Latest news with #CollegeBasketballCrown
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
College Basketball Crown Announces Dates for 2026 Tournament
We may not know who will wear the College Basketball Crown in 2026. But we now know when we'll find out. Dates for the 2026 tournament were announced on Monday, with the tournament starting on Tuesday, April 1, and ending on Sunday, April 5. Just like the first edition of the tournament, the 2026 College Basketball Crown will take place in Las Vegas. Games will be played at either the MGM Grand Garden Arena or T-Mobile Arena. However, there will be one change made to the College Basketball Crown 2026. There will only be eight teams in the tournament, cutting the field in half from the inaugural edition. The eight teams that will make up the 2026 field for the College Basketball Crown will consist of the top two teams in the Big East, Big Ten and Big 12 that didn't make the NCAA Tournament, along with two wild card teams selected by the committee. "We launched the College Basketball Crown to create more opportunities for elite competition during the thrilling college basketball post-season – and we saw an incredible response from fans, conferences, and players for the inaugural tournament," FOX Sports executive vice president and College Basketball Crown board member Jordan Bazant said in a release. "We look forward to building on that momentum this spring by delivering high stakes matchups between top teams throughout the competition on FOX and FS1." "The College Basketball Crown has already proven to be a premium, athlete-first post-season platform that delivers for schools, our brand partners, and fans," President and COO of AEG Global Partnerships and College Basketball Crown board member Nick Baker added. "We're proud to continue this tournament alongside FOX Sports and our partners and we look forward to raising the bar once again in 2026 with top-tier talent, world-class venues, and continued innovation." Nebraska won the inaugural edition of the College Basketball Crown in 2025, winning three of its four games by double digits. It took down UCF in the title game, 77-66. The inaugural edition of the College Basketball Crown featured a $300,000 name, image and likeness (NIL) prize pool for the champion. UCF, the runner-up, received a $100,000 NIL prize pool. Villanova and Boise State, who lost in the semifinals, received a $50,000 NIL prize pool. New NIL prize opportunities related to the College Basketball Crown will be announced at a later date. The second edition of the College Basketball Crown will also air on FOX and FS1. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily . FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Big East Big Ten Big 12 recommended Item 1 of 1 Get more from the College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
College Basketball Crown returning in 2026, but field will be smaller than first edition
College basketball's newest postseason tournament will be significantly shrunk next season. The College Basketball Crown will return for 2026, Fox Sports and AEG announced on Monday, July 21. However, the field will be cut in half from the inaugural edition, going down from 16 teams to eight. The tournament, which will remain in Las Vegas and be played April 1-5, will feature the top two teams from the big Ten, Big 12 and Big East that didn't receive an NCAA Tournament bid, as well as two wild card selections determined by its committee. Name, image and likeness prizes are the big selling point for the tournament. In 2025, champion Nebraska received a $300,000 prize pool for winning the tournament, while Central Florida got $100,000 as the runner-up. Semifinalists Boise State and Villanova each got $50,000 for their respective finishes. "We launched the College Basketball Crown to create more opportunities for elite competition during the thrilling college basketball post-season – and we saw an incredible response from fans, conferences, and players for the inaugural tournament," Fox Sports executive vice president Jordan Bazant said in a statement. Why is College Basketball Crown field is smaller? While it's a positive sign the tournament will return, it's notable how the field is cut in half. In the 2025 tournament, 16 teams were in, with guaranteed spots for the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East. However, teams like Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State and West Virginia turned down invitations, even though they were the next best teams left in their respective conferences. It has become an ongoing trend for squads that just miss out on the tournament. When teams don't hear their names called on Selection Sunday, it usually means players hit the transfer portal, leaving rosters in doubt of whether it will have a suitable lineup to play in. The NIT and other smaller postseason tournaments have dealt with the same issues. With a smaller field, the College Basketball Crown could have a better field for its bracket, and it comes with possible expansion of the NCAA Tournament in 2026. Still, there is a chance the best teams left in each of conference could decline any postseason invitation, which would leave the College Basketball Crown to go down the conference standings to fill its spots. Still, the College Basketball Crown was a success in terms of non-NCAA Tournament postseasons. It averaged 260,000 viewers on Fox and FS1, higher than the NIT on ESPN's platforms at 212,000 viewers. The championship game between the Cornhuskers and Knights − which went against the women's basketball national championship − averaged 822,000 viewers, the most for a non-NCAA Tournament postseason game. College Basketball Crown 2026 schedule The 2026 College Basketball Crown will be played April 1-5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and it will air on Fox and FS1.
