January came and passed without an annual staple for Concordia students and athletes: this marked the first year since 1951 without the Concordia Invitational Tournament.
CIT was a yearly tournament between Concordia University Chicago, Concordia Wisconsin, Concordia Nebraska, and Concordia Ann Arbor, in which athletes from these schools would compete against each other in basketball, dance, and cheer. This yearly tradition was put on pause for a year, and if it returns, will look different in the future.
The pause on CIT follows Concordia Ann Arbor shutting down their athletic departments due to financial struggles, and Concordia Wisconsin announcing last year that they would not participate in CIT in the future.
“I am sad we didn’t get to do it in my last year of competing, but I am grateful for getting the years I did get, and that I got to close with a win,” said senior Gizelle Boyzo. Boyzo was part of the dance team that won CIT last year, which was the first time the dance team had won CIT.
Athletes lost not only an opportunity to compete, but also the experiences and camaraderie that they would gain from this tournament.
“It was really a bonding experience, especially with our win. It helped us build our connection with each other,” said Addison Stewart, a sophomore member of the CUC dance team.
CIT’s location rotated between the four Concordia schools, with many students travelling to the hosting school for the experience. Had CIT happened this year, it would have been hosted at CUC.
CUC had not hosted the tournament since 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. The second senior class in a row will be graduating this May without having seen CUC host the event.
Concordia Chicago athletic director John Jaramillo is adamant in his plan to have CIT return in some fashion in the future.
“I have heard many great stories, and I am committed to bringing CIT back in some fashion,” Jaramillo said. “It may look different, but we will bring back some aspects.”
CUC students got a glimpse of what could be with the pack the stands event the athletic department held on Jan. 17.
The event included a double header of women’s and men’s basketball games on a Saturday where money was raised to help support a nearby school. While the games were normal conference basketball games, there were over 500 people at the men’s game and nearly 400 at the women’s game. Even with there being nothing necessarily special with the games, it shows there is interest in having a big event on campus to help bring students together and support the athletes.
According to Jaramillo, Concordia Nebraska, one of the founding members of CIT, has expressed a willingness to be a part of whatever is next.
Jaramillo hopes to have something in place as soon as next year, once the logistical issues of scheduling and venue are settled.
“We want something that brings people together, something that creates energy,” Jaramillo said. “CIT has a history of energy and brought people together. While it may look different, that will remain.”
