WpHnesdav February 13, 2002
10
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Sports
More Than Just Basketball!
Jonas Pope
Sports Editor
yank6@hotmail.com
From the outside looking in, the
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Asso
ciation Basketball Tournament
(CIAA) is your average end of the
regular season conference tourna
ment. But for anyone who has ever
attended the annual event, they
know it is much more. The annual
CIAA tournament will be a week full
of festivities, reunions, networking,
concerts, step-shows, and parties.
Oh yeah, they play a little basketball
too.
The CIAA tournament is the
fourth largest tournament as far as
attendance, right behind, the ACC,
Big East, and Big Ten Post-season
tournaments. Alumni, students, and
parents come from all over to con
gregate in Raleigh once a year to
enjoy the action. The dates for this
year’s tournament are Feb. 25*'' -
Mar.2"''. People; watch the calendar
year round for February counting
down the days until it is tournament
time. For that one-week, you do not
have to worry about your parents,
teachers, or bosses. Your biggest
decision is what event to attend next.
Alumni get the chance for a week to
act like students again and root on
their respective schools. They can
come back to see old schoolmates,
fellow Greek members and even old
teachers. It is a beautiful sight to see
two old friends reunite and laugh and
catch up on old times. The tourna
ment is usually the only time some of
these friends get to reunite.
The CIAA is in its 90'^ year, and
the conference tournament brings in
millions of dollars to the host-city
each year. Hotels, restaurants, and
other businesses increase their
revenue whenever the CIAA comes to
town. People come from all over, and
they do not mind spending a little
money. Without a doubt, the tourna
ment takes all year to prepare for,
requiring the city of Raleigh, tourna
ment officials, and schools from one
year to another to prepare for the
tournament. There are rooms to fill,
events to organize and promotions to
be made to make this tournament
what it is.
Over the years, the tournament
has gained national attention. Last
year, there was and article in the
USA Today and Ebony magazine had
a feature section about the tourna
ment in this month’s issue. Over the
past couple of years, the Tom Joyner
Morning Show, a radio show that is
played across the country, goes to
Raleigh and does the show from the
CIAA tournament. Also, games are
featured on UPN and HTS television
stations so that the CIAA is not just
known on the East Coast. Some
CIAA alumni currently on NBA ros
ters include Charles Oakley (Virginia
Union), Darrell Armstrong
(Fayetteville State), and Ben Wallace
(Virginia Union). Those who are die
hard CIAA fans can recall the Leg
endary John McClendon, CIAA
Pioneer and Co-founder of the Tour
nament or when coaching legends
such as Clarence “Big House”
Gaines or R.L. “Bobby” Vaughan
roamed the sidelines during their
coaching days. Last years exciting
finish in the championship game
between Fayetteville State and
Johnson C. Smith will go down as on
of the best finishes on history and will
be talked about for years.
Imagine a family reunion with
40,000 in attendance. That is what
many consider the CIAA tourney, the
countries biggest family reunion. You
get the chance to meet people with
connections, people who know people
in high places [you may want to keep
your resume in your pocket]. This
year, there is a career exposition on
February 27, 2002 from 8:30 am to
12:30 p.m. proving once again that
the CIAA is full of opportunity.
For the players, this is what you
work on all season for. All of the
preseason training, traveling on a
crowded bus for a 4-hour ride and
playing in small-overcrowded gyms,
this is the big payoff. The chance to
perform on the big stage, in front of a
sellout crowd and on television to
represent your school is what you
play for. All the records are thrown out
the window, in most cases; the seed
ing does not matter. It is CIAA tourna
ment time and as this year’s slogan
goes, IT IS ON!
