Eight teams. Two world-class arenas. An NIL prize pool of $500,000 on the line.
The 2026 College Basketball Crown bracket was revealed Monday afternoon on FS1’s “First Things First.” The second-year tournament features a loaded field made up of teams from the nation’s top basketball conferences.
FOX Sports college basketball analyst LaPhonso Ellis joined Danny Parkins on the show to reveal the eight-team event, which will take place in Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena from April 1-5.
Here is a look at the matchups and analysis from Ellis:
Baylor, Minnesota and Creighton highlight the 2026 College Basketball Crown Tournament Bracket
Game 1: Oklahoma (19-15) vs. Colorado (17-15), April 1, 8 p.m. ET
Ellis on the Sooners: “This is an Oklahoma team that’s won six of their last seven games, playing at a really high level. Four guys [are] averaging 12 factors or extra, and so they make 10 3s per recreation.”
Ellis on the Buffaloes: “The problem with Colorado is they offer up 37% from the 3-point line… The query goes to be, can they run this Oklahoma workforce off the 3-point line and maintain them off the offensive glass?”
Recreation 2: Baylor (16-16) vs. Minnesota (15-17), April 1, 10:30 p.m. ET
Ellis on the Bears: “It is a workforce that, although they haven’t been the place they sometimes are offensively, they’re one of many extra environment friendly defensive groups within the nation and do a terrific job getting out in transition.”
Ellis on the Golden Gophers: “It is a terrific passing workforce — the most effective passing workforce within the nation — and so they can actually stick the three.”
Baylor HC Scott Drew on Faculty Basketball Crown invite, expectations for Bears, going through Minnesota in Recreation 2
Recreation 3: Stanford (20-12) vs. West Virginia (18-14), April 2, 8 p.m. ET
Ellis on Stanford: “Their big-time participant is Ebuka Ekorie. He is solely 6-foot-1, however can flat-out rating. He’s not even 19 years previous but… [He’s the] eighth-leading scorer within the nation, and I feel he has Kyrie Irving-like finishes across the rim with both hand.”
Ellis on the Mountaineers: “It is a West Virginia workforce that’s seventeenth within the nation when it comes to defensive effectivity. … They do a terrific job of closing out. Honor Huff, their 5-10 level guard, performs off the basketball and is among the elite scorers within the Huge 12. … and as he goes, West Virginia additionally goes.”
Recreation 4: Rutgers (14-19) vs. Creighton (15-17), April 2, 10:30 p.m. ET
Ellis on the Scarlet Knights: “It is a Rutgers workforce that struggled all yr lengthy, however rapidly, they began to surge towards the tip of the yr as a result of their protection was so a lot better.”
Ellis on the Bluejays: “It is a Creighton workforce that is not essentially identified for his or her protection. … They do make 10 made 3s per recreation, so can Rutgers decelerate that 3-point barrage?”
