The CIAA basketball tournament returns to CFG Bank Arena this week. This will be the fifth consecutive CIAA tournament in Baltimore, and Charm City is locked in to hosting through at least 2029.

All 12 schools in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference — which competes at the NCAA Division II level and consists entirely of historically Black colleges and universities — will send their men’s and women’s teams to the five-day tournament, with championship games scheduled Saturday.

Here’s a look at the stories to watch.

A local dark horse?

The Bowie State women will again enter the tournament with a puncher’s chance at taking home the title as the de facto home team. Although not one of the favorites, Bowie State was a semifinalist last season and could return to that stage behind a deep roster featuring 10 players who average at least 14 minutes per game.

With a leading scorer in Malaka Cobb averaging just over 10 points per game, the Bulldogs don’t have the star power of Destiny Ryles, who led the way last year, but they are not reliant on a single hot hand and can win in a multitude of ways.

Bowie State finished 11-5 in conference play and in first place in the division. Although they were not one of the two teams with 13-plus conference wins, the Bulldogs appear capable of making a deep run.

An upstart

The women’s tournament boasts two clear favorites. Two-time defending champion Fayetteville State is back in the conversation after another strong campaign, jostling for the top seed in the Southern Division. The Broncos have won two straight titles and, backed by Ellicott City product and four-year starting point guard Talia Trotter, Fayetteville has the talent to three-peat.

However, its biggest challengers are hardly from an expected source — at least not based on last season’s results. Winston-Salem, which finished last in the division last year and suffered a first-round tournament exit, roared to a 15-1 conference record in 2025-26 and was 24-2 overall.

First-year head coach Tierra Terry, who came from conference rival Virginia Union, kept key pieces and recruited both freshmen and instant-impact transfers to spark the turnaround. Makayla Waleed of Upper Marlboro, who played for Maryland’s Emerge Academy, leads the way after spending three years at Division I Temple. She’s one of four Rams to average more than 10 points.

“[Terry] told me the pieces she was bringing in, the players that were staying, the freshmen she recruited,” Waleed said. “She came in and just completely shifted the culture, and I bought in. … It was a pretty easy sell.”

Beyond Waleed, two of the other top four scorers are transfers, both from Virginia Union. Maia Charles, 2025 CIAA Rookie of the Year, averaged over two blocks and 13 points as a dominant inside presence.

The Rams split with Fayetteville State, accounting for their lone loss in CIAA play, but Waleed noted the team is focused on each opponent equally, rather than the two-time defending champions. “We’re preparing for every team … not taking anyone lightly and just playing Ram basketball.”

Beyond Bowie State, there are other potential challengers for the CIAA title, starting with last year’s runner-up, Virginia State. A late-season loss to Bowie hurt its chances at a Northern Division title, but Virginia State entered this weekend’s regular-season finale with the third-best conference record at 11-4. Virginia Union (9-6), a 2025 semifinalist, and Claflin (8-5) are potential spoilers.

A muddier picture for the men

It’s hard to establish a favorite in the men’s event, although Fayetteville State can make the argument for being the hottest team, with a 13-game winning streak and 12 straight CIAA wins.

However, five teams enter the tournament with 10-plus conference wins, and all five have to feel strongly about their chances at making a deep run. The Broncos also have two of the top three scorers in the conference, with Larry Howell the only player averaging over 20 points per game.

Defending champion Virginia State and last year’s runner-up, Bluefield State, are battling with Virginia Union for Northern Division supremacy, and all three should be factors in the tournament. Claflin, one of three teams with 13 CIAA wins, rounds out the quintet of top contenders.

One storyline to watch is a potential rematch of last year’s semifinal between Bluefield State and Fayetteville State. The difference this year is the head coaches have switched benches, with veteran Luke D’Alessio at Bluefield State and the younger Devin Hoehn leading the Broncos.

Bowie State is unlikely to be a factor, having entered the final weekend of the regular season with a 4-11 record and tied for the third-worst record in the conference.

Local Players To Watch

Women

Talia Trotter, Fayetteville State: The Ellicott City product shoots for her third straight CIAA title as a four-year starter for the Broncos.

