Hmm … I smell low ratings.
In 2025, the postseason landscape for college basketball will change, as a new tournament is being brought into the realm.
Fox Sports and AEG are partnering up on the joint venture, branding the tournament as the “College Basketball Crown.” The event will kick off next season and will have 16 teams competing against each other who didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament. (RELATED: Angel Reese Declares For 2024 WNBA Draft)
The first edition of the tourney will be held at T-Mobile Arena and MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with two schools from each the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East conference getting automatic bids into the field.
Being selected by a committee, the rest of the field will be decided with at-large bids.
Fox and FS1 will be broadcasting College Basketball Crown games on television.
Fox Sports has officially introduced its new rival tournament to the NIT: The “College Basketball Crown.”
• Hosted by two arenas in Vegas
• 16 teams that fail to make NCAA Tournament
• Two auto bids each for Big Ten, Big 12 and Big EastIt’s set to launch Spring 2025. pic.twitter.com/d24Z7dWfmH
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 3, 2024
I can dig the concept of a flashy new tournament in Vegas, but let’s be real here, who’s actually gonna watch this? Who has the time?
I know for me, I work a full-time job here at the Daily Caller, homeschool my two daughters full-time (with the schedule of a normal school), go to church every Sunday and Bible study every Wednesday, go to the gym every day, and on top of that, I side hustle to get extra cash. So basically, I have to prioritize like crazy what sports I can and can’t watch (time is not my friend when it comes to leisure, I usually decide based on my bets — which goes back to side hustling), so with that being said … do you really think I’m gonna have time to watch NIT 2.0?
As hustle and bustle as the United States is, do you really think Americans are gonna have time?
There’s too much sports as it is. But hey, if it’s profitable for Fox, it’s profitable. You just won’t be getting any ratings from me, not for a tournament that doesn’t mean anything.