MGM Resorts Sponsor College Basketball Crown Tournament

The College Basketball Crown Tournament and MGM Resorts International are partnering up in a reimagined postseason college basketball tournament that will be broadcast on Fox Sports.

What Is the College Basketball Crown Tournament?

The College Basketball Crown Tournament is designed to include two of the best teams from the Big 10, Big 12, and Big East that did not make the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. Those three conferences will supply six of the 16 teams invited to the tournament, with the other 10 non-March Madness teams joining as at-large participants voted on by a select committee.

If this sounds a bit like the other major postseason D1 basketball tournament, the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), that includes the best of those teams that failed to make it to the Big Dance, that’s because it does. However, the College Basketball Crown Tournament will feature only four rounds and 16 teams, unlike the NIT, which consists of five rounds and 32 teams.

This is Fox’s shot across the bow to ESPN’s partnership with the 85-year-old NIT, and it is difficult to tell if there is enough room for both “best of the rest” postseason tournaments to coexist. It is unknown if any NIT invitees will also be extended invitations to the College Basketball Crown Tournament. If so, a choice will have to be made, as both tournaments will be operating at the same time.

Las Vegas Hosts the Action

Games will be played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena in Vegas, Nevada from March 31 to April 6, hosted by FOX Sports in partnership with AEG Global Partnerships. All games will be broadcast on FOX or FS1.

“With student-athletes competing at MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena, it is a natural fit for our teams to stay at the stunning MGM Resorts properties,” FOX Sports EVP and College Basketball Crown Board Member Jordan Bazant said. “The College Basketball Crown will provide student-athletes with an elite on-site experience while showcasing top-tier college hoops to millions watching at home on FOX and FS1.”

BetMGM Sponsors CBCT

MGM Grand Garden Arena will not only host several of the College Basketball Crown Tournament games, but MGM Resorts will also open its line of luxury properties like Aria Resort & Casino, Park MGM, and Vdara Hotel & Spa to the student-athletes and team staff of those schools selected to enter the tournament.

Special tournament packages will be available through a partnership agreement between MGM Resorts and Vivid Seats, a ticket resale and exchange company, which will allow those fans to book hotel accommodations at one of the MGM Resorts properties.

Moreover, MGM Resorts will be allowed courtside signage as well as brand visibility throughout the venues, digital content on the tournament’s media platforms, and national media exposure during the live event on FOX.

“MGM Resorts’ global reputation for excellence in hospitality and entertainment makes them the perfect partner for the College Basketball Crown,” said Nick Baker, COO of AEG Global Partnerships. “Their iconic venues and unmatched service will elevate the athlete and fan experience, ensuring the tournament is as memorable off the court as it is on it.”