Date
Location
Tiino
Sunday, February 24, 2002
Tournament Committee Meeting
Women’s Team Practices/Pictures
Women’s Tip-Off Banquet (Food Lion)
Marriott Crabtree
Arena
Hilton
8;00am
8:00 - 4;00pm
6:30pm
Monday, February 25,2002
Women's Tournament
Arena
1:00, 3:00, 7:00, 9:00pm
Tuesday, February 26,2002
Men’s Team Practices/Pictures
Men’s Tip-Off Banquet (Capital Broadcast)
Arena
Arena
Hilton
1:00, 3:00, 7:00, 9:00pm
8:00am - 4:00pm
6:30pm
Wednesday, February 27,2002
Career Expo
Men’s Tournament
Hall of Fame (Reebok)
Arena
Marriott Crabtree
B:30am to 12:30 pm
1:00, 3:00, 7:00, 9:00pm
9:00am
Thursday, February 28, 2002
High School Day
Men's Tournament
Official's Hall of Fame (MetLlfe)
Convention Center
Arena
Marriott Crabtree
B:30am-12:30pm
1:00,3:00, 7:00, 9:00pm (TV)
9:00am
Friday, March 1,2002
Tom Joyner Morning Show
Women’s Semi-Finals
Women's Legend Game
Men’s Semi-Finals
iCoca Cola Presidents/Chancellors Dinner
Step-Show
Coaches Social
Memorial Auditorium
Arena
Arena
Arena
Wake County Shriners Club
Convention Center
Marriott Crabtree
TBA
11:00 & 1:00pm
3:30-4:45pm
7:00 & 9:00pm (TV)
4:00pm
10:00pm
11:00pm
SUPER SATURDAY, March 2, 2002
3 point shoot-out
Cheerleading Exhibition
Arena
Arena
8:00 - 9:00am
9:00 - 9:45 am (4 squads)
10:15 - 11:00am (4 squads)
11:20 - 12:00pm (4 squads)
Battle of the Bands
Arena
9:45-10:15am (2 Bands)
12:00 - 12:30pm (2 Bands)
3 on 3 Contest
Men’s Legends
Arena
Arena
11:00-11:20pm
1:15-2:45pm
THE LEGACY CONTINUES
Shannon Penn
cltilrip@hotmail.com
The 2002 CIAA Legacy Basket
ball Classic was not only a showcase
of CIAA basketball at its finest; it also
was a tribute to the CIAA legends of
yesteryear. The more than 4,000 fans
were treated to two very competitive
games. In the opening game. The
Panthers of Virginia Union University
defeated the Tigers from St. Paul’s
College. The second game featured
the Elizabeth City State Vikings and
the Virginia State Trojans, with the
Vikings winning a very close game.
The Legacy Classic is the brain
child of Robert “Bobby” Vaughn,
Marvin Trotman, and Elwood “Coach”
Williams. Legacy Classic is organized
by the CIAA in conjunction with the
supporters of Norfolk’s Southside
Boys and Girls Club of Berkley di
rected by Williams. “The Legacy is
more than a fundraising exercise; it is
a way of keeping HBCU’s in the
spotlight, says Williams.”
The Classic is held in Norfolk,
Virginia because the CIAA was
founded in the Hampton Roads area
on the Campus of Hampton Institute
(now Hampton University) in 1912.
With the departures of Hampton
University and Norfolk State Univer
sity to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Con
ference (MEAC), the Hampton Roads
area was deprived of CIAA sports.
“The market was void of the CIAA.
There are many alumni and fans of
CIAA schools that aren’t able to travel
to their alma maters to see games,
and they enjoy and appreciate the fact
that CIAA basketball is being brought
to them,” says Vaughn.
Division rivalries and memorable
finishes are trademarks of the CIAA.
The 2002 CIAA Legacy Classic was
‘ the perfect example of the high level
of competition that has made the
CIAA one of the premiere sports
conferences in all of collegiate sports.
lATTENTION ATTENTION!
The Compass is looking for
more dedicated sports writers.
If you would like to work on
the Compass as a sports writer,
please contact:
Inger Parker or Antonio Barrow
at the Compass Lab 335-3723
Dr. Emmanuel Ngwainmbi
335-3721 or stop by Johnson
Hall Room 111.
Students Enjoy New Student Center
Photo Courtesy of Keisha Williams