Little Known Black History Fact: Jacquie Carpenter

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, better known as the CIAA, is the oldest African-American athletic conference in the United States. In 2012, the CIAA named Jacqie Carpenter as its commissioner and is the first Black woman to hold the post.

Carpenter, a graduate of Hampton University in 1991 and later Temple University, was a basketball and volleyball player in the collegiate years. For several years, she coached both sports before embarking on a career as an executive for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. For over nine years, Carpenter served in directorial posts for the NCAA and oversaw events related to the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.

The CIAA was founded in 1912 at Hampton Institute, now Hampton University and still based in the Virginia city. It was formerly known as the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association, but that was changed in 1950.

Some of the schools in the conference include Bowie State University, Chowan University, Lincoln University, Virginia State University, Fayetteville State University, and Winston-Salem State University.

A Division II conference, several of its former member schools have evolved to Division I status including Hampton University, Howard University, Morgan State University, and Norfolk State University, among several others.

Most major college sports, including golf, are represented in the CIAA.

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