Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

NIL deals set to skyrocket at Crown Basketball Tournament

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Steven Corder | Last updated Mar 26, 2025 7:13 PM ET

As March Madness continues, certain college basketball teams are gearing up for an exciting new postseason event: the College Basketball Crown. What makes this tournament stand out isn’t just the competition—it’s the game-changing $500,000 in NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money up for grabs. For college athletes, this means big business as the Crown’s debut will reward both performance and potential.

The tournament, which kicks off March 31 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, offers a groundbreaking NIL package for the top four teams. Thanks to a partnership with Vivid Seats, the teams that make it to the semifinals will receive $50,000 each, while the runner-up pockets $100,000. The crown jewel? The winning team will be awarded $300,000 in NIL deals. This landmark deal is the largest of its kind in college basketball, emphasizing how the landscape is shifting for student-athletes.

“This initiative represents an innovative shift in college basketball’s postseason landscape,” said Jordan Bazant, FOX Sports EVP and College Basketball Crown board member.

The 16 teams participating in the Crown include powerhouse programs like Arizona State, Villanova, USC, and Nebraska, alongside rising squads like Utah and Butler. The tournament will air exclusively on FOX Sports, further elevating its profile and giving athletes massive exposure. For these players, the stakes are more than just championship glory—they’re vying for significant endorsement deals that could shape their future careers.

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The Crown is just the latest postseason event to tap into the power of NIL deals. Following in the footsteps of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI), which offered a $25,000 NIL prize last year, the Crown is setting a new bar for what student-athletes can earn beyond the game. This movement signals a continued shift where college basketball athletes are not only celebrated for their talent but can profit from their personal brand.

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The College Basketball Crown is here, and with $500,000 in NIL money on the line, it promises to be a pivotal event for college basketball and the student-athletes who fuel it.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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