Thursday, October 12, 2017

CIAA could explore options for basketball tournaments


CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — The CIAA basketball tournament is on firm footing in Charlotte, but the conference will be making crucial decisions with the popular tournament over the next several months.

The women’s and men’s tournaments, which will be held again at Bojangles Coliseum and the Spectrum Center in late February, are entering the fourth year of a six-year contract.

Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams of the CIAA said this spring the board of directors of the CIAA, which consists of the 12 presidents and chancellors, will begin talks about the direction of the tournament. The first decision is whether to open the bidding process to other cities or to extend its current contract with the city of Charlotte.

“Before we get to the 2019 tournament, we need to know what we are doing after this contract expires,” McWilliams said last week during the conference’s basketball media day.

The CIAA and Charlotte have an agreement in place until 2020. There are three tournaments left on the current contract, but McWilliams said it’s time to start looking and planning for the future.

“We’ve had various opinions whether we should stay in North Carolina or look to Virginia again,” McWilliams said. “I think the board has to think about the future of this conference as it relates to the tournament.”

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