CIAA Virtual Vibe Tournament

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the nation’s oldest historically black athletic conference, in partnership with Visit Baltimore, announces a star-studded lineup of recording artists and entertainers for the first-ever CIAA virtual tournament week, on February 23-27. Highlighted acts for the week-long celebration have garnered 15 Grammy nominations, billions of listens on music streaming platforms, and robust social media followings.

Hip-hop pioneer and Grammy-nominated entertainer MC Lyte will kick things off, alongside Baltimore-based mixers DJ Quicksilva and DJ Flow, during the Charm City Welcome Reception presented by Visit Baltimore (February 24). The event will be hosted by Baltimore natives Robyn Dixon (Real Housewives of Potomac) and platinum-selling R&B singer/songwriter Mario. It will also feature celebrity guest appearances, including former co-host of BET’s 106 & Park and current Bowie State University student Rocsi Diaz.

Diaz will also serve as moderator for the “Preserving the Whole You” seminar, while TV personality and activist Jeff Johnson will lead the panel discussion tabbed “Financial Goals: Creating Financial Freedom”. White House correspondent for The Grio and Charm City native April Ryan will be the featured moderator for the discussion on “COVID-19: The Next Chapter”.

Grammy-nominated rapper and DMV native Wale will headline CIAA Fan Fest presented by Nationwide, hosted by comedians Burpie and Darren Brand. Friday’s festivities also include the Old School/New School DJ Battle presented by Sprite, featuring DJ Loui Vee, DJ Skillz, culminating in a special performance by legendary DJ Kid Capri.

Comedian and influencer B. Simone will host CIAA Throwback Thursday presented by Novant Health (February 25) and McDonald’s Super Saturday (February 27) featuring national recording artist K. Camp (Money Baby, Comfortable, & Cut Her Off) energizing fans virtually during the UFIT High School Cheerleading Championship, which will showcase some of the top stomp and shake high school cheer squads in the country.

Saturday evening includes a host of talented artists headlined by 13-time Grammy-nominated vocalist Ledisi. The “Pieces of Me” singer will be joined by platinum recording artist Lloyd, singer and award-winning songwriter Eric Bellinger, NAACP Image Award-nominated vocalist Jade Novah, and upcoming R&B/Soul songstress Joyce Wrice.

That same evening, the always popular CIAA Step Show will take center stage virtually, featuring teams from the ‘Divine Nine’ Greek fraternities and sororities and other prominent step teams from across the East Coast.

The CIAA virtual platform is the first of its kind experience for an NCAA athletic conference at any level. Each member institution will have an active presence in the virtual setting with on-site recruiters participating in the CIAA Education Day and Career Expo, ‘CIAA Clubhouse’ chat rooms, and special programming for their respective alumni, students, and fans.

Visit Baltimore will engage local contributors and businesses on the virtual platform and will provide educational programming for the greater community. They will also celebrate the city of Baltimore, the tournament’s official host city, and everything it offers. For more in-depth details about Visit Baltimore programming can be viewed at baltimore.org/ciaa.

Access to the CIAA Virtual Vibe is free, but registration is required to take part in this unique virtual experience. Early registration is strongly encouraged as space is limited. To register and view the complete schedule of events, visit ciaatournament.org.

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