In a move that has energized alumni, athletes, and fans across the region, the CIAA has officially announced it is bringing back baseball as a championship sport.
The CIAA, which last sponsored baseball in 2017, has been without the sport for eight years, leaving a void for student-athletes and supporters of Historically Black Colleges and Universities who have long called for its return.
The decision follows years of advocacy from former players, coaches, and community members who remember baseball’s deep roots in the conference and its role in the broader civil rights movement.
The conference’s Board of Directors, meeting recently in Charlotte, North Carolina, approved a plan to support the sport’s growth and stability as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the CIAA’s future.
The absence of baseball was primarily due to financial constraints and shifting institutional priorities, which forced some programs to compete as independents or join other conferences. The return of baseball is expected to re-energize campus life, provide new opportunities for student-athletes, and reaffirm the CIAA’s commitment to offering a diverse range of athletic programs.
While some member schools—such as Bowie State, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, Johnson C. Smith, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine’s, Shaw, Virginia Union, and Winston-Salem State—currently do not sponsor baseball, conference officials are optimistic that renewed interest and institutional support will help expand participation in the coming years.
The CIAA, founded in 1912, remains a cornerstone of Black college athletics, with its member institutions located in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. The return of baseball is being hailed as a victory for tradition, opportunity, and the enduring legacy of HBCU sports.
The CIAA, which last sponsored baseball in 2017, has been without the sport for eight years, leaving a void for student-athletes and supporters of Historically Black Colleges and Universities who have long called for its return. The decision follows years of advocacy from former players, coaches, and community members who remember baseball’s deep roots in the conference and its role in the broader civil rights movement.
The conference’s Board of Directors, meeting recently in Charlotte, North Carolina, approved a plan to support the sport’s growth and stability as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the CIAA’s future.
The absence of baseball since 2017 was largely due to financial constraints and shifting institutional priorities, which forced some programs to compete as independents or join other conferences. The return of baseball is expected to re-energize campus life, provide new opportunities for student-athletes, and reaffirm the CIAA’s commitment to offering a diverse range of athletic programs.
While some member schools—such as Bowie State, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, Johnson C. Smith, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine’s, Shaw, Virginia Union, and Winston-Salem State—currently do not sponsor baseball, conference officials are optimistic that renewed interest and institutional support will help expand participation in the coming years.
