On Sunday, Xavier’s Musketeers heard their name called on CBS Selection Sunday sending them to the First Four in Dayton. The University of Cincinnati Bearcats were not among the field of 68 teams and are likely headed to the College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas March 31-April 6.

However, no definitive plans had been made by the Crown tournament nor UC Sunday night. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark confirmed last Tuesday at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships that the league would send it’s top two non-NCAA Tournament qualifiers to the Crown, based on the NCAA.NET rankings.

Those schools would be UC at No. 49 and West Virginia at No. 51. The Mountaineers were surprisingly not invited to “The Dance” despite a 19-13 record which included six Quadrant 1 wins. That’s five more than North Carolina and Xavier had. UC finished with three Quad 1 wins based on Big 12 tournament performances by Baylor and UCF which boosted both of UC’s wins against them.

Big 12, Big Ten, Big East committed to Las Vegas tourney

Based on Yormark’s comments, UC and West Virginia would be Vegas-bound and the league obviously would like the Bearcats and Mountaineers to be involved as per their contractual obligation. The Big Ten and Big East also have agreed to send their top two teams that didn’t make the tournament. Sunday, Villanova had committed from the Big East. Ohio State, like UC, had not yet made an announcement.

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There should be some formal release from Fox Sports on Monday, detailing matchups. There’s a monetary Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) element to the tournament which could financially benefit the players. On the other hand, the transfer portal for men’s basketball opens a week from Monday on March 24, one week before games are slated to begin at the MGM Grand Garden Arena March 31. So, the Crown could have its wrinkles. The tournament requires each team to have seven scholarship players.

The NIT bracket was revealed Sunday, but based on the agreement with Fox Sports, the Big 12, Big Ten and Big East teams are obligated to the Crown and it appears there would be more financial incentive to play in Las Vegas. Beyond the six teams from the power conferences, the rest of the 16-team field will be at-large teams chosen by a committee.

All games will be televised on FS1 or Fox Sports.