College Basketball Crown, Vivid Seats announce NIL deal opportunities

Later this month, 16 college basketball teams will converge on Las Vegas for the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament. The event is also offering NIL deal opportunities to participating teams.

The College Basketball Crown and Vivid Seats announced $500,000 in endorsement opportunities for the top four teams in the bracket as part of Vivid Seats’ newly launched ambassador program. Teams that lose in the semifinals would each receive a $50,000 NIL package, and the runner-up would receive $100,000. The winning team would receive $300,000 in NIL ambassador deals.

AEG Global Partnerships helped broker the agreement with the tournament, and Enthusiast Sports and Entertainment will facilitate the contracts with participating athletes. Games will tip off March 31 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena with FOX Sports as the exclusive broadcast partner.

“This initiative represents an innovative shift in college basketball’s postseason landscape,” said Jordan Bazant, FOX Sports executive vice president and College Basketball Crown board member. “It not only enhances competition, but also underscores our commitment to supporting student-athletes by unlocking new commercial opportunities.”

FOX Sports announced the launch of the College Basketball Crown last year, featuring teams from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East, and it was initially billed as a rival to the NIT. All told, 16 teams will participate in the event: Utah, Butler, George Washington, Boise State, Nebraska, Arizona State, Georgetown, Washington State, DePaul, Cincinnati, Oregon State, UCF, Colorado, Villanova, Tulane and USC.

The College Basketball Crown unveiled its bracket March 17, one day after Selection Sunday. Utah and Butler will play the first game of the tournament, with the winner squaring off against either George Washington or Boise State.

“We have been strategically aligned with Vivid Seats from day one on enhancing the postseason college basketball experience,” said Nick Baker, AEG Global Partnerships President/COO and board member of the College Basketball Crown. “This groundbreaking initiative is the perfect representation of that shared vision, and we’re proud to see it come to life at the inaugural College Basketball Crown.”

The College Basketball Crown is the latest postseason event to offer NIL opportunities. In 2023, the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) began offering $25,000 in NIL funds to the winner. The runner-up receives $10,000, and teams that lose in the semifinals both receive $2,500.

During the regular season, the Players Era festival also offers NIL dollars to participating teams. Last year, the event doled out $9 million in NIL funds, but it’s expanding this year. The tournament expects to spend north of $24 million in 2025 between its men’s and women’s tournaments, On3’s Pete Nakos previously reported.