CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A week worth of events for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament kicks off Monday. Fans returning to the Queen City will be greeted with a new way to get to the games. This is the first time the LYNX light rail has been up and running for the CIAA tournament and CATS employees expect record crowds.

Most uptown hotels are already sold out. Businesses in uptown Charlotte are also making last minute preparations for the big week ahead, and expect profits to soar. Last year, fans pumped $28 million into the Charlotte economy.

CIAA Tournament To Stay In Charlotte Through 2011

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament is staying in Charlotte.

CIAA commissioner Leon Kerry told The Associated Press on Sunday that the league has reached an agreement with the city on a three-year extension through 2011.

"We're going to announce it this week," Kerry said. "We want our fans to book their rooms and be ready."

Kerry revealed the news in an interview on the eve of the start of the Division II tournament involving 10 historically black colleges and universities.

While 18 games will be played over six days, culminating in the women's and men's finals on Saturday night, the CIAA tournament is perhaps known more for its parties, fashion shows, band competitions and celebrity sightings.

The event brought more than 26,000 out-of-town visitors to Charlotte last year that included Sean "Diddy" Combs, Vivica Fox, LL Cool J and Magic Johnson.

"Last year's event brought $28 million in economic impact. Who knows what this year will bring, probably more," said Molly Hedrick, a spokeswoman for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. "It's a win-win situation."

Kerry said attendance for the tournament and all the auxiliary events jumped to 165,000 last year, an increase of almost 100,000 since the tournament was moved to Charlotte in 2006 after a six-year stay in Raleigh.

"Whenever you do something different you're scared. But sometimes it's good to be scared," Kerry said. "I knew we were going to work hard and so everything we could do to make it successful. Was I comfortable in Raleigh? Yeah, but sometimes comfort isn't good."

Kerry said Charlotte benefits from its downtown arena, which is within walking distance to the convention center, where a fan festival will be held this week, and to numerous hotels and restaurants.

Kerry also likes Charlotte's location, which is closer to South Carolina and Georgia. Kerry has eyed that region in his hopes for expansion into the Atlanta market. The conference has faced upheaval in the last several years as Winston-Salem State and North Carolina Central have moved to Division I.

The CIAA is adding Pennsylvania's Lincoln University, which is moving up from Division III, in time for the 2009-10 school year.

"There could be some others by then, too," Kerry said. "I want to control the sports on the Eastern seaboard. I'd like to have schools from Pennsylvania to Atlanta. I want to be in every TV market."

Kerry said there were some stumbling blocks in negotiations with Charlotte officials to extend the existing three-year agreement, which expires after this year's tournament and included $1 million in financial guarantees from the city.

Kerry said he's been trying to secure better hotel rates and blocks of rooms for CIAA fans. Many fans complained about high rates and parking costs last year.

But the deal was struck recently, making Charlotte the home for numerous events besides basketball this week, including celebrity-hosted parties and even cooking shows and a gospel choir competition.

"When we came to Charlotte we became a destination," Kerry said. "We've become a destination and more than just a tournament."