City officials want the CIAA tournament back in 2028, but questions remain about Spectrum Center access, hotel rates, and how much the public will pay.
By Jack Beckett | Senior Writer, Charlotte Mercury
Charlotte officials are mounting a formal bid to bring the CIAA basketball tournament back to the city beginning in 2028. The deadline to submit is April 15. While city staff and tourism leaders describe the effort as competitive, the proposal still hinges on access to the Spectrum Center and financial commitments from the state and private sponsors that are not yet finalized.
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA), which is leading the bid, made its first formal presentation to City Council on March 25. Steve Bagwell, CEO of the CRVA, told council members that āwe feel we’re best positioned to go after years 28 through 30,ā referring to 2028 through 2030.
Bagwell explained that while the CIAAās RFP (request for proposals) asked for bids from 2027 to 2029, āIāve had informal sidebar communications with the league about adjusting that timeframe a bit. I believe they are open to that.ā
The adjustment is necessary, Bagwell said, because Spectrum Center will host the ACC Womenās Championship and an NCAA Regional in 2027. Charlotte is seeking to host all games in the tournament at Spectrum Center, something the CIAA now requires. āThe commissioners made clear to me that Spectrum, they want the tournament to be at Spectrum Center for the full week,ā he said.
Hotels, Contracts, and the Money Trail
The CRVA also outlined hotel and lodging expectations set by the CIAA. According to Mike Butts, who leads the Visit Charlotte team under CRVA, the league is asking for a $10 room rebate, a $25 reservation fee, and a commission for the housing firm managing bookings.
āThey have categories of rates,ā Butts said. āAnd you can see down below there the teams, they’re looking for $125 rates and staff $200 rates and fans at $225.ā
Bagwell told council the cityās hotel community has responded at ādifferent levelsā and noted that the proposed rates were āin the range that they paid when they were here before.ā
Asked what kind of public money would be used in the bid, Bagwell identified three potential sources:
āThe CRVA is planning to take on those costs, and we’re planning for about a million dollars of investment there. The corporate, private fundraising effort would be part of the mix, and then potentially if we can receive funds from the major events front at the state level, those are the three areas that we’re exploring right now.ā
Council Presses for Clarity
Council members pressed for more financial specifics, especially concerning what the city would be on the hook for if the bid is successful.
Council Member Ed Driggs asked directly:
āItās not clear for me, what public funds are we talking about of any description that are likely to be committed by us?ā
Driggs also raised concerns about security. āIn the old days, the event was fun and it was kind of a holiday atmosphere, but we have to acknowledge that in recent years, there has been another element,ā he said. āThere have been incidents which I think concern the public.ā
Council Member Dante Anderson similarly requested clarity:
āWith that deadline coming up pretty quickly, I think everything needs to be crystallized, right, in a pretty short manner.ā
Spectrum Center as Anchorāand Question Mark
Bagwell acknowledged that final commitments on venue availability are still in progress.
āWe are working with the Hornets on that. We have not gotten to an answer yet,ā he said. āOne of the challenges is being able to accommodate the NBA schedule and different activities that are flowing through the building at the same time, one of which will be ACC Men’s Championship in 2028.ā
He added that the Hornets organization has been āopen-mindedā about the CIAA proposal.
Bagwell also suggested the CRVA may be able to bring more events into the Spectrum Center to help generate revenue.
āThereās the possibility to bring more activity into Spectrum Center, and that would be a good thing because it would also help drive more revenue to the building and give the Hornets an opportunity to cover the cost of operating the event.ā
Mayfield Suggests Venue Revenue-Sharing for Scholarships
Council Member LaWana Mayfield proposed a new condition: any promoters or organizations hosting events during CIAA week in Charlotte should be required to contribute a portion of revenue back to the tournamentās scholarship fund.
āThere is a lot of money that are made over that week with outside promoters,ā she said. āIf we have the abilityā¦ that a percentage on the front endā¦ is going directly towards the tournament, because at the end of the day, this is a tournament for scholarships for our young people.ā
Bagwell responded that while they had occasionally reserved venue access or coordinated with partners like the NBA, āI don’t believe we’ve ever had a commission go back to an entity like that, but I’ve got that noted.ā
Baltimore Still in the Mix
According to Bagwell, ten cities were invited to submit bids. He said that only Baltimore and Charlotte had confirmed they will do so. āWe’re only aware of Baltimore and of course Charlotte that is interested and has responded that they will submit a bid,ā he said.
Council Member Marjory Molina acknowledged the competition. āMayor Brandon Scott is probably watching like, are they trying to take my CIAA away?ā she said.
Johnson C. Smithās Role
If Charlotte is selected, Johnson C. Smith University would be the host institution. Council Member Graham emphasized the strategic value of this.
āPresident Kinloch is really involved in what we’re trying to do and ready to lean in on a wide variety of issues,ā he said. āShe is a voting member of the CIAA and has a lot of influence in terms of whether or not we get it or not.ā
Members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter from JCSU were in attendance at the meeting in support.
What Comes Next
The CRVA will submit the cityās final bid by April 15. A site visit and presentation to the CIAA board is expected in June. A final decision could come in late summer.
Council members, while broadly supportive, requested that Bagwell return with more detailed financial modeling and a safety and venue coordination plan.
āI think we should use the last 10 years as a learning experience about how we can do better,ā Council Member James Mitchell said. āDo better on pricing, do better on public relations, do better on marketing and lean in as we lean in for the PGA that’s coming in May and other major events that we want our city to host.ā
š Jack Beckett files stories from wherever thereās strong WiFi and stronger coffee ā usually a corner table at Summit Coffeeās Davidson flagship. He recommends the Basecamp Blend for long council meetings and longer transcripts. āļø
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