service to downtown Baltimore with easy boarding, spacious comfortable seats and a generous baggage policy that can easily get event attendees to the heart of the action. Students travelling to Baltimore for the tournament can take advantage of Amtrak’s 15% off student discount. For more information about the tournament, visit the event website.
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About Amtrak®
For more than 50 years, Amtrak has connected America and modernized train travel. Offering a safe, environmentally efficient way to reach more than 500 destinations across 46 states and parts of Canada, Amtrak provides travelers with an experience that sets a new standard. Book travel, check train status, access your eTicket and more through the Amtrak app. Learn more at Amtrak.com and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. In 2020, the conference celebrated the special 75th anniversary of its Championship Basketball Tournament – an event that has become a must-see in the African American community. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member-institutions: Bowie State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine’s University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University. Chowan University is an associate member in football and women’s bowling. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
About Visit Baltimore
Visit Baltimore is the official sales and marketing arm for the City of Baltimore. The 501(c)(6) organization generates economic benefits for stakeholders through the attraction of convention, group and leisure visitors. In 2019, spending by travelers totaled $6 billion in direct spending throughout the city, supporting 86,827 total jobs and generating $750 million in state and city tax revenues. For more information, please visit Baltimore.org.