What is the College Basketball Crown, and will Rutgers play in it?

From head coach Steve Pikiell on down to the players, Rutgers basketball sounded like a team that had hit the end of the road after Wednesday’s double-overtime loss to USC in the Big Ten Tournament’s opening round.

But the road might not agree.

Two consolation postseason tournaments – the 32-team NIT and the new, 16-team College Basketball Crown – likely will both invite the Scarlet Knights to participate. With a NET ranking of 77, Rutgers figures to be right in the wheelhouse for both events.

Two prominent NIT bracketologists, John Templon and Stu Streit, currently both include Rutgers in their field projections. And the Big Ten could exert pressure on its teams to enter the College Basketball Crown to satisfy television partner Fox, which launched that event as counter-programming to the ESPN-oriented NIT.

Clouding the picture is that so little is known about the selection process for the College Basketball Crown, leading to speculation that Fox could have trouble filling out the field – or that participating teams could show up with rosters depleted by attrition.

As of Thursday, Rutgers had not received or rebuffed a formal bid from either the NIT or the CBC.

The NIT bracket will be released Sunday night, sometime after the NCAA Tournament selection show ends at 7 p.m. (usually around 9). The tournament starters March 18 at the sites of the higher seeds and ends April 3 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The College Basketball Crown is much murkier.  

College Basketball Crown: What we know

When it’s taking place: First round March 31, quarterfinals April 1, semifinals April 5, final April 6.

Where: The entire event is in Las Vegas. The first two rounds are at MGM Grand’s Garden Arena, and the last two rounds are at T Mobile Arena on the strip.

Who’s involved: 16 teams. Two teams from each of the Big Ten, Big East and Big 12 will be automatic qualifiers, and there will be 10 more at-large participants.

TV: All games will air on either Fox or Fox Sports 1.

College Basketball Crown: What we don’t know

How are auto bids determined? It has been reported, though not confirmed, that the six auto bids will be given to the highest NET-ranked programs in the Big Ten, Big East and Big 12 that don’t make the Big Dance. If that is the case, then Rutgers will not get an auto bid.

How is the field being rounded out? Beyond the three aforementioned leagues, it’s likely that invitations will be extended to some Mountain West programs and other prominent mid-major conferences to help fill out the field. Nevada athletic director Stephanie Rempe told NevadaSportsNet.com that Crown officials reached out to gauge Nevada’s interest.

Are there appearance fees or NIL fees? Unlike the NIT, which pays out a $10,000 appearance fee to participants while taking a big cut of the ticket sales, Rempe told NevadaSportsNet that the Crown is “money-neutral” event. Other unconfirmed reports have mentioned name-image-likeness opportunities for individual players.

Will teams decline invitations? Because the tournament starts so late – a whopping 15 days after Selection Sunday and seven days after the transfer portal opens – it’s likely that several programs will decline at-large invitations. It’s unclear if auto-bid teams can decline or withdraw.

Will individual players opt-out? Undoubtedly yes, especially those entering the transfer portal or preparing for the NBA Draft process.

When the bracket will be announced: Word is circulating that the bracket will be unveiled Monday, though details may emerge late Sunday.

What will the ripple effect be on the NIT? It will definitely water down the NIT. Locally, if enough teams turn down postseason bids altogether, that could open the door for Princeton, which is 17-10 against Division I competition, to snag a spot in the NIT if the Tigers don’t win the four-team Ivy League Tournament in Providence this weekend.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

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