Business Wire
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
FOX Sports and AEG Announce Official Dates for the 2026 College Basketball Crown With Elite Eight-Team Field
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following a hugely successful inaugural tournament, FOX Sports and AEG today announced the official dates for the 2026 College Basketball Crown. The elite post-season college hoops tournament delivered compelling matchups, impressive viewership and a captivating championship run by Nebraska – becoming a must-see competition showcasing elite programs that narrowly miss NCAA Tournament selection. In 2026, the College Basketball Crown will take place April 1–5 at both the MGM Grand Garden Arena as well as T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and air on FOX and FS1. Year two features a newly streamlined eight-team field and continued support from its first-year brand partners. The 2026 field will feature the top two teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, and BIG EAST conferences that do not receive NCAA Tournament bids, plus two wild card teams selected by committee. The 2026 College Basketball Crown quarterfinals will take place Wednesday, April 1 and Thursday, April 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena, with T-Mobile Arena hosting the semifinals Saturday, April 4 and the championship matchup Sunday, April 5. 'We launched the College Basketball Crown to create more opportunities for elite competition during the thrilling college basketball post-season – and we saw an incredible response from fans, conferences, and players for the inaugural tournament,' said Jordan Bazant, Executive Vice President, FOX Sports, and board member of the College Basketball Crown. 'We look forward to building on that momentum this spring by delivering high stakes matchups between top teams throughout the competition on FOX and FS1.' The new eight-team format reflects a strategic refinement, designed to deliver stronger matchups, enhanced fan experiences, and continued commercial success across every stage of the tournament. 'The College Basketball Crown has already proven to be a premium, athlete-first post-season platform that delivers for schools, our brand partners, and fans,' said Nick Baker, President and COO of AEG Global Partnerships and board member of the College Basketball Crown. 'We're proud to continue this tournament alongside FOX Sports and our partners and we look forward to raising the bar once again in 2026 with top-tier talent, world-class venues, and continued innovation.' Additionally, inaugural-year partners are continuing their support for the 2026 tournament, including: Vivid Seats – Official Ticketing Provider GHOST® – Founding Partner and Official Energy Drink and Hydration Partner JSX – Founding Partner and Official Air Carrier Circa Resort & Casino – Founding Partner and Official Host Hotel MGM Resorts International – Official Partner The College Basketball Crown also continues to drive innovation in name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes, with new enhancements expected to be announced in the lead-up to next year's tournament. Additional announcements regarding ticket sales, broadcast talent, new partners, team selection and more will follow in the coming months. For more information on the College Basketball Crown, visit: ABOUT THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL CROWN Launched by FOX Sports and AEG, the College Basketball Crown is a premier post-season college basketball tournament that debuted in March 2025 in Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena. Featuring elite teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, BIG EAST, and additional at-large participants, the tournament offers a new and highly competitive post-season opportunity for student-athletes and fans alike. Key partners of the inaugural College Basketball Crown include: Vivid Seats – Official Ticketing Provider GHOST® – Founding Partner; Official Energy Drink and Hydration Partner JSX – Founding Partner; Official Air Carrier Circa Resort & Casino – Founding Partner; Official Host Hotel MGM Resorts International – Official Partner For more information on the College Basketball Crown, visit: About AEG Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world's leading sports and live entertainment company. The company operates in the following business segments: Music through AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including the production and promotion of global and regional concert tours, an extensive portfolio of clubs, theaters and other music venues, concerts and special events and world-renowned festivals such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival; Venues and Real Estate, which develops, owns and operates world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like Arena and L.A. LIVE, Uber Platz in Berlin and The O2 in London; Sports, as the world's largest operator of high-profile sporting events and sports franchises including the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and Eisbären Berlin; Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating, and other strategic partnerships. And Ticketing, through its ticketing platform, which provides more than 400 clients worldwide with ticketing services that cover the gamut of entertainments, including sporting events, arena tours, music clubs, festivals, rodeos and family events. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 90 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at About FOX Sports FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing Fox Corporation's wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports' digital properties include and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Also included in FOX Sports' portfolio are FOX's interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and the UFL and a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network. T-Mobile Arena T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between Park MGM and New York-New York, opened April 6, 2016. The arena hosts more than 100 events annually including major headline entertainment, awards shows, UFC, boxing, basketball and other sporting events, family shows and special events. T-Mobile Arena also is the home of the Vegas Golden Knights, a National Hockey League expansion team and the city's first professional sports team, as well as UFC's exclusive Las Vegas arena destination. The venue, named the No. 1 venue on Billboard Magazine 's 2018 Arena Power List as well as the 'Best New Major Concert Venue' by Pollstar Magazine in 2016, features 50 luxury suites, more than two dozen private loge boxes, complete broadcast facilities, and other specially designed exclusive hospitality offerings and fan amenities destined to create a guest experience second to none. Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, features performance stages, a variety of video screens and other interactive content and display areas. Designed and built to prioritize environmental sustainability, T-Mobile Arena was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2016. T-Mobile Arena is a privately funded joint venture between AEG and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information, visit or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. About MGM Grand Garden Arena The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also has been home to annual events including the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, the Latin GRAMMY Awards, iHeartRadio Music Festival, Pac-12 Men's Basketball Championship and Frozen Fury NHL pre-season games hosted by the Los Angeles Kings.
