Fox Sports is attempting to coordinate a yearly post-season collegial basketball tourney inwards Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. As envisioned, it would competitor the historic National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and contend with the to a greater extent pop NCAA tournament.
The proposed men’s-only tourney would include teams from basketball game powerfulness conferences, such as the Big East, Big 12, and Big Ten, according to Front Office Sports. Teams from these conferences are currently inwards talks with Fox Sports, CBS Sports reported last week.
Fox Sports turned to these conferences well-nigh the tourney since they are already below undertake with the web for other events.
The new tourney would occupy shoes every March, starting inward 2024 or 2025, according to news reports. It would include 16 teams and pass at the same time 'tween the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight and Final Four games.
The teams would only live included if they didn’t dispose for the 64-team NCAA Tournament or turned pile the 32-team NIT.
Rivalry Between Fox, ESPN
Because the NIT is program past ESPN, the proposed George Fox Sports tourney would lede to further contention between the networks.
Front Office Sports also reported that if the Charles James Fox tournament takes place, the NIT would potential live forced to ask in to a greater extent teams from mid-major conferences because powerfulness conference teams may not be available. In addition, because ESPN pose games involving teams from the ACC and SEC, members of those leagues are unlikely to get hold of constituent in any Las Vegas post-season tournament programme past Fox, according to tidings reports.
News nigh the unexampled tourney also comes as to the highest degree of the PAC-12 teams have got bolted to other conferences.
Vegas Tournament Could Destroy NIT
The NIT has taken place since 1938 and, prior to the 1960s, it was considered more of import than the NCAA college hoops tournament. Teams participated inwards the NIT past invitation only. But the NIT has gotten less attending inward recent years.
Things may catch far worsened for the NIT if the unexampled tournament takes set inwards Las Vegas.
It testament completely put down the NIT tournament,” Dan Dickau, a former NBA player who to a greater extent of late worked for ESPN, said on the Gonzaga Nation podcast. “And it’s sledding to make an even out bigger gap between your haves and have-nots in college athletics.”
To lure players and teams, the proposed tournament would feature a laboured nidus on lucrative name/image/likeness offerings, CBS Sports further reported.
Betting, Viewership
March Madness from the NCAA Tournament often leads to substantial TV viewership and lots of sports betting.
In 2023, it was estimated that 15.5 1000000000000 U.S. dollars would follow play on March Madness. About 68 meg Americans wagered on the NCAA Tournament inwards 2023 compared to 45 meg inwards 2022, the American Gaming Association reported.
But this year’s NCAA men’s basketball championship mettlesome attracted a record-low viewership. A reported 14.693 1000000 viewers watched UConn defeat San Diego State, according to the Sports Business Journal.
Fox is also sounding to make believe profits from sports betting. In August, shortly after FOX Bet was shut down, George Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Dame Jean Iris Murdoch was optimistic nearly the company’s time to come sports wagering prospects. The media hulk has had recent discussions with unidentified gaming operators.
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