Now in her 14th year as commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), a Division II conference comprised of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Jacqie McWilliams Parker is excited to see emerging sports, like wrestling and flag football, join established college sports like basketball as collegiate opportunities for female student-athletes.
“The CIAA is excited about flag football; we started it last year,” said McWilliams Parker. “We have seven institutions that have committed if we go varsity.”
The story of women’s sports in the CIAA, most notably basketball, is told in the film “Inside the CIAA: Her Story” now available on the HBCU Week NOW YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/Zld7jiVlkBQ?si=eqMJ2Ua3nO5jH5Zt).
In the film, McWilliams Parker and others, including Dr. Aminta Breaux, president of Bowie State University, speak about the evolution of women’s sports from play days –– when women would travel to other HBCUs for a day of sporting activities — to the current prominence of the CIAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, which is held in great excitement at Baltimore.
“I thought, wow, how far we’ve come and we’re still growing,” said McWilliams Parker. “It seems like it was way, way back in the day, and it wasn’t. It was just 50-something years ago. It’s incredible to watch how [basketball] has unfolded over these decades.”
McWilliams Parker’s evolution as a leader is evident in her willingness to take charge of challenging situations, as well as in her personal style, which is now characterized by locs and African-inspired clothing.
“Whatever I put on, I want to feel good in it and I want to be who I am,” she said. “I want to be able to intertwine showing up for young women who could see themselves in the position and what that looks like.”
There are only eight Black female conference commissioners across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as the NAIA. And three of those women — McWilliams Parker, Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes, and Sonja Stills — are at HBCU conferences. Basketball is a bright light. The men’s and women’s CIAA Basketball Tournament take place together with equal fanfare. Heading into the CIAA’s 50th anniversary of women’s basketball, Under Armour created special uniforms for the 2025 tournament.
“These women, they walked into an experience I don’t think they expected,” said McWilliams Parker. “Our schools set the uniforms up in their locker rooms to surprise them. … Celebrating in Baltimore, where the culture and the mayor love basketball, really helped us amplify the game.”