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
FOX Sports and AEG Announce Official Dates for the 2026 College Basketball Crown With Elite Eight-Team Field - Fox Sports Press Pass
Tournament to air on FOX and FS1 from April 1–5 in Las Vegas LOS ANGELES, CA (July 21, 2025) – Following a hugely successful inaugural tournament, FOX Sports and AEG today announced the official dates for the 2026 College Basketball Crown. The elite post-season college hoops tournament delivered compelling matchups, impressive viewership and a captivating championship run by Nebraska – becoming a must-see competition showcasing elite programs that narrowly miss NCAA Tournament selection. In 2026, the College Basketball Crown will take place April 1–5 at both the MGM Grand Garden Arena as well as T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and air on FOX and FS1. Year two features a newly streamlined eight-team field and continued support from its first-year brand partners. The 2026 field will feature the top two teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, and BIG EAST conferences that do not receive NCAA Tournament bids, plus two wild card teams selected by committee. The 2026 College Basketball Crown quarterfinals will take place Wednesday, April 1 and Thursday, April 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena, with T-Mobile Arena hosting the semifinals Saturday, April 4 and the championship matchup Sunday, April 5. 'We launched the College Basketball Crown to create more opportunities for elite competition during the thrilling college basketball post-season – and we saw an incredible response from fans, conferences, and players for the inaugural tournament,' said Jordan Bazant, Executive Vice President, FOX Sports, and board member of the College Basketball Crown. 'We look forward to building on that momentum this spring by delivering high stakes matchups between top teams throughout the competition on FOX and FS1.' The new eight-team format reflects a strategic refinement, designed to deliver stronger matchups, enhanced fan experiences, and continued commercial success across every stage of the tournament. 'The College Basketball Crown has already proven to be a premium, athlete-first post-season platform that delivers for schools, our brand partners, and fans,' said Nick Baker, President and COO of AEG Global Partnerships and board member of the College Basketball Crown. 'We're proud to continue this tournament alongside FOX Sports and our partners and we look forward to raising the bar once again in 2026 with top-tier talent, world-class venues, and continued innovation.' Additionally, inaugural-year partners are continuing their support for the 2026 tournament, including: Vivid Seats – Official Ticketing Provider – Official Ticketing Provider GHOST® – Founding Partner and Official Energy Drink and Hydration Partner – Founding Partner and Official Energy Drink and Hydration Partner JSX – Founding Partner and Official Air Carrier – Founding Partner and Official Air Carrier Circa Resort & Casino – Founding Partner and Official Host Hotel – Founding Partner and Official Host Hotel MGM Resorts International – Official Partner The College Basketball Crown also continues to drive innovation in name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes, with new enhancements expected to be announced in the lead-up to next year's tournament. Additional announcements regarding ticket sales, broadcast talent, new partners, team selection and more will follow in the coming months. For more information on the College Basketball Crown, visit:
Miami Herald
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
FOX Sports and Barstool Sports announce content collaboration
July 17 (UPI) -- Barstool Sports, a blog, pop-culture and digital multimedia company, is joining forces with FOX Sports to share content. A press release from Fox said the "wide-ranging collaboration" will boost coverage around college football, college basketball and other FOX Sports properties, including unique content with a new daily studio show on FS1. "We're excited to welcome Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports to the FOX Sports family," said Eric Shanks, CEO and executive producer of FOX Sports. "Dave has built a one-of-a-kind brand that connects with a new generation of sports fans -- authentic, bold, and original. Their unique voice and loyal fanbase makes them a natural fit for our evolving multiplatform content strategy." Barstool is owned and was founded by Portnoy, a controversial personality. "Everybody at Barstool is super excited to partner with the FOX Sports Family," Portnoy said. "In our two-decade history, we've never had the chance to work with so much talent and resources. We can't wait to collab and bring our voice to FOX Sports' airwaves. See ya soon in Columbus." The press release said Portnoy will appear on college football pregame show Big Noon Kickoff. There will also be a new weekly show, The Barstool College Football Show. Portnoy announced in a tweet: "Emergency Press Conference -- Barstool Sports is Proud to announce a new wide ranging partnership with Fox Sports. This is the 1st time in our illustrious and notorious history that we've got a Tv partner we believe in and believes in us. I can't wait to see what we create together." Barstool started in Boston in 2003 as a free print publication and has built its brand on bros. It's often been accused of fostering a misogynistic culture. Portnoy's strong social media following has helped skyrocket the popularity of the brand. Barstool Sports also will contribute to FOX Sports' college basketball coverage, including the College Basketball Crown -- a postseason tournament launched by the network in April 2025, the press release said. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
