After debuting in 2025, the College Basketball Crown will return next season, but the field will be cut in half.

The College Basketball Crown is returning for the 2025-26 season, with the tournament being held in Las Vegas again from April 1-5.

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 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.

In practice, the Crown has gutted college basketball’s other non-March Madness postseason tournament, the NIT. Last year, the NIT’s 32-team field featured just four power conference teams, one ...

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.

The College Basketball Crown will be a 16-team tournament that will take place March 31 through April 6, 2025, in Las Vegas. The games will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena.