Men’s Basketball Selected to Compete in 2026 College Basketball Crown
Mar 16 | Men's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's basketball has been selected to compete in the 2026 College Basketball Crown, a postseason tournament featuring the top teams from the Big Ten, Big East, and Big 12 conferences who did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
The event will take place April 1–5 in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena and MGM Grand Garden Arena, with games televised nationally on FOX and FS1. The tournament will feature top college basketball names in Colorado, Stanford, West Virginia, Baylor, Minnesota, Creighton, and Oklahoma.
RU will face Creighton on Thursday, April 2, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in a game that tips at 10:30 p.m. Eastern.
RU's trip to the postseason marks Pikiell's fourth in ten years at the helm, including a return to the NCAA Tournament in 2020-21, ending a 30-year drought, a consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament 2021-22, and an invitation to the N.I.T. in 2022-23.
"We're excited for the opportunity to compete in the College Basketball Crown," said head coach Steve Pikiell. "It's a great tournament with marquee teams from some of the best conferences in the country. Our players wanted the chance to keep playing and competing together, and this gives us another opportunity to represent Rutgers on the national stage and continue building our program heading into the 2026-27 season."
The 2025-26 Scarlet Knights players were all motivated to compete in the event. RU will give its seven freshmen another chance to compete, along with three players who have West Coast ties in Chris Nwuli (Las Vegas), Lino Mark (Los Angeles), and Kaden Powers (Seattle). Last season, Big Ten Conference foe Nebraska won the 2025 College Basketball Crown after not making the Big Ten Conference Tournament, and it carried that momentum into the 2025-26 season, ranking No. 14 in the country.
The College Basketball Crown features eight teams competing in a single-elimination format to determine the tournament champion. The event also includes a $500,000 NIL prize pool distributed among participating teams and provides a postseason stage in front of NBA scouts and national television audiences.
Rutgers fans interested in buying tickets for the 2026 College Basketball Crown can purchase tickets here.
The event will take place April 1–5 in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena and MGM Grand Garden Arena, with games televised nationally on FOX and FS1. The tournament will feature top college basketball names in Colorado, Stanford, West Virginia, Baylor, Minnesota, Creighton, and Oklahoma.
RU will face Creighton on Thursday, April 2, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in a game that tips at 10:30 p.m. Eastern.
RU's trip to the postseason marks Pikiell's fourth in ten years at the helm, including a return to the NCAA Tournament in 2020-21, ending a 30-year drought, a consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament 2021-22, and an invitation to the N.I.T. in 2022-23.
"We're excited for the opportunity to compete in the College Basketball Crown," said head coach Steve Pikiell. "It's a great tournament with marquee teams from some of the best conferences in the country. Our players wanted the chance to keep playing and competing together, and this gives us another opportunity to represent Rutgers on the national stage and continue building our program heading into the 2026-27 season."
Rutgers entered the postseason after earning a 72-67 victory over Minnesota at the Big Ten Tournament last week in Chicago, showcasing the team's growth, having won five of its last nine games. The Scarlet Knights will now turn their focus to Las Vegas as they prepare to face a strong field in the postseason event.The guys want to continue to compete.💪
— Rutgers Men's Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) March 16, 2026
🔗: https://t.co/EWALzcqaTh#TheKnighthood🛡️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/tPk6pfUGlM
The 2025-26 Scarlet Knights players were all motivated to compete in the event. RU will give its seven freshmen another chance to compete, along with three players who have West Coast ties in Chris Nwuli (Las Vegas), Lino Mark (Los Angeles), and Kaden Powers (Seattle). Last season, Big Ten Conference foe Nebraska won the 2025 College Basketball Crown after not making the Big Ten Conference Tournament, and it carried that momentum into the 2025-26 season, ranking No. 14 in the country.
The College Basketball Crown features eight teams competing in a single-elimination format to determine the tournament champion. The event also includes a $500,000 NIL prize pool distributed among participating teams and provides a postseason stage in front of NBA scouts and national television audiences.
Rutgers fans interested in buying tickets for the 2026 College Basketball Crown can purchase tickets here.
The field is set for 2026! 👑
— College Basketball Crown (@CBBCrown) March 16, 2026
Tickets available via @vividseats
now. pic.twitter.com/R61yF7mqOo
Players Mentioned
Steve Pikiell Podcast: Big Ten Tournament Recap, The Crown Tournament, and the Offseason Plan
Monday, March 16
Men's Basketball Postgame Press Conference: UCLA - Big Ten Tournament
Friday, March 13
Men's Basketball Postgame Press Conference - Big Ten Tournament Minnesota
Thursday, March 12
Men's Basketball Post Game Press Conference - Washington
Wednesday, February 25
