February 26, 2026
More than 60 corporations, together with Food Lion, Under Armour, and Nationwide, will likely be amongst members on the CIAA Career Expo.
An immense 65,000 persons are anticipated to attend the 2026 males’s and ladies’s CIAA basketball tournament this week in Baltimore.
Yet, it’s value noting there will likely be extra than simply hoops happening with a number of particular actions and very important sources being provided to assist Black college students, jobless staff, and the neighborhood prosper.
Much of the flurry is being stirred by a partnership between the CIAA and the American sportswear firm Under Armour throughout Black History Month. Several occasions are scheduled at completely different venues in Baltimore, together with Under Armour’s new headquarters.
The CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) event, often called “Black March Madness,” consists of 5 days of occasions from February 24-28. They have made the annual affair a longtime customized within the metropolis. Take the CIAA High School Education Day on Wednesday on the Baltimore Convention Center.
3,500 Students Gain Helpful Details About HBCUs
CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams Parker informed BLACK ENTERPRISE by electronic mail that Education Day is one in all CIAA’s most enduring legacy applications. She added that it introduces highschool college students to its 12 HBCU establishments and equips them with finest practices for faculty and profession readiness. This yr, over 3,500 college students may have an opportunity to discover the establishments, and current their highschool transcripts for scholarship consideration. “Education stays a cornerstone of our mission.”
The occasion has reportedly reached over 30,000 college students. High college college students and chaperones meet school recruiters from Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Another vital operate this yr is the CIAA Career Expo that would create new jobs for college students and federal staff in Baltimore who had been laid off following President Trump’s job cuts.
Over 60 Companies Expected At Career Expo
McWilliams Parker defined that the occasion on Thursday will present actual employment alternatives and profession sources. She says over 60 corporations, together with Food Lion, Under Armour, Nationwide, Verizon, and Wendy’s, will take part. They will provide jobs at varied ranges throughout many industries.
“This is a chance for job seekers to convey their resumes and have face-to-face contact with employers and doubtlessly have entry to jobs and sources that they might not have entry to on-line.”
For most people, the CIAA will conduct a Health and Mental Wellness Summit on Thursday to cowl medical disparities inside the Black neighborhood. It will embody discussions on most cancers, diet, and diabetes among the many matters, with insights from native athletes and consultants.
Also, the gathering will function some high-profile audio system, together with Eunique Jones Gibson, the founding father of Because of Them We Can, at a Tech Summit on Friday. Luke Lawal, creator of the HBcU Buzz platform, is co-hosting the Money Moves Financial Summit on Saturday. That summit will embody a hearth chat with Uncle Nearest Founder and CEO Fawn Weaver.
Weaver plans to speak concerning the ups and downs of her profession. This month, a U.S. District decide reportedly dominated for further time for Weaver and Kentucky lender Farm Credit, and receiver Phillip Young, to submit briefs. They have till March 5 to offer responses.
For its half, “Under Armour straight invests in CIAA student-athletes. For occasion, by applications like Project Rampart and our HBCU Career Combine, Under Armour is constructing pathways that join college students to mentorship, scholarships, internships, and early-career publicity. At each degree, the main target is long-term impression and neighborhood connection, not simply event week,” an organization spokesperson acknowledged.
Tournament Has Colossal Economic Impact on Baltimore
Business-wise, the event is a monetary boon. Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott says whereas a projected impression for this yr’s tourney has not been projected, the 2025 CIAA event alone drove greater than $27 million in whole financial impression and introduced greater than $15 million in direct spending to Baltimore. Since coming to Baltimore 5 years in the past, the event has purportedly generated $100 million in financial impression for the area.
Scott shared how Black retailers and restaurateurs profit as effectively. Each yr, he says the CIAA event brings hundreds of student-athletes, households, and followers to Baltimore. From 2022 to 2025, he says the event generated $4.8 million in direct spending with minority-owned companies.
During the week, the CIAA and the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore host the Black-Owned Restaurant Tour, highlighting 18 Black-owned eating places downtown.
“The event exhibits guests the perfect of Charm City — largely due to the laborious work of our Black enterprise homeowners.”
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