Fox Sports to Broadcast $2 Million Championship on FOX and 19 Additional Games Between July 18-August 2
Michael Beasley, Frank Mason III, Russ Smith, Willie Cauley-Stein Star in Alumni Bracket as Kentucky-Louisville and Kansas-Kansas State go Head-To-Head; Baron Davis-led Team to Headline Vegas Bracket
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, today announced a two-year extension with FOX Sports to air their new-look tournament. FOX Sports, which acquired the television rights to TBT in 2025, will air 20 games this summer across FOX, FS1, and FS2, including TBT’s $2 million championship game. TBT 2026 will commence on Saturday, July 18 on FOX with a matchup between Kentucky and Louisville alumni, and conclude on Sunday, Aug. 2 on FOX with a $2 million winner-take-all championship game.
“We are excited to return to Fox Sports for two more years,” said The Tournament CEO Jon Mugar. “Last year’s championship game was our most watched and highest attended ever. With double the prize, and only sixteen teams, our 2026 event will be our most competitive ever.”
“The best thing about TBT is the opportunity,” said TBT co-owner and former NBA All-Star Chris Paul. “It’s different. It gives everybody a real shot — players, coaches, GMs — to come in, compete, and prove themselves. This year, with the first-ever best-of-three series in the opening round and the Las Vegas bracket bringing even more energy, it’s going to be special. If you believe you belong, this is where you show it. On national TV, under the lights, against real competition. That’s what TBT is all about — giving people a platform, creating underdog stories, and letting the game decide.”
On Monday, TBT unveiled their brand new format. TBT 2026 is set to feature a 16-team bracket, with eight alumni teams and eight non-alumni teams competing on two separate sides of the bracket. TBT’s first round will now be a best-of-three series before returning to the single-game format for future rounds. Just five wins are needed to capture TBT’s $2 million prize, the largest prize the tournament has offered since 2019.
The Alumni Bracket will display two matchups between historic rivals, and two matchups between college basketball’s best fan bases.
La Familia (Kentucky alumni) vs. The Ville (Louisville alumni) – July 18-22
JHX Hoops (Kansas alumni) vs. Purple Reign (Kansas State alumni) – July 21-24
Boeheim’s Army (Syracuse alumni) vs. Hall In (Seton Hall alumni) – July 21-24
AfterShocks (Wichita State alumni) vs. The Enchantment (New Mexico alumni) – July 20-24
The Alumni Bracket second round will take place July 26-27, and the Alumni Bracket championship will be played on July 29.
Notable committed players for this year’s tournament include Michael Beasley (Kansas State), Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky), Frank Mason III (Kansas), Russ Smith (Louisville), Donovan Dent (New Mexico), Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall), and Buddy Boeheim (Syracuse).
TBT’s eight non-alumni teams will compete in the Vegas Bracket, a single-location event to be played entirely at the M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas from July 22-30. The Vegas Bracket will be headlined by a team entry from two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis. Five spots in the Vegas Bracket are still available to the public at a variable entry fee ranging from $125,000-250,000.
The winner of the Vegas Bracket will play the winner of the Alumni Bracket on Aug. 2 at the Alumni Bracket championship’s home gym.
TBT’s new format for 2026 comes after a record-setting tournament in 2025. More than 444,000 watched the AfterShocks (Wichita State) defeat Eberlein Drive on FOX in a thrilling championship game held on Wichita State’s campus. The audience for this year’s championship grew 67% over last year’s game on FOX.
In addition to the record viewership, TBT set a championship game attendance record, as 9,029 fans packed Koch Arena. Despite students not being in session, it was Wichita State’s biggest crowd for a basketball game in over three years.
TBT drew 85,395 fans in attendance last summer, surpassing its own record in 2024. Since 2022, TBT has grown its annual attendance by over 136%.
