People forgot that FOX Sports is launching the Basketball Crown in 2025

[bac2therac]

The NIT will not be the place to go

• Teams: The tournament will feature 16 teams, including two automatic bids from the Big Ten, Big 12, and Big East, and 10 at-large teams selected by a committee.
  
  
• Location: The tournament will take place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena from March 31 to April 6, 2025.
  
  
• Broadcast: All games will be broadcast on Fox or FS1.

FOX Sports & AEG Launch the College Basketball Crown: A Reimagined Postseason College Hoops Tournament - Fox Sports Press Pass

Competitive Showcase Featuring 16 Teams Across Elite Conferences College Basketball Crown to Air on FOX and FS1 Las Vegas to Host Inaugural Tournament in Spring 2025 at MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena Los Angeles (April 3, 2024) – […]

www.foxsports.com

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

this is a force....I am guessing there are NIL $ at play.

We are ripe for an entity to tear up the entire system and compete with the NCAA tournament. Imagine a LIV like entity that has $500,000,000 to blow. 32 teams post season tournament right in the middle of march madness. Every player guaranteed $500,000 with more money for advancing.

 

[bac2therac]

Yup have to think NIL is involved

I think its only inevitable March Madness as we know it will disappear. I can see schools lose there and be invited into a new NIL tourney. I think the NCAA has no control. Why play in the ncaa tourney when you can go to Vegas and play for $$$

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

The PGA is splintered. College basketball and football could be done too. Would have the potential of absolutely blowing up conference media agreements.

 

[RUChoppin]

Also, if tournament-caliber teams are being left out to make way for automatic qualifiers (due to 4 superconferences), I'd imagine a sea change will happen where the NCAA tournament becomes less attractive to the Major 4 overall. They may each send their best 8, 10 or 12 teams to a separate tournament, and the NCAA will essentially become the new NIT (auto-qualifiers and missed-the-cut Major 4 teams).

 

[seansherm]

The PGA is splintered. College basketball and football could be done too. Would have the potential of absolutely blowing up conference media agreements.

Yup, which is why I warn people against rooting for the destruction of the ACC, ect

 

[bac2therac]

Also, if tournament-caliber teams are being left out to make way for automatic qualifiers (due to 4 superconferences), I'd imagine a sea change will happen where the NCAA tournament becomes less attractive to the Major 4 overall. They may each send their best 8, 10 or 12 teams to a separate tournament, and the NCAA will essentially become the new NIT (auto-qualifiers and missed-the-cut Major 4 teams).

I think the ncaa looking to expand the field to 72 or 76 next year is a desperate attempt to placate the Power 4 to prevent a pandora box opening to post season NIL tourneys

 

[Joey Bags]

Gonna be frank. If that is where the money is, that’s where we should aim to go. Screw the NCAA, we’re out here trying to get paid as a program and as athletes.

If the PIF shows up, people are gonna take home some serious coin.

 

[bac2therac]

Gonna be frank. If that is where the money is, that’s where we should aim to go. Screw the NCAA, we’re out here trying to get paid as a program and as athletes.

If the PIF shows up, people are gonna take home some serious coin.

Yeah not alot of details and no confirmation of nil for this tournament

 

[letitrip2]

Nope - March madness is here to stay.

 

[fluoxetine]

Also, if tournament-caliber teams are being left out to make way for automatic qualifiers (due to 4 superconferences), I'd imagine a sea change will happen where the NCAA tournament becomes less attractive to the Major 4 overall. They may each send their best 8, 10 or 12 teams to a separate tournament, and the NCAA will essentially become the new NIT (auto-qualifiers and missed-the-cut Major 4 teams).

Consolidating the power conferences shouldn’t result in fewer power conference bids unless the number of small conferences increases.

The autobid is very rarely relevant for a power conference champion.

 

[Scangg]

Well if we don't make the dance this is actually an exciting event I would be very interested in watching still

 

[RUChoppin]

Consolidating the power conferences shouldn’t result in fewer power conference bids unless the number of small conferences increases.

The autobid is very rarely relevant for a power conference champion.

I mentioned it in another thread - there are currently 42 "Power 4" teams ranked in the NET Top 50. 4 of those will be autobid, leaving 38.... for just 36 available at-large bids. That would leave out 2 right now if no other conference got an at-large bid.

Those same 42 teams were in 7 different conferences in 2020, and 3 would have been favored for their league's autobid instead of fighting for an at-large. It's almost like we have 3 bid-stealers already baked in from conference consolidation. For example, #42 Memphis is favored for the AAC autobid right now... but would have been 5th among teams who were in the AAC in 2020. #46 San Diego St is favored for the MWC autobid right now... but would have been 3rd among teams who were in the WCC in 2020.

My feeling is that the committee will not want 100% of the at-large bids going to just 4 conferences, and they'll get some other multi-bid conferences in by leaving out Power 4 teams that are on the bubble.