A new alternative to the postseason NIT is coming, with The Athletic reporting on Wednesday that Fox Sports’ NIT rival 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, The Athletic reports, will feature at-large participants, but only including the men’s teams.
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.
On3 will have more on this developing story shortly.
The post Fox Sports plans to unveil NIT rival with 16-team College Basketball Crown tournament appeared first on On3.