Makayla Waleed, Winston-Salem State: From Upper Marlboro, Waleed returns to her home state in her lone CIAA season to try to complete the worst-to-first campaign for Winston-Salem.

Breasia Coit, Livingstone: Coit is a sophomore from Baltimore, having played at Western High School. In her second collegiate season, the 6-foot-2 center is averaging 13.3 points and 11.7 rebounds. She scored seven-plus in each of her final 16 games, with 10-plus points in 14 of those contests and a season high of 33. The Blue Bears should have a chance at a quarterfinal, which means the Baltimore crowd could see the hometown star play twice at CFG Bank Arena.

Kaziah Akinniyi, Lincoln: The Poly alumna is the catalyst for a struggling Lincoln squad and enters averaging 13.5 points and having scored 15-plus in three of her last four. It’ll take a sizable upset for the 3-23 Lions to win a game in Baltimore, but Akinniyi should get at least 40 minutes to showcase her talents.

Men

Amare Wimbush, Jared White and Marcus Jackson, Virginia State: The defending CIAA men’s champions get contributions from three local players. Landover product and Bowie State transfer Wimbush averages 6.7 points. Sixth-year senior and Bowie native White averages 6.5 and can get hot from deep. Complementing the two veterans is the true freshman Jackson, who comes from Word of God Christian Academy and plays key minutes off the bench, averaging over 5 points.

Travis Vaughn, Virginia Union: Hailing from Bel Air, the former John Carroll High School star will lead a 13-win Virginia Union squad into the CIAA tournament as a three-year starter.

Kyree Smith, Bluefield State: Smith will come off the bench for D’Alessio’s squad as Bluefield State attempts to go one step further than last year to win the CIAA. Smith started six games this year, averaging 17 minutes and 4.2 points. He is from Baltimore and played for City.

Donovan Flamer, Elizabeth City: The freshman Flamer, a Mount Zion Prep and Owings Mills product, will need to be at his best to get his squad an unlikely tournament win. Averaging nearly 10 points per game, Flamer started the final 17 games of the season and scored 15-plus points on seven occasions, including a late-season 30-point performance.

More than a sporting event

This was originally the last year Baltimore was scheduled to host the CIAA tournament, and several other cities — including longtime host Charlotte, North Carolina — bid to host in future years. The conference stuck with Baltimore, though.

Geographically, it’s a strange fit: Maryland has only one CIAA team (Bowie State). Meanwhile, seven teams reside in North Carolina, making the drive to Baltimore quite the road trip for over half the conference. However, CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams Parker lauded Baltimore’s partnership as a host city.

“Our theme this year is ‘come home to Baltimore.’ ... It reflects the tradition, the sense of belonging and partnership we have found in the Charm City,” Parker said in a January press conference. “It feels good to be part of a community that wants you to be there.”

Mayor Brandon Scott said his city is ready to host an event that extends well beyond the hardwood. “We know this is about culture, this is about family, and this is about legacy,” Scott said.

The CIAA kicked off nine days of programming Saturday with a Baltimore Youth Sports Clinic. Additional events include a Financial Literacy Breakfast, SAAC leadership symposium, Education Day, the Career Expo and Fan Fest. All contribute to a tournament that feels like a weeklong party and cultural celebration.

Emphasizing the participation beyond the on-court play, Parker noted that nearly 1,500 members of CIAA campuses, including teams, staff, marching bands, cheer teams and administrators, will make their way to Baltimore. The nine days feature more events (32) than games (22).

“This tournament represents the heart and soul of Black college sports and tourism,” Parker said. “For more than eight decades, the CIAA has preserved and propelled Black excellence in higher education and sports. [The tournament] is more than a competition. It is a powerful reflection of our history, our resilience and our continued impact on generations of student-athletes and communities.”

CIAA, Baltimore laud economic impact

Scott and Parker lauded the continued growth of the tournament with economic impact for Baltimore and the CIAA. Scott referenced over $100 million in economic impact for the city, and Parker noted the tournament has seen a 13% spike in attendance since 2023, with over 43,000 fans turning out last year.