The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association has released the brackets for its basketball tournament.
The single-elimination event will conclude on Championship Saturday with the women’s title game at 1 p.m., followed by the men’s championship at 4 p.m.
Brackets are seeded by division record, with ties broken by head-to-head results, conference win percentage and then head-to-head point differential.
It will be Virginia State versus the field
Virginia State enters as the Northern Division’s No. 1 men’s seed after another strong league campaign and a return trip to Baltimore as the defending champion. The Trojans won the 2025 title with a 71-64 victory over Bluefield State.
Bluefield State is the North’s No. 3 seed after several notable conference wins, while Virginia Union and Bowie State also landed in the division’s top four. In the South, Fayetteville State claimed the No. 1 seed with an undefeated divisional record, followed by upper-tier seeds for Claflin and Johnson C. Smith.
Shaw, Livingstone and Winston-Salem State round out the Southern Division field after a tightly packed race that featured multiple close finishes. Across both divisions, the men’s regular season produced upsets of higher seeds and games decided in the final possessions, underscoring the league’s depth.
Men’s opening-round games are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 24-25, with quarterfinals on Feb. 25-26. Semifinals are set for Friday, Feb. 27, and the men’s championship is slated for Saturday, Feb. 28, at 4 p.m.
Fayetteville State will go for a three-peat
On the women’s side, Fayetteville State will seek a third straight CIAA championship after last season’s 64-56 title-game win over Virginia State. The Broncos enter as the Southern Division’s No. 2 seed and are attempting to join a short list of programs with three consecutive conference crowns.
Winston-Salem State, picked seventh in the preseason order, surged to the Southern Division’s No. 1 seed behind a record-setting regular season. The Rams put together a seven-game win streak, posted a program-best win total, and finished unbeaten at home, riding a defense built on forcing turnovers and controlling the glass.
In the North, Bowie State secured the top women’s seed with a consistent conference run that included key victories over divisional contenders. Virginia State returns as the No. 2 seed after its runner-up finish last season, while Virginia Union and Bluefield State each claimed top-four positions.
Women’s opening-round games will tip off Tuesday, Feb. 24, with quarterfinals on Feb. 25-26 and semifinals on Friday, Feb. 27. The women’s championship game is set for Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m.
All 22 tournament games will stream live on ESPN+, and both championship contests will also air on ESPNU
