- Posted in All University
- Category: AthleticsCampus News
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa - The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the nation's oldest historically black athletic conference, will host its first-ever Esports Experience during the CIAA virtual tournament week, taking place February 23-27.
The novel Esports experience, being held virtually on February 27 as part of the always popular Fan Fest, will feature the CIAA Esports Symposium presented by U.S. Army at 1 p.m., followed by the CIAA NBA 2K Esports Tournament presented by Bayer Pharmaceutical at 2 p.m.
Both events are powered by Cxmmunity, a CIAA Esports partner, and include branding with the conference's freshly minted Esports logo.
"We're excited to introduce our first official esports programming during our virtual tournament week. We see this as a way to expose and educate our students and fans about opportunities that exist in esports and gaming. We are pleased that our partners see value in this sector," said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams. "These initiatives are a part of our larger commitment to identify pathways and develop opportunities within S.T.E.M. fields for our students and member institutions."
The symposium is a two-part panel discussion featuring representatives from the U.S. Army and other esports industry leaders. The first half of the panel will focus on esports and career opportunities in the U.S. Army. Staff Sergeant Andrew Waller, Staff Sergeant Kalyntae Williams, and Staff Sergeant Michael Shows will serve as panelists.
The second portion of the discussion offers insight into careers in esports and gaming from industry professionals. Panelists for section two include NutriGMR CEO and co-Founder Josh Otero, eFuse Director of Partnerships Herb May, and Johnson C. Smith University professor for Esports and Gaming John L. Cash. Both sessions will be moderated by Cxmmunity Founder and Executive Director Ryan Johnson.
"Cxmmunity is excited to support the CIAA in helping bring to life the esports symposium and NBA 2K experience for their first virtual tournament week. This is going to open doors and provide additional opportunities for their institutions to participate in the esports and video game industry," said Johnson.
Modeled after the conference's annual basketball tournament, the NBA 2K Tournament will use a bracket-style, single-elimination format and will star students from CIAA member institutions who compete for bragging rights and up to $2,000 in prizing.
The live broadcast incorporates in-game commentary and analysis from celebrity hosts Bria Janelle (the Voice of Atlanta Basketball) and Christina Granville, a.k.a. 'Ms. Basketball' (co-host of V103 Atlanta's "The Morning Culture"), both of whom lend their talents to NBA 2K broadcast for the recently launched HBCU Esports League.
Viewers can tune in to watch the esports symposium and NBA 2K tournament at https://www.twitch.tv/cxmmunityco or by registering at http://ciaatournament.org/.
Additionally, the tournament will be a featured broadcast in the rotator on the Twitch front page. Both events will also be simulcast on the CIAA Sports Network and the conference's newly launched Twitch channel.
For the latest information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
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. In 2020, the conference celebrated the special 75th anniversary of its Championship Basketball Tournament - an event that has become a must-see in the African American community. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member-institutions: Bowie State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine's University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University. Chowan University is an associate member in football and women's bowling. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
