New vibe at CIAA

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  This isn’t your daddy’s CIAA.  The 12-member collegiate athletics conference is moving forward in its second century with a new commissioner, branding and a 21st century approach to its signature event – the annual basketball tournament. Commissioner Jacqie Carpenter, the first black woman to lead a conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, has overseen the transition in five months on the job. “Initially, it was a little difficult for me because I was a part of the old branding as a former student-athlete at a CIAA school, but this is fresh,” the graduate of Hampton (Va.) University said on Tuesday at a press conference in Charlotte. “It’s new, it’s exciting. We’ve got our membership on board, our presidents on board and I’m excited to talk about our brand and the new direction our conference is going in.” The tournament is Feb. 28-March 2 at Time Warner Cable Arena. Carpenter unveiled the new league logo at the Charlotte Convention Center. The double-circular seal incorporates the league’s acronym; five stars (for founding members Hampton, Howard, Lincoln, Shaw and Virginia Union universities) and two sheaves of wheat representing growth and education. The update replaces a brand that had been used since 1985. READ MORE