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College Basketball Crown Returns With $500,000 NIL Prize Pool, Introduces New Fan Bracket Challenge

businesswire.com
FOX FOX Sports is a key partner and broadcaster of the College Basketball Crown, with its executives highlighting the tournament's expansion and opportunities. The event airs on FOX and FS1. VSAT Vivid Seats is mentioned as the Official Ticketing Provider and presenting partner of NIL prizing for quarterfinal rounds. Tickets are exclusively available via Vivid Seats. MGM MGM Resorts International is an Official Partner of the tournament, and its venues (MGM Grand Garden Arena) are hosting games. Circa Resort & Casino (also part of MGM Resorts) is a Founding Partner and Official Host Hotel. S Spectrum is mentioned as the Official Cable and Internet Partner for the tournament.

College Basketball Crown Returns With $500,000 NIL Prize Pool, Introduces New Fan Bracket Challenge LOS ANGELES--( BUSINESS WIRE)--FOX Sports and AEG today announced the return of the College Basketball Crown’s $500,000 NIL Prize pool – one of the largest cash awards in postseason college basketball, alongside a new fan bracket challenge presented by GHOST Energy – the GHOST Energy Bracket Challenge, giving fans the opportunity to predict the outcome of the eight-team tournament as teams compete for the Crown title.

The digital GHOST Energy Bracket Challenge will allow fans to submit predictions for the tournament field and follow the competition throughout the week as part of the broader tournament experience. The challenge will be hosted on the Thropic Games network, where fans can track their selections and engage with the tournament in real time. The deadline to enter the bracket challenge is 4:50 p.m. PT on April 1, just prior to the first game tipping off.

As part of an incentive-based prize package, the winner of the bracket challenge will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas at a later date.

“The College Basketball Crown has quickly established itself as a premium postseason platform that delivers meaningful opportunities for programs, student-athletes and brand partners,” said Nick Baker, President and COO of AEG Global Partnerships and board member of the College Basketball Crown. “As the tournament returns for year two, initiatives like the GHOST Energy Bracket challenge help bring audiences even closer to the action while continuing to elevate the overall experience in Las Vegas.”

The 2026 eight-team field includes Baylor, Colorado, Creighton, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Stanford and West Virginia, featuring teams from the ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.

Last year’s inaugural tournament was highlighted by a memorable championship run by Nebraska men’s basketball, which captured the first-ever College Basketball Crown title and has continued its momentum with the program’s strongest season in history.

All eight teams will compete in a single-elimination format for the College Basketball Crown title and the tournament’s $500,000 NIL prize pool.

Quarterfinal matchups include Oklahoma vs. Colorado and Baylor vs. Minnesota on Wednesday, April 1, followed by Stanford vs. West Virginia and Rutgers vs. Creighton on Thursday, April 2, with winners advancing to the semifinals in Las Vegas.

Quarterfinal games will take place Wednesday, April 1 and Thursday, April 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena, with T-Mobile Arena hosting the semifinals Saturday, April 4 and the championship game Sunday, April 5. The quarterfinals will air on FS1, with the semifinals and championship on FOX.

“We launched the College Basketball Crown to expand postseason possibilities for student-athletes with more high-level competition, greater NIL opportunities and premium hospitality experiences,” said Jordan Bazant, Executive Vice President, FOX Sports, and board member of the College Basketball Crown. “After an incredible debut, we’re excited to bring it back to Las Vegas for another week of high-stakes matchups across FOX and FS1.”

The event returns in 2026 with continued support from founding and official partners including Vivid Seats (Official Ticketing Provider), GHOST Energy (Founding Partner and Official Energy Drink and Hydration Partner), JSX (Founding Partner and Official Air Carrier), Circa Resort & Casino (Founding Partner and Official Host Hotel), MGM Resorts International (Official Partner), and Spectrum (Official Cable and Internet Partner).

Vivid Seats will serve as the presenting partner of NIL prizing for winning teams during the quarterfinal rounds on Wednesday and Thursday, with GHOST Energy serving as the presenting partner of NIL prizing across the semifinals and championship rounds.

The tournament also continues to drive innovation in the college basketball postseason landscape, including expanded name, image and likeness opportunities for participating student-athletes.

Tickets for the 2026 College Basketball Crown are available exclusively via Vivid Seats at collegebasketballcrown.com, where fans can also find additional tournament information.

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:

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:

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