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Letter to Alumni

Mike Williams Sports Editor

Last year the CIAA Tournament had an $8.3 million economic impact on the city of Raleigh.

The tournament attracts music, media and film stars. There is national print news coverage from everywhere. So why isn’t the whole tournament televised?

The entire Atlantic Coast Conference tournament is televised. Why not show the CIAA some love and put us on TV for a week? The championship games are televised and some semi-final action. Now we are thankful for that but if we are bringing in so much money and we’re selling out the Entertainment and Sports Arena (ESA), why not put the entire tournament in the living rooms of the many who could not get tickets or could not travel to the tournament?

The move to Raleigh was the best thing for the tournament. Tickets for lower level and club suites were sold out weeks before the start.

The demand for tickets was higher than ever and the directors decided to open a section in the upper level of the ESA to meet the demand.

The ESA was the perfect fit for such an illustrious event. I think in the next few years the tournament will be televised in its entirety if it continues to bring in so much revenue.

Although the ticket sales are great, there are some fans that may not be able to afford the $95 weekly tickets that adults have to pay. Student tickets are $37.50 for the week, which is a big difference from $95, but still some may not be able to afford it.

This is a prime example of where television could help.

Think about the doors it would open for up and coming black journalists who are interested in television.

There are many young black reporters — who have covered the tournament for small local papers and student publications from the respective schools’ — who have gotten exposure to larger papers like the News & Observer and Herald Sun.

More exposure is always good for the schools as well. Suppose students still in high school were to watch the tournament and become interested in the cultural experience that the CIAA brings.

That alone may have an affect on enrollment at any of the universities in the conference. Many more students would have the opportunity to see some of what the black college experience is about and the benefits of attending an HBCU. The bands and the cheerleading squads and the fashion shows interest to potential students.

This tournament is also a social event where many blacks in the community can come intermingle with Alumni and students.

If televised in its entirety, the CIAA could bring in more money than ever and have the largest audience ever.

Historically black colleges will be exposed to so many more people and so many more people will be exposed to the CIAA.

That will open up doors and give opportunity’s to many in the black community.

So I say: Let's give it a shot.