The Boise State men’s basketball team is missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021, but the Broncos’ season will continue in a new, first-of-its-kind event.
The College Basketball Crown revealed its 16-team field Monday morning, and Boise State will represent the Mountain West Conference in the startup tournament. The Crown runs March 31 through April 6 in Las Vegas, nestled between the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and the national championship.
The Broncos (24-10) will open play in the Crown at 3:30 p.m. Mountain time on March 31 against George Washington (21-12) at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Revolutionaries finished in a tie for seventh in the Atlantic 10.
The Boise State/George Washington winner will face Utah or Butler in an April 2 quarterfinal. The Crown championship is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. April 6 at T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights.
All games will be televised on FS1 or FOX.
The Big East, Big Ten and Big 12 conferences partnered with FOX to create the Crown. A minimum of two teams from each conference are required to participate in the Crown alongside 10 at-large selections.
Here is the inaugural Crown field:
Arizona State (Big 12)
Boise State (MWC)
Butler (Big East)
Cincinnati (Big 12)
Colorado (Big 12)
DePaul (Big East)
Georgetown (Big East)
George Washington (Atlantic 10)
Nebraska (Big Ten)
Oregon State (WCC)
Tulane (AAC)
UCF (Big 12)
USC (Big Ten)
Utah (Big 12)
Villanova (Big East)
Washington State (WCC)
The Crown covers all travel expenses for the 16 participants. The tournament also features an unspecified NIL prize fund for teams that reach the semifinals and finals.
Boise State opted for the Crown over the NIT, which features just three power-conference teams in its 32-team bracket. The Crown has five Big 12 teams, four Big East teams, two Big Ten representatives and future Pac-12 rivals Oregon State and Washington State.
The Broncos were one of the first four teams left out of the NCAA Tournament. West Virginia was the first team out, followed by Indiana, Ohio State and Boise State.
The last four teams in were North Carolina, Xavier, Texas and fellow MWC bubble team San Diego State.
Four MWC teams received NCAA Tournament bids: New Mexico (10 seed), Utah State (10 seed), San Diego State (11 seed) and Colorado State (12 seed).
Of the first four out, only Boise State is participating in a postseason tournament.
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