The last time Virginia Union University traveled to Baltimore for the CIAA Tournament, the Panthers returned to Richmond hoisting the championship trophy.

That was in 1952 when Coach Thomas Harris, aka “Tricky Tom,” was on the sidelines in The Charm City.

This week, under Coach Jay Butler, the Panthers are hopeful of repeating their glory from 70 years ago.

Few would be surprised if that occurs. The Panthers have been the CIAA’s best this season, posting a 21-6 overall (13-3 conference) record en route to the CIAA Northern Division crown and top seed.

Along the way, VUU twice defeated Southern Division champion Winston-Sa- lem State University. Three of the Panthers’ season losses were in overtime, including an OT setback to Nova Southeastern University, the nation’s No. 1 ranked NCAA Division II team, on Dec. 19 in South Florida.

VUU will carry a seven-game winning streak to Baltimore, including an 83-78 win at Shaw University on Feb. 19 in the regular season finale.

New digs: This year’s CIAA Tournament will be at Royals FarmsArena, a 14,000-seat facility within a mile of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The CIAA Tournament hasn’t been played in Baltimore since 1952 when the event was held at Edward Hurt Gymnasium on the campus of Morgan State University. VUU defeated Johnson C. Smith University that year, 83-81, for the title.

The tournament began in 1946 in Washington. It has since been in Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Hampton, Norfolk, Richmond, Raleigh and, since 2006, Charlotte, N.C. This is the first of a three-year deal with Baltimore.

There was no tournament a year ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The name game: Few tournaments can boast a more impressive list of alumni. Among the most famous CIAA Tournament stars were NBA Hall of Famers Sam Jones (North Carolina Central), Earl Monroe (Winston-Salem State), Bob Dandridge (Norfolk State) and Ben Wallace (Virginia Union).

Also on the list is West Virginia State’s Earl Lloyd, who became the first African-American to play in the NBA (1950), and Al Attles (North Carolina A&T), who went on to fame as player and head coach in the NBA. Rick Mahorn (Hampton) led the Detroit Pistons to the NBA crown in 1989.

Just from Virginia Union, the alumni list features Jackie Jackson, Mike Davis, Charles Oakley, A.J. English, Jamie Waller, Terry Davis and Ben Wallace, all of whom played in the NBA.

Changing guard: The CIAA has gone through some changes. In 1970, Delaware State, Howard, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Morgan, North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central left to form the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, or MEAC. Hampton and Norfolk State left for the MEAC in the 1990s.

Doors have opened: Much has changed since 1952, when Black athletes were little more than an afterthought on the national sports scene.

That year, the Minneapolis Lakers won the NBA, the New York Yankees won the World Series, the Detroit Lions won the NFL and the University of Kansas won the NCAA basketball title, all without a single Black player on their rosters.

The talent displayed in CIAA tournaments in the early years helped form a bridge from mainstream America to a more integrated society.