Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) was founded in 1912 as the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association and is the oldest African-American athletic conference in the nation. Although the membership has changed since 1912, the CIAA consists of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) spanning the east coast from Pennsylvania to South Carolina. The membership: Bowie State University, Chowan University (football), Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, St. Augustine’s University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University and Winston-Salem State University is comprised of both private and public colleges and universities with enrollments ranging from 750 to over 7,000 students. Currently, eighty percent of CIAA alumni reside in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. The CIAA is incorporated in the District of Columbia and is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. The conference is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and is governed by the twelve Presidents and Chancellors of its member institutions. .