On April Fool's Day, it will have been nearly three weeks since the University of Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team walked off the floor with a second-round defeat in the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City to Iowa State.
Thanks to an investment by Fox Sports with the cooperation of the Big 12, Big Ten and Big East, 16 teams, including the UC Bearcats get to continue their season. Foolish or not, it comes as the NCAA tournament is down to four teams along with the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
The College Basketball Crown now hits during a popular basketball week with a chance for FS1 and Fox Sports to grab some hardwood screen time in your home or favorite establishment.
San Antonio will host the 2025 Final Four, while the NIT's semifinal and final will take place at Butler's historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Crown brings the glitz of Las Vegas with early-round games at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, followed by the semis and final at nearby T-Mobile Arena. The championship game is Sunday, April 6, a day before the NCAA champion cuts down the nets.
College Basketball Crown teams maneuvering through transfer portal
While Cincinnati Bearcats workouts have been closed, the word is the team that left Kansas City at 18-15 after a second-round loss in the Big 12 tournament to Iowa State, will be in Las Vegas.
That doesn't mean portal entries won't come, but for now, the UC Bearcats appear to be chasing down the $300,000 Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) package being offered by Vivid Seats to the College Basketball Crown champion. Runner-up receives $100,000 with the other two semifinalists getting $50,000 apiece.
Several Bearcats posted Vivid Seats promotions on their Instagram accounts recently including Jizzle James, Aziz Bandaogo, Dan Skillings Jr., Dillon Mitchell, Day Day Thomas, Josh Reed, Arrinten Page, Rayvon Griffith, C.J. Anthony, Tyler Betsey, Halvine Dzellat and
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