Fox Sports’ NIT rival is official, the network announced Wednesday.
The 16-team College Basketball Crown tournament will feature schools that failed to qualify for the men’s NCAA tournament, with two teams each from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East receiving automatic offers. It’s no coincidence that all three conferences have college basketball television deals with the network. The rest of the field will consist of participants at large, but will only include men’s teams.
The tournament will take place at the MGM Garden Arena and MGM Arena in Vegas, starting March 31, 2025 and continuing through April 6. AEG is a main sponsor. The games will be broadcast on Fox and FS1.
The 32-team NIT has been around since 1938. Although it was the consolation tournament after missing the NCAAs, some teams, like Rick Pitino’s St. John’s, abandoned it this year so coaches can concentrate on the transfer portal. This year’s NIT finale – televised on ESPN – takes place on Thursday and features a fun matchup between Indiana State and Seton Hall.
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