The CIAA Tournament remains the financial engine of the oldest HBCU conference, but the move Baltimore from Charlotte represents change in a number of ways. That is the clearest takeaway from public tax filings and recent comments from CIAA officials. The tournament is still the conference’s biggest business asset. It is still the event that separates the CIAA from most Division II leagues. It is still the platform that gives the conference its national profile.But the tournament’s business model is no longer as simple as it appeared in Charlotte.In Baltimore, the event runs through a broader package. It includes direct tournament revenue, sponsorships, media rights, city support, tourism value and major arena costs absorbed outside the tournament revenue line.The CIAA’s most recent Form 990 calls the basketball tournament one of the largest in the country and the conference’s “major activity.” The same filing says revenue does not include $1.409 million in arena rental costs paid directly by a donor and reported as contributions. HBCU Gameday has confirmed that support is part of the Baltimore and Visit Baltimore package.That detail is central to the story. It means the public tournament revenue line does not show the full value of the Baltimore arrangement. A major cost of staging the event is being handled through the host-city package.
That makes the tournament bigger than the line labeled “basketball tournament.”
CIAA Tournament had a cleaner Charlotte model
For years, Charlotte was the center of the CIAA Tournament business model.The event filled hotels, restaurants and nightlife venues. It brought alumni and fans into uptown Charlotte. It also gave the CIAA a revenue source most Division II conferences could not match.The filings from the late Charlotte era show a cleaner tournament picture.In fiscal year 2016, before the HB2 era and before the move to Baltimore, the CIAA reported about $5.97 million in total revenue. The basketball tournament was still the obvious driver. That year, the conference reported about $2.61 million in basketball tournament revenue and roughly $1.27 million in basketball tournament expenses. That was easier to read.Tournament revenue came in. Tournament expenses went out. The event produced a clear spread that helped fuel the conference.But that model also created risk. The CIAA depended heavily on one event, one city and one annual revenue cycle. When North Carolina’s HB2 legislation disrupted the state’s sports and events climate, the conference’s most valuable asset was exposed.Marcus Clarke, the CIAA’s senior associate commissioner for athletic administration and external operations, said the timing mattered.“We were recovering from HB2,” Clarke told HBCU Gameday. “The commissioner inherited a $750,000 deficit. Paying our institutions on the same giving level was something she wanted to continue. Getting hit with HB2 made it hard to continue that same mindset.”Clarke said the board had to think about the conference’s long-term financial position.“The board understood we had to help get the conference out of a deficit, remain whole and build a potential fund balance,” Clarke said. “The board made the decision to reduce what was distributed to make sure the conference as a whole could be whole.”That is the backdrop to the Baltimore move.The CIAA felt it didn’t just need a new home. It needed a more durable model.
CIAA Tournament money changed in Baltimore
Baltimore gave the CIAA a different kind of deal.The city is not just hosting basketball. It is investing in an HBCU sports tourism event. The CIAA brings the brand, the fan base and the weeklong programming. Baltimore and Visit Baltimore help carry the platform.Clarke said the arena support is not from a private individual.“There’s no individual donor,” Clarke said. “That would be city responsibility per our agreement with Baltimore.”That matters because the 990 language can make the arrangement look less clear than it is. The filing calls it a donor-paid arena cost. The reporting shows that it is part of the Baltimore package.The numbers show how the model has changed.In fiscal year 2024, the CIAA reported $9.95 million in total revenue and $10.09 million in expenses. That filing said revenues did not include $1.338 million in arena rental costs paid directly by a donor and reported as contributions.In fiscal year 2025, the CIAA reported $10.05 million in total revenue. That included $5.04 million in contributions and grants, $4.73 million in program service revenue and $276,959 in other revenue. The conference reported $9.88 million in expenses and ended the year with $1.03 million in net assets.That is a much larger conference office than the CIAA had in the late Charlotte years.But the tournament itself is not a simple profit center.
CIAA Tournament costs are rising
The Baltimore model has helped the CIAA grow its overall revenue. It has also introduced new costs.Clarke said the conference is trying to get the tournament closer to even.“We’re trying to find a way to break even,” Clarke said. “Visit Baltimore and the city of Baltimore help offset some of our costs.”He said some expenses were different than expected when the tournament moved.“There are costs that were not factored in initially with the move to Baltimore,” Clarke said. “Travel, union costs, hotel expenses and personnel have gone up.”That quote helps explain the difference between the Charlotte and Baltimore filings.In the Charlotte era, the basketball tournament revenue line often looked stronger against tournament expenses. In Baltimore, direct tournament expenses are higher. The event also carries costs tied to travel, labor, hotels and personnel in a new city.The 2025 filing lists $3.05 million in basketball tournament expenses. It also lists $2.72 million in advertising and promotion, $592,199 for other sports and $496,812 for officials.Those figures show why the tournament cannot be judged only by ticket or event revenue.The CIAA Tournament is an event. It is also the core platform that supports the league’s broader championship and media structure.Clarke said the tournament still drives a large share of the conference’s money.“Our tournament revenue is just over 40% of our revenue,” Clarke said. “The tournament allows us to provide for a lot of our other championships.”That is the heart of the business model. The tournament does not just pay for itself. It helps support the rest of the conference operation, per the conference…