The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s (CIAA) annual basketball tournament returns to CFG Bank Arena Feb. 24-28 with a star-studded lineup of entertainers slated for official events.

For many, the CIAA tournament is as much of a cultural experience as it is a sporting event. From Fan Fest to step shows to the Mister and Miss CIAA pageant, nearly 100,000 people descend upon Baltimore for the tournament that conference leaders say “represents the heart and soul of Black college sports and tourism.”

“The Food Lion CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament is more than a competition,” Jacqie McWilliams Parker, the commissioner of CIAA, said in a news release, “it is a powerful reflection of our history, our resilience, and our continued impact on generations of student-athletes and communities.”

The party doesn’t stop at the arena; rather it grows with events featuring Baltimore DJs that define the city’s nightlife and major hip-hop and R&B artists.

Rapper 2 Chainz will perform at the Tip-Off Friday Party on Feb. 27 at Power Plant Live!

On Feb. 28, singer Mýa will headline the Only R&B 4 Me Block Party that’ll also be at Power Plant Live!

Other celebrities expected to make appearances during CIAA weekend include actors and Black college alumni Lance Gross and Terrence J; singer Lloyd, who performed at the Orioles’ HBCU night last fall; and rappers Young Jeezy, who performed at The Lyric in August, and Jadakiss.

Last year, singer Angie Stone was slated to perform during halftime at one of the tournament games. She died in a car accident just hours before her performance. Attendees were stunned at the announcement, and the arena held a moment of silence in her honor.

The CIAA tournament will feature 22 women’s and men’s basketball games. The Virginia State University men’s and Fayetteville State University women’s basketball teams are defending their titles this year. Other competing schools include Prince George’s County’s Bowie State University and Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia Union University and Winston-Salem State University.

The CIAA is the oldest historically Black athletic conference, and the tournament is in its 80th year, organizers said in a news release. Though the CIAA is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the tournament has been in Baltimore since 2022.

Between 2022-24, the CIAA tournament generated $81.7 million in total economic impact for Baltimore, including $7.5 million in state and local taxes. Conference organizers announced last year that the CIAA tournament will stay in Charm City through 2029.