CHARLOTTE, NC - The Central Intercollege Athletic Association (CIAA), the nations’ oldest historically black intercollegiate athletic conference, is adding Spades as its 15th championship sport beginning and ending on April 1, 2019. The new championship will be carried by all 13 member institutions and is being made possible through a grant from an anonymous donor.
Defined as competition involving two teams comprised of two individuals each, equipment will include a table and chairs along with a standard deck of 52 cards. CIAA student-athletes will complete a Round Robin schedule to determine the winner. The rules will follow the traditional model of the Joker being the highest trump card, followed by deuce of spades and then ace. Teams will play a minimum of four books in each round with a goal of reach 500 points first. Spectators and peers will be able to cheer on student-athletes through live streaming via the CIAA Sports Network.
Spades marks the first new championships sport for the CIAA since the addition of women’s bowling. Student-athletes will take part in national competitions to be held at neutral sites and the season will begin and end on April 1.
"We are thrilled to add Spades to our roster of varsity sports,” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams. "This is a popular sport that many of our fans are familiar with. This has been a club sport for many years on several of our campuses. The game involves teamwork and strategic thinking, so we had a great base of talented student-athletes to recruit from.”
McWilliams said the addition of Spades is in response to market research of alumni and fans.
John Smith, a junior at a CIAA school is excited for the new championship event. “I have always played sports growing up, basketball, football and track, however playing Spades competitively has always given me a different feeling. I’m excited to be a part of this new team.”
Spades is thought to have originated in the United States in early 1940’s and became popular among college campuses.