FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CIAA Announces 2026 Basketball Media Day in Baltimore

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Coaches and Student-Athletes Set to Preview the Upcoming Season at Under Armour Campus

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA®) will host its 2026 CIAA Basketball Media Day on Tuesday, October 6, at the Under Armour Campus in Baltimore, Maryland, bringing together men’s and women’s basketball head coaches and selected student-athletes from the conference’s 12 member institutions for the official preview of the upcoming CIAA basketball season.

The Media Day circuit will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will provide media with access to CIAA head coaches and student-athletes as they discuss their programs, expectations for the upcoming season, and the road ahead in CIAA basketball. Remarks on behalf of Visit Baltimore will be made by President and CEO Mr. Kireem Swinton, along with Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams Parker, on behalf of the CIAA. The event will be live streamed on the CIAA sports Network. 

The annual event will also begin the conference countdown to the 81st CIAA Men’s and 52nd CIAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, scheduled for February 23–27, 2027, at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore.

2026 CIAA Basketball Media Day Participants

Institution	Team	Head Coach	Student-Athlete
Bluefield State	Men’s Basketball	Luke D'Alessio	Ellija Preddy
Bluefield State	Women’s Basketball	Porsha Graves	Azahreya Drayton-Gill
Bowie State	Men’s Basketball	Bryan Wilson	Jaiden McGhee
Bowie State	Women’s Basketball	Shadae Swan	Malaka Cobb
Claflin	Men’s Basketball	Brion Dunlap	Justin Mims
Claflin	Women’s Basketball	Terrance Jenkins	Olivia Randolph
Elizabeth City State	Men’s Basketball	John Richardson	Jawan Browder
Elizabeth City State	Women’s Basketball	Maurice Sumter	Karina Scott
Fayetteville State	Men’s Basketball	Devin Hoehn	Travon Cooper
Fayetteville State	Women’s Basketball	Tyreece Brown	Ka'Nyah Oneal
Johnson C. Smith	Men’s Basketball	Antwain Banks	Jared Davis
Johnson C. Smith	Women’s Basketball	Vanessa Taylor	Salote Franklin
Lincoln (Pa.)	Men’s Basketball	Julius Hodge	Julius Olanrewaju
Lincoln (Pa.)	Women’s Basketball	Paul Davis	Serenity Burgers
Livingstone	Men’s Basketball	James Stinson	James Nipper
Livingstone	Women’s Basketball	Queen Smith	Nielle Reaves
Shaw	Men’s Basketball	Wykevin Bazemore	Alijah England
Shaw	Women’s Basketball	Ebony Tanner	Ashara Spruill
Virginia State	Men’s Basketball	Lonnie Blow Jr.	Davian Coleman
Virginia State	Women’s Basketball	Millette Green	Kendahl Spearman
Virginia Union	Men’s Basketball	AJ English	Malachi Dark
Virginia Union	Women’s Basketball	Alico Dunk	Serenity Johnson
Winston-Salem State	Men’s Basketball	Jay Butler	Ronald Bridges
Winston-Salem State	Women’s Basketball	Tierra Terry	Nevaeh Farmer

Participants are subject to change.

Media Registration

Media interested in attending and covering the 2026 CIAA Basketball Media Day are encouraged to submit a credential request in advance.

2026 CIAA Media Day - Media Coverage Request Form 
 

Each attendee must submit a separate request. Due to limited space, priority will be given to media who consistently cover the CIAA and its member institutions. All requests will be reviewed by the CIAA Communications Department, and applicants will receive notification regarding their credential status.

2026 CIAA Basketball Media Day
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
10:00 a.m.
Under Armour Campus
101 Performance Drive
Baltimore, MD 21230

81st CIAA Men’s & 52nd CIAA Women’s Basketball Tournament

The road to a CIAA basketball championship leads back to Baltimore for the 81st CIAA Men’s and 52nd CIAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, February 23–27, 2027, at CFG Bank Arena.

81st CIAA Men’s & 52nd CIAA Women’s Basketball Tournament
February 23–27, 2027
CFG Bank Arena | Baltimore, Maryland

Additional tournament information, including tickets, schedules, events, and fan experiences, will be announced throughout the season.

MEDIA CONTACT

Matisse S. Lee
mlee@theciaa.com
Senior Associate Commissioner, Communications & Marketing, Special Projects / SWA
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)

About the CIAA

Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bluefield State University, Bowie State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University (Pa.), Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University.