$500K NIL Prize Pool Raises the Stakes for Every Matchup

Las Vegas Hosts Tournament at MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena Wednesday, April 1 to Sunday, April 5, on FOX & FS1

COLLEGE BASKETBALL CROWN Tickets On Sale Exclusively via Vivid Seats

Today, the College Basketball Crown announces its full field and bracket for the premier postseason college hoops tournament, an intense single-elimination eight-team competition highlighting postseason matchups from the nation’s biggest basketball conferences. With an NIL prize pool of $500,000 raising the stakes for every game, the College Basketball Crown provides fans with more elite competition and compelling storylines during the most exciting time of the year.

Building on the success of last year’s exhilarating tournament, in which the Nebraska Cornhuskers captured the first-ever College Basketball Crown with a memorable championship run over the UCF Knights, the event returns to Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena from Wednesday, April 1 to Sunday, April 5.

Founded by AEG and FOX Sports, the College Basketball Crown airs live on FOX and FS1. Tickets can be purchased exclusively via Vivid Seats, the Official Ticketing Provider and Founding Partner of the College Basketball Crown.

The following teams will compete in the 2026 College Basketball Crown:

Baylor
Colorado
Creighton
Minnesota
Oklahoma
Rutgers
Stanford
West Virginia

Two-time All-American and NBA veteran Jim Jackson calls the action throughout the entire tournament, pairing with FOX Sports’ lead college basketball announcer Gus Johnson for the semifinals and championship matchup on FOX, with play-by-play announcer Tim Brando on the call for the quarterfinals on FS1. Allison Williams serves as sideline reporter for the quarterfinals, while Kristina Pink joins for the semifinals and championship.

The studio team provides bridge show, pregame, and postgame coverage throughout the tournament. FOX Sports’ studio coverage is anchored by hosts Mike Hill and Rob Stone, with insight and analysis from LaPhonso Ellis, Casey Jacobsen and Donny Marshall.

College Basketball Crown Game and Television Schedule:

For more information on tickets, visit vividseats.com or collegebasketballcrown.com for the latest updates.

To apply for media access and credentials to the College Basketball Crown, please fill out this Media Credential Request Form.

Click here for the College Basketball Crown assets, including tournament and conference logos, and imagery of the arenas.

About the COLLEGE BASKETBALL CROWN

Launched by FOX Sports and AEG, the College Basketball Crown is a premier postseason college basketball tournament which debuted in March 2025 in Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena. Featuring eight elite teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, BIG EAST, and additional at-large participants, the tournament offers a highly competitive postseason opportunity for student-athletes and fans alike. Key partners of the College Basketball Crown include:

• Vivid Seats – Founding Partner; Official Ticketing Provider
• GHOST® – Founding Partner; Official Energy Drink and Hydration Partner
• JSX – Founding Partner; Official Air Carrier
• Circa Resort & Casino – Founding Partner; Official Host Hotel of the Referees
• MGM Resorts International – Official Team Host Hotel
• Mercury Insurance – Official Insurance Partner
• Spectrum – Official Cable & Internet Partner

For more information on the College Basketball Crown, visit: https://collegebasketballcrown.com.

About AEG

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. The company operates in the following business segments:

• Music through AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including the production and promotion of global and regional concert tours, an extensive portfolio of clubs, theaters and other music venues, concerts and special events and world-renowned festivals such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival;
• Venues and Real Estate, which develops, owns and operates world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like Crypto.com Arena and L.A. LIVE, Uber Platz in Berlin and The O2 in London;
• Sports, as the world’s largest operator of high-profile sporting events and sports franchises including the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and Eisbären Berlin;
• Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating, and other strategic partnerships;
• And Ticketing, through its AXS.com ticketing platform, which provides more than 400 clients worldwide with ticketing services that cover the gamut of entertainments, including sporting events, arena tours, music clubs, festivals, rodeos and family events.

Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 100 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com.

About FOX Sports

FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing Fox Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports’ digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Also included in FOX Sports’ portfolio are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and the UFL and a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.

About Vivid Seats

Founded in 2001, Vivid Seats is a leading online ticket marketplace committed to becoming the ultimate partner for connecting fans to the live events, artists, and teams they love. Based on the belief that everyone should “Experience It Live,” the Chicago-based company provides exceptional value by providing one of the widest selections of events and tickets in North America and an industry leading Vivid Seats Rewards program where all fans earn on every purchase. Through its proprietary software and unique technology, Vivid Seats drives the consumer and business ecosystem for live event ticketing and enables the power of shared experiences to unite people. Vivid Seats has been recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Best Companies for Customer Service in ticketing. Fans who want to have the best live experiences can start by downloading the Vivid Seats mobile app, going to vividseats.com, or calling 866-848-8499.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260316014352/en/