Fox Sports and AEG Announce New College Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas
In a move to provide more opportunities for college basketball teams and fans, Fox Sports and live event promoter AEG have announced the launch of a new postseason tournament called the College Basketball Crown. The tournament is set to take place in Las Vegas from March 31 to April 6, 2025, leading up to the NCAA Final Four.
The College Basketball Crown will feature at least two teams each from the Big East, Big 12, and Big Ten conferences, with the remaining spots in the 16-team field to be selected by a committee. Schools that do not make it to the NCAA Tournament will also be eligible to participate in the new tournament.
Fox Sports and FS1 will broadcast the games, providing fans with an alternative to the NCAA Tournament, which is exclusively aired on CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery. The tournament aims to attract viewers and showcase high-quality postseason college basketball outside of March Madness.
Both Fox Sports and AEG expressed their excitement for the new tournament, with Fox Sports executive vp Jordan Bazant stating, “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.” AEG chief revenue officer Todd Goldstein added, “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.”
With schools from the Big East, Big 12, and Big Ten conferences earning multiple bids to the NCAA Tournament this year, the College Basketball Crown aims to provide additional opportunities for student-athletes to compete at a high level and for fans to enjoy the excitement of postseason college hoops.