College Basketball Crown: "Reimagined" hoops tournament coming to FOX
LAS VEGAS - The ending of March Madness no longer means the end of college basketball. Starting in 2025, FOX Sports will be the home of the College Basketball Crown, a new addition to the college hoops postseason landscape.
The 16-team tournament will feature competitive matchups from several top conferences, bringing fans more high-level competition and compelling storylines beyond the traditional tournament.
"Postseason college basketball is one of the most exciting times of year and FOX Sports is proud to be at the forefront of efforts to evolve and elevate the sport," Jordan Bazant, executive vice president of FOX Sports, said Wednesday in a statement announcing the tournament.
When is the College Basketball Crown?
MGM Grand (via FOX)
The inaugural College Basketball Crown will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas from Monday, March 31 to Sunday, April 6, 2025.
Fans can purchase tickets to attend the games through Vivid Seats or watch all the action on FOX and FS1.
T-Mobile Arena (via FOX)
Who will play in the College Basketball Crown?
This first year, the tournament will include schools from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East, with additional at-large participants.
Teams that did not qualify for the NCAA tournament will be eligible for the College Basketball Crown, with two automatic qualifiers coming from each participating conference and additional teams chosen by a committee.
"We are honored to participate in the inaugural College Basketball Crown, which will be an exciting and innovative addition to the college basketball calendar," said Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman. "We are confident that the formidable capabilities of FOX Sports, AEG, and their event partners will translate into a high-quality postseason opportunity for our coaches, players and schools."
"The Big Ten Conference looks forward to competing in the inaugural College Basketball Crown," said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. "It is sure to be an exciting postseason opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches and fans across the country."
"The Big 12 Conference is thrilled to be a part of the College Basketball Crown," said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. "College basketball's popularity is on the rise, and we look forward to being a part of another meaningful postseason moment for our student-athletes."
Details about the tournament, schedule and more will be released at a later date.
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