The West Virginia Mountaineers missed the NCAA Tournament, but their season is not over yet. Next up for WVU basketball is the College Basketball Crown, as they were officially included in the bracket as it as revealed on Monday evening.
The Mountaineers are coming off a difficult loss to the BYU Cougars in the Big 12 Tournament, but will have the opportunity to finish the season on a high note and earn some useful NIL money as they play for a $500,000 dollar cash pool which last season was distributed between the semifinalists, runner-up, and tournament champion.
"We are pleased to be able to continue our season by participating in the second College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas," West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge said.
"We have a wonderful group of guys on and off the court, and the Crown provides us a special opportunity to continue our season."
Another opportunity for our group 🤝
— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) March 16, 2026
💬 @coachrosshodge pic.twitter.com/8eikQPP28w
College Basketball Crown bracket and schedule
Game 1: Oklahoma vs. Colorado, Wednesday, April 1 - 8 PM ET
Game 2: Baylor vs. Minnesota, Wednesday, April 1 - 10 PM ET
Game 3: West Virginia vs. Stanford, Thursday, April 2 - 8 PM ET
Game 4: Rutgers vs. Creighton, Thursday, April 2 - 10 PM ET
Game 5 (Semifinals): Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, Saturday, April 4 - 1:30 PM ET
Game 6 (Semifinals): Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, Saturday, April 4 - 4:00 PM ET
Game 7 (Championship): Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, Sunday, April 5 - 5:30 PM ET
West Virginia's College Basketball Crown potential opponents
The Mountaineers will kick things off against the Stanford Cardinal. Stanford finished the season at 20-12 overall and finished 10th in the ACC and lost to Pitt in the opening round of the conference tournament, who the Mountaineers beat in non-league play.
A win will advance WVU to a showdown with either Creighton or Rutgers. The Bluejays finished the year fifth in the Big East with an overall record of 15-17, while the Scarlet Knights came in a dismal 14th in the Big Ten with a middling record of 14-19 – making a potential second round match-up more welcoming than the first.
If WVU makes a championship run, they'll have two conference foes in Baylor and Colorado on the other side of the bracket, as well as Minnesota and Oklahoma. The Sooners finished the year 19-15 and 11th in the SEC, and have won six of their last seven outings. The Golden Gophers were 11th in the Big Ten, and finished 15-17.
WVU is more familiar with the final two potential opponents for the championship affair. Baylor finished 16-16 and beat the Mountaineers in their sole meeting this season 63-53, while the Buffaloes were felled by West Virginia 61-52 in their only match-up.