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Fox Sports, AEG Take Shot at New College Hoops Tournament
Fox Sports broadcast more than 300 college basketball games this season — but zero NCAA Tournament contests, as those rights are locked up by CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery. So the network, along with live event promoter AEG, is launching a tournament of its own.
The two companies on Wednesday announced the College Basketball Crown, a men’s postseason tournament set to be held in Las Vegas from March 31-April 6, 2025 — the week leading up to the NCAA’s Final Four (which is set for April 5 and 7 next year). The new tournament will join the likes of the long-running National Invitation Tournament and newer postseason contests, the College Basketball Invitational and CollegeInsider.com Tournament, in trying to attract eyeballs outside of March Madness.
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The College Basketball Crown will feature at least two teams each from the Big East, Big 12 and Big Ten conferences (all of whom have media rights deals with Fox Sports), with the rest of the 16-team field selected by a committee. Schools that don’t make the NCAA Tournament will be eligible. Fox and FS1 will televise the games.
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,” said Fox Sports executive vp Jordan Bazant. “Alongside AEG and the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East, we are thrilled to provide more opportunities for student-athletes to compete in high quality postseason college hoops and for viewers to enjoy the chase for the College Basketball Crown.”
Added AEG chief revenue officer Todd Goldstein, “We are thrilled to join Fox Sports, the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East who share our vision and our enthusiasm to create one-of-a-kind experiences and events that benefit both fans and the entire global sports landscape. The time is right, Las Vegas is the ideal destination and the College Basketball Crown is the perfect additive event to further elevate the most exciting postseason in sports.”
Schools from the Big East, Big 12 and Big Ten earned 17 of the 68 bids to the NCAA men’s tournament this year, along with nine bids to the 32-team NIT.
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