The CIAA tournament is officially upon us, and it has the chance to be one of the best in recent memory.
Winston-Salem State is in the midst of a historic run on the women's basketball side, as they finished the regular season with a 23-3 overall record and a 14-2 record in conference. This is a total reversal of fortune from last season when they went 7-20 in the 2024-25 season. They now look to disrupt the order of the conference's women's basketball landscape. Fayetteville State is in the midst of building a dynasty after winning two straight CIAA championships and seeking a third this season.
Meanwhile, on the men's side, Virginia State finished the season with a 19-9 record and a 12-4 record in conference. They've been a consistent winner over the past two seasons and won the CIAA championship last year. But Virginia Union and Bluefield State are certainly looking to disrupt their repeat attempt in the Northern Division, as in the Southern Division, Fayetteville State and Claflin battle for who will make the championship.
Fayetteville State enters the tournament 14-2 in conference and 26 overall. The tournament is certainly set to be interesting, and the CIAA could produce champions capable of making a resounding run in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Below is the bracket for both the men's and women's tournaments.
Men's Tournament
| Round | Date | Time (ET) | Matchup |
| Opening | Feb 24 | 6:40 PM | (4S) Shaw vs. (5N) Lincoln |
| Opening | Feb 24 | 8:50 PM | (4N) Bowie State vs. (5S) Livingstone |
| Opening | Feb 25 | 10:00 AM | (3S) Johnson C. Smith vs. (6N) Elizabeth City State |
| Opening | Feb 25 | 12:10 PM | (3N) Bluefield State vs. (6S) Winston-Salem State |
| Quarterfinals | Feb 25 | 6:40 PM | (1N) Virginia State vs. Winner of Shaw/Lincoln |
| Quarterfinals | Feb 25 | 8:50 PM | (1S) Fayetteville State vs. Winner of Bowie St/Livingstone |
| Quarterfinals | Feb 26 | 2:00 PM | (2S) Claflin vs. Winner of JCSU/ECSU |
| Quarterfinals | Feb 26 | 8:00 PM | (2N) Virginia Union vs. Winner of Bluefield/WSSU |
| Semifinals | Feb 27 | 2:00 PM | Semifinal Game 1 |
| Semifinals | Feb 27 | 8:00 PM | Semifinal Game 2 |
| Championship | Feb 28 | 4:00 PM | Final |
Women's Tournament
| Round | Date | Time (ET) | Matchup |
| Opening | Feb 24 | 10:00 AM | (3S) Claflin vs. (6N) Lincoln |
| Opening | Feb 24 | 12:10 PM | (4S) Livingstone vs. (5N) Elizabeth City State |
| Opening | Feb 24 | 2:20 PM | (4N) Bluefield State vs. (5S) Shaw |
| Opening | Feb 24 | 4:30 PM | (3N) Virginia Union vs. (6S) Johnson C. Smith |
| Quarterfinals | Feb 25 | 2:20 PM | (1S) Winston-Salem St. vs. Bluefield St./Shaw winner |
| Quarterfinals | Feb 25 | 4:30 PM | (1N) Bowie State vs. Livingstone/ECSU winner |
| Quarterfinals | Feb 26 | 12:00 PM | (2N) Virginia State vs. Claflin/Lincoln winner |
| Quarterfinals | Feb 26 | 6:00 PM | (2S) Fayetteville State vs. VA Union/JCSU winner |
| Semifinals | Feb 27 | 12:00 PM | Semifinal Game 1 |
| Semifinals | Feb 27 | 6:00 PM | Semifinal Game 2 |
| Championship | Feb 28 | 1:00 PM | CIAA Championship Game |
