Charlotte’s hopes of reclaiming the CIAA basketball tournament were dashed this week as city leaders grappled with the fallout of losing the event to Baltimore for the second time in six years.
The failure, officials say, hinged on disagreements over the tournament venue, concerns about hotel prices, and questions about whether the city’s recruitment efforts built enough consensus, according to the Charlotte Business Journal.
City Council members Malcolm Graham and James Mitchell were key figures in the bid led by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. Despite praising the bid’s assembly, both councilmen described the proposal to use Bojangles Coliseum in 2029 as “dead on arrival,” underscoring the CIAA’s insistence on hosting all games at the uptown Spectrum Center, home of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, the CBJ reported.
Mitchell voiced frustration with the Hornets, who declined to make the Spectrum Center available for one of the three requested years due to prior commitments. “Unfortunately, the Hornets didn’t step up this time,” he said, noting the irony given the city’s ongoing $245 million investment in arena renovations and additional support for the team’s training center. The Hornets declined to comment on their role in the bid.
From 2006 to 2016, all CIAA games were played at the Spectrum Center, but in later years, midweek games were moved to Bojangles Coliseum at the Hornets’ request, citing small crowds and scheduling conflicts. The CIAA, however, made clear that playing all games at the NBA arena was non-negotiable for future bids, the website reported.
Mayor Vi Lyles, the CBJ reported, attributed the failed bid to scheduling conflicts at key venues, not individual shortcomings. “Unfortunately, Charlotte was unable to accommodate the 2027 bid due to fully programmed commitments in key uptown venues. This outcome is not the fault of any individual — it simply came down to scheduling conflicts,” she said in a statement.
Hotel pricing emerged as another sticking point. The CIAA sought room rates between $99 and $225 per night, but during the ACC men’s tournament in March, uptown hotels averaged $260.52 per night, making it difficult to meet the conference’s requirements without including hotels outside the city center.
Despite the setback, tourism leaders expressed pride in their efforts and optimism for the future. “We worked diligently to ensure the proposed years offered a top-tier experience that honored the tournament’s legacy while presenting a bold vision for its future,” the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority said in a statement
