Report: Fox Sports in talks to host new postseason college basketball tournament

College hoops insider Seth Davis reported Monday morning that Fox Sports is attempting to arrange a new postseason basketball tournament in Las Vegas for teams who miss the Big Dance.

Here was that report:

“Fox Sports is in negotiations with several power conferences to hold a postseason men’s basketball tournament in Las Vegas featuring teams that did not qualify for the NCAA tournament, multiple sources told The Messenger,” wrote Davis.

“Discussions are ongoing, but the current vision is for the event to include 16 teams that would play at T-Mobile Arena during the final week of March following the NCAA tournament’s Elite Eight games,” he added.

Plus, there will be plenty of NIL opportunities for the players who do participate.

“If the tournament happens, Fox plans to encourage its corporate partners to set up Name, Image and Likeness deals for players who are competing.”

However, Davis notes that “the network will not be able to pay players directly due to NCAA rules.”

Big 12, Big Ten and Big East teams ‘required’ to play

As for the field itself, Seth Davis reports that top teams from the Big 12, Big Ten and Big East who do not qualify for the NCAA Tournament would be required to play in this new event.

“Under terms of the proposed arrangement, the top 16 teams in the Big 12, Big East and Big Ten that did not qualify for the NCAA tournament  — as ranked by the NET — would be required to play in the Fox event even if they are invited to the NIT.”

The same could be true for the Pac-12, who Fox also has a TV rights agreement with. But that has yet to be decided given the fluid nature of the conference.

“The network also has a rights agreement with the Pac-12, but it is unclear whether that league would be added due to complications arising from the Pac-12’s impending realignment defections.”

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