The CIAA Championship Tournament did not quite end the way the men’s and women’s basketball teams wanted them to, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing left to play for.

Starting Friday, March 27, both teams will play in the opening round of the Black College Invitational Championship Tournament. The tournament is in its second year and will be played at the Multipurpose Center on the campus of Virginia State University.

The Trojan men’s team will face Edward Waters University on Friday, March 27 at 8 p.m. Virginia State enters the tournament with a 20-10 overall record after falling in the CIAA Tournament semifinals to Bluefield State. Edward Waters comes into the matchup with a 15-15 record and most recently lost to Morehouse College in the SIAC Tournament.

On the other side of the men’s bracket, Bluefield State will take on Central State on Friday, March 27 at 6 p.m.

The Virginia State women’s team will open play against Benedict College on Friday, March 27 at 12 p.m. The Trojans enter the BCIC with a 17-8 overall record after falling to Claflin, 56-42, in the CIAA Tournament quarterfinals. Benedict enters with a 17-9 record and was eliminated from the SIAC Tournament in the quarterfinals following a 56-54 loss to Lane College.

In the other women’s semifinal matchup, Bowie State University will face Central State University on Friday, March 27 at 2 p.m.

In addition to the games on Friday, the winners will play in the championship games slated for Saturday at 12 p.m. for the women and 2:30 p.m. for the men.

The tournament last year was played at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C. and involved eight teams from the MEAC, SWAC, CIAA, and SIAC conferences. 

Claflin University won the men’s tournament in 2025 and Johnson C. Smith  won the women’s tournament.

On Friday in the morning, there will be an Education Day where attendees can meet representatives from the participating schools.

“This tournament is about more than basketball,” Founder Dr. Wes Bellamy said. “It’s about building our own tables, telling our own stories, and supporting each other in ways that uplift our institutions and our communities. It’s about creating spaces where our culture, our talent, and our excellence are front and center.”

For more information about the tournament or to purchase tickets, go to :https://www.blackcollegeinvitationalchampionship.org/