College sports have taken on a decidedly Wild West feel since the advent of name, image and likeness payments and the transfer portal.
It stands to reason, then, that someone would tap into that pioneering spirit by introducing a cutting-edge postseason basketball tournament that leans into the new world order of college athletes. And Las Vegas would make sense as the stage to do it.
The 16-team, single-elimination College Basketball Crown kicks off this week at MGM Grand Garden and T-Mobile Arena. It has the broadcasting backing of Fox, which partnered with sports and entertainment company Anschutz Entertainment Group on the original idea. The Big 10, Big East and Big 12, three of the premiere basketball conferences in the country, are also heavily involved.
MGM Grand Garden will host the first two rounds Monday and Tuesday as well as the quarterfinals Wednesday and Thursday. The action moves to T-Mobile Arena for the semifinals and final Saturday and Sunday.
Why would teams that just missed the NCAA Tournament cut want to continue their seasons? The answer is simple. Players can tap into an NIL prize pool that will spread $500,000 among the four semifinal teams.
That caused Arizona State, Boise State, Butler, Cincinnati, Colorado, DePaul, George Washington, Georgetown, Nebraska, Oregon State, Tulane, UCF, USC, Utah, Washington State and Villanova to accept their invitations to the inaugural event.
“This initiative represents an innovative shift in college basketball’s postseason landscape,” said Jordan Bazant, the executive vice president of Fox Sports. “It not only enhances competition but also underscores our commitment to supporting student-athletes by unlocking new commercial opportunities.”
Unique ideas
The CBC’s organizers hope putting most of the event’s action between the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight and Final Four helps them capitalize on the public’s desire for college hoops.
“The intent is two-fold,” said AEG’s senior director of sports business development Kara Korber. “To fill consumer appetite in that dead zone between NCAA March Madness games, and to give these really powerful, big impact, big-name schools the opportunity to continue their postseason in a meaningful way.”
The CBC is making the tournament cost-effective for teams by covering all travel expenses, including charter flights. Holding all the games in Las Vegas also lowers expenses.
“I think that is really valuable, and not only to the teams, they don’t have to get on a plane and fly from market to market, but also for fans,” Korber said. “And it’s Las Vegas, a great sports market. With the Raiders and Golden Knights, it’s clear that Las Vegas has a real appetite for sports, which is enticing.”
New part of the landscape?
Tournament organizers want the CBC to be a permanent part of college basketball, even if it means ruffling some feathers. They believe rewarding players with NIL packages can help differentiate them from the rest of the field.
“Five years down the line, I’d like to see the tournament still taking place in Las Vegas, first and foremost,” Korber said. “I’d love to maybe one day to see teams turning down the NCAA March Madness tournament to come and compete in the Crown. Take that with a grain of salt, but I think the vision is that AEG and Fox are really bought into this event, and we see it to have a long-term potential. We want to continue to invest in it and grow.”
The goal for the CBC’s first year is to build a sturdy foundation and grow from there.
“Our aspiration is for this tournament to become a first-class destination for student-athletes from major college basketball programs. One that delivers a high-energy fan experience and meaningful corporate partnership integration that enhances the broader college basketball landscape,” said Nick Baker, AEG’s chief operating officer for global partnerships. “We also hope it becomes a highly anticipated, can’t-miss event on the annual Las Vegas calendar, one that is embraced by the local community and continues to contribute to the city’s vibrant sports and entertainment scene.”
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at [email protected]. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
College Basketball Crown schedule
Monday at MGM Grand Garden (first round, all games FS1)
Game 1: Utah vs. Butler, noon
Game 2: George Washington vs. Boise State, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: Nebraska vs. Arizona State, 5:30 p.m.
Game 4: Georgetown vs. Washington State, 8 p.m.
Tuesday at MGM Grand Garden (first round, all games FS1)
Game 5: DePaul vs. Cincinnati, noon
Game 6: Oregon State vs. UCF, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Colorado vs. Villanova, 5:30 p.m.
Game 8: Tulane vs. USC, 8 p.m.
Wednesday at MGM Grand Garden (quarterfinals, all games FS1)
Game 9: Winner of Game 1 vs. winner of Game 2, 4 p.m.
Game 10: Winner of Game 3 vs. winner of Game 4, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday at MGM Grand Garden (quarterfinals, all games FS1)
Game 11: Winner of Game 5 vs. winner of Game 6, 4 p.m.
Game 12: Winner of Game 7 vs. winner of Game 8, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday at T-Mobile Arena (semifinals, all games Fox)
Game 13: Winner of Game 9 vs. winner of Game 10, 10:30 a.m.
Game 14: Winner of Game 11 vs. winner of Game 12, 1 p.m.
Sunday at T-Mobile Arena (final, Fox)
Game 15: Winner of Game 13 vs. winner of Game 14, 2:30 p.m.
