Cincinnati Bearcats slated for 'The Crown' tournament in Las Vegas vs. DePaul
Not hearing your college basketball team's name called on NCAA Selection Sunday can be disheartening, but there's always time for "rejection redemption." In the past that came in the form of the National Invitation Tournament, which still exists, but now there's a new option being marketed: The College Basketball Crown.
Monday morning, it was announced that Cincinnati Bearcats basketball will play April 1 at 3 p.m. (Eastern) against DePaul in the first-round of the Crown tournament. A win would put them against the Oregon State/UCF winner April 3 at 7 p.m. Both games will be at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
More bracket details will be published shortly.
As confirmed by Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark last week at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championships, the Big 12, along with the Big East and Big Ten, are obligated to provide two teams each to the new tournament in Las Vegas that will be televised on FS1 and Fox.
"It is the top two (Big 12 teams) that don't get into the tournament," Big 12 Commissioner Yormark confirmed Tuesday in his press conference. "We're excited to be part of The Crown. We think it's going to be a first-class opportunity for our student-athletes to showcase their talents. Fox is a wonderful partner of ours. They've been doing football with us for quite some time and next year they distribute basketball games for the first time in years. We're excited to be in the Fox family and I think their tournament's going to be off the charts. I will be in Vegas to kick things off."
Of the Cincinnati Bearcats interviewed after their Big 12 second-round loss to Iowa State, junior forward Josh Reed was the most optimistic about having a postseason.
"Playing more? Like this year?" Reed said when asked about more games. "Of course I do. I feel like any chance we have to step on the court and compete is a good opportunity for us."
College Basketball Crown bracket
First-round games begin March 31 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with game times at 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST. More first-round games are scheduled April 1 at the same times. Again, UC plays DePaul on April Fool's Day at 3 p.m. (no fooling).
Second-round action begins Wednesday, April 2 with games at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. (Eastern) along with two more games April 3 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. First and second-round games are televised by FS1.
The semifinals begin April 5 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. (Eastern) on Fox Sports at T-Mobile Arena. The championship is then April 6 at 5:30 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena, also on Fox.
The College Basketball Crown game times will compete with the NIT semifinals and finals April 1 and April 3. The Crown semifinals are roughly an hour behind the NCAA Final Four games in San Antonio on April 5. The Crown title game is the night before Monday's NCAA national championship game.
Cincinnati Bearcats have added Quadrant 1 wins
Though their regular season has been over for more than a week, UC added a pair of Quadrant 1 wins over the weekend to give them three for the year. With Baylor returning to the NCAA.NET Top 30 and UCF back in the Top 75, UC's home win over the Bears and road win vs. the Knights now return as Quad 1 wins making them 3-12 in that category. UC was No. 49 in Sunday's NCAA.NET with a Quad 2 mark of 7-3, 2-0 in Quad 3 and 6-0 in Quad 4. for their overall 18-15 record.
Cincinnati Bearcats non-NCAA history
UC has not been to the NCAA tournament since 2019 under Mick Cronin. They have made 12 NIT appearances including the last two seasons under Wes Miller. Despite a losing record, they did play one game in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) in 2008, losing to Bradley.
Possible Crown tournament curveball
The college basketball transfer portal window opens March 24. There is a Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) revenue component to the Crown, but conceivably a player could be in the portal and play or be in the portal and not play. Teams are required to have seven scholarship players. The earnings of the players increase with each win. Fox Sports is a future Big 12 TV partner, so any team in that league that did not compete would run the risk of hurting that relationship.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bearcats miss NCAA Tournament in The Crown in Las Vegas
-
Will Cincinnati Bearcats play in a postseason tournament?
As of Sunday night, Cincinnati Bearcats basketball still was waiting for definitive plans for a postseason. Crown Las Vegas tournament in play.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Bearcats to play DePaul April 1st in College Basketball Crown
The Cincinnati Bearcats will face the DePaul Blue Demons, April 1st at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, 3 pm ET. The Bearcats were one of the 16 teams chosen to play in the ...Yahoo Sports - 19h -
Knights will head to Vegas for inaugural Crown tournament
UCF has accepted an invitation to play in the College Basketball Crown, a 16-team tournament in Las Vegas that FOX Sports and Anschutz Entertainment Group created. The Knights are among the top two ...Yahoo Sports - 19h -
UCF accepts invitation to inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas
UCF will face Oregon State in the opening round at 5:30 p.m. on April 1. The winner will meet either DePaul or Cincinnati.Yahoo Sports - 19h -
College Basketball Crown 2025: Schedule, bracket, how to watch new tournament
The College Basketball Crown is a new tournament taking place is Las Vegas. The bracket hasn't been released yet, but here's what to know.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
College Basketball Crown 2025 field is set: Schedule, bracket, how to watch new tournament
The College Basketball Crown field has been set as 16 teams will play in the inaugural tournament in Las Vegas.Yahoo Sports - 19h -
Iowa State vs. Cincinnati prediction, odds, time: 2025 Big 12 Tournament picks, best bets by proven model
SportsLine's model simulated Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Iowa State Cyclones in the second round of the 2025 Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday 10,000 timesCBS Sports - 5d -
Nebraska to play Arizona State in College Basketball Crown Tournament
Nebraska basketball's season continues as it was one of 16 teams chosen to compete in the College Basketball Crown.Yahoo Sports - 20h -
College Basketball Crown bracket 2025: Tournament schedule, dates, times as USC, Villanova headline field
The bracket is set for the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournamentCBS Sports - 17h
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Twins’ Royce Lewis will miss start of season after hurting his hamstring
Lewis is coming off a 2024 season that saw him appear in just 82 games due to quadriceps and adductor issues.Yahoo Sports - 12h -
Texans to pick up Derek Stingley's Jr.'s fifth-year option ahead of extension
The Houston Texans will have Derek Stingley Jr. under contract through 2029 after agreeing to pick up one final year on his rookie deal.Yahoo Sports - 15h -
MLB hyped up a video game-like replay view from the Tokyo Dome and fans justifiably hated it
The on-field replay did not go over how MLB expected.Yahoo Sports - 17h -
The Players Championship 2025 prize money: Full payout from the $25 million purse
Here's how the $25 million purse will be paid out this week at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Auburn basketball’s first round opponent revealed ahead of 2025 NCAA Tournament
Auburn basketball will face either Alabama State or St. Francis in March Madness to open its 2025 NCAA Tournament men’s bracket.Yahoo Sports - 1d
More in Sports
-
March Madness 2025 bracket: NCAA Tournament picks, predictions from advanced college basketball model
SportsLine's model has nailed 20 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds and revealed its NCAA Tournament bracket 2025CBS Sports - 32m -
What time is Dodgers vs. Cubs? MLB schedule for Tokyo season opener, where to watch, TV channel, live stream
The 2025 Major League Baseball season gets started on TuesdayCBS Sports - 32m -
NCAA bracket predictions: Model shares surprising March Madness 2025 tournament picks
SportsLine's model nailed 13 of the teams in the Sweet 16 last season and simulated the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket 10,000 timesCBS Sports - 2h -
MLB's villains or its gold standard? How the Los Angeles Dodgers got here
Love them or loathe them, the defending champs built a new evil empire with a series of monumental moves.ESPN - 2h -
Lunardi: The one big thing the selection committee got wrong
The decision to include both Texas and North Carolina has stumped our resident Bracketologist.ESPN - 2h