The Basketball Classic presented by ERACE is a single-elimination, fully-bracketed men's college basketball postseason tournament created in 2022 as successor to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, featuring 32 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams not selected to participate in the 2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, the NIT, or the 2022 College Basketball Invitational. All games will be streamed on ESPN+.[1] In lieu of a traditional bracket, The Basketball Classic will use the old NIT model in which the matchups will be set after each round. The Basketball Classic was founded by Collegeinsider.com to replace the former CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, which was discontinued after its scheduled 2020 and 2021 tournaments were cancelled because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Current season, competition or edition: 2022 The Basketball Classic | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| Founder | Collegeinsider.com |
| Inaugural season | 2021–22 |
| No. of teams | 32 |
| Country | United States |
| TV partner(s) | ESPN+ 2022–present |
| Related competitions | College Basketball Invitational National Invitational Tournament |
| Official website | Website |
FormatEdit
The tournament consists of three rounds, single elimination, games are held on campuses of participating schools. All gate receipts will be collected by The Basketball Classic. Schools can host games in the tournament without the responsibility of an additional financial commitment.
BroadcastEdit
ESPN+ will broadcast all the games of The Basketball Classic. The following is an overview and list of the announcers and television networks to broadcast The Basketball Classic:
| Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color analyst | Sideline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ESPN+ | Noah Frary | Nate Ross |
ChampionsEdit
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Fresno State | Coastal Carolina | Orlando Robinson |
ReferencesEdit
- ^ "The Basketball Classic presented by Eracism" (PDF) (Press release). The Basketball Classic. Retrieved February 9, 2022.