Fox Sports unveils NIT rival with 16-team College Basketball Crown tournament

A new alternative to the postseason NIT is coming, with Fox Sports revealing it will launch an NIT rival that is officially on the way, starting with the 2024-25 season.

The new tournament, called the College Basketball Crown, will feature 16 teams, with two squads from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East receiving automatic bids. All three of those leagues have television deals in place with FOX.

The rest of the field will feature at-large participants, but only including the men’s teams, selected by a committee.

“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 Jordan Bazant, Executive Vice President, FOX Sports.  “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.”

The Tournament is set to take place in Las Vegas beginning March 31, 2025 and lasting until April 6.

The NIT has lost some steam in recent years with teams that missed the NCAA Tournament opting out, in part to focus on the transfer portal, which opens up as the regular season ends. That has left the fields a bit less competitive than in years past.

Still, the NIT has been around since 1938. It features a 32-team format, played alongside the NCAA Tournament. This year’s NIT championship will feature Indiana State and Seton Hall, which won their respective semifinal games on Tuesday night.

Having a new competitor can only serve to liven up the existing postseason tournaments.

AEG Global Partnerships will have exclusive rights to all commercial sales and sponsorship activations for the College Basketball Crown with FOX Sports overseeing media rights and broadcast sales.

“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,” said Todd Goldstein, Chief Revenue Officer, AEG.  “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.”