The West Virginia Mountaineers are reportedly going to accept an invitation to the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas in April, keeping their season alive for at least one more game – and up to three more if they advance to the tournament championship.
The news came on Saturday from Mike Casazza of EerSports that the Mountaineers are likely to accept an invitation to the eight-team postseason invitational event. The tournament is in it's second season, and offers NIL inducements for participating programs and players.
Contractually, the tournament offers the top two teams in the Big Ten, Big 12, and Big East in the NET rankings that miss the NCAA Tournament, and one of those teams in the Big 12 (Cincinnati) has already declined, paving the way for an auto-bid for the Mountaineers.
Why West Virginia to the College Basketball Crown is the perfect move
Fans have spent the better part of the last week debating whether or not the Mountaineers should choose to play in the postseason without an NCAA Tournament bid, but it's the right decision here.
First, let's talk NIL. It's no secret the Mountaineers have struggled to get things right when it comes to NIL money, thought things seem to be getting better. This tournament offers a chance to help with that a bit.
Last season the Crown paid out $300,000 in NIL money to the tournament champion, while the runner-up received $100,000, and the semifinalists each received $50,000. No hard figures have been released yet for this season's NIL payouts, but it could change given the smaller size of the tournament.
It's also not uncommon for events like these to include NIL opportunities for individual players, and some of the payout for wins will likely go to the players on the current roster. So it's a win-win for the players and the program as a whole.
There's also the aspect of playing more basketball and the exposure that comes with it. The tournament fives WVU's underclassmen an extra month of practice and more games to develop, and the seniors a chance to finish out their WVU tenures on a high note.
The event will be televised nationally and take place during Final Four week, when all eyes are on the college basketball world – so recruits and fans will have their eyes on the action.
It won't hurt in the transfer portal either. The Crown only takes up one week of time, unlike the NIT which stretches over several weeks. So there will be downtime before it kicks of to do some backchannel portal work before it officially opens after the season ends. And the portal won't open until after the Crown is finished, so time won't be spent playing and trying to recruit once the windown opens.
And there is the possibility of riding the momentum of a hot finish into the next season. Last season, the Nebraska Cornhuskers took home the College Basketball Crown. On Selection Sunday this year, they heard their named called as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. And I'm sure that possibility in music to the ears of Ross Hodge.
The bracket for the College Basketball Crown will be released at 5:30 PM EST on Monday, March 16, with the reveal coming on FS1.