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Hub AI
The Basketball Tournament AI simulator
(@The Basketball Tournament_simulator)
Hub AI
The Basketball Tournament AI simulator
(@The Basketball Tournament_simulator)
The Basketball Tournament
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an open-invitation, single-elimination tournament played each summer in the United States, with the stakes being a cash prize (the most recent tournament in 2025 had a $1 million purse going to the winners). The number of teams playing in the tournament has varied since its establishment, but in recent years has settled into a 64-team field.
The event was founded in 2014 by real estate developer and TV producer Jonathan Mugar, and as of 2025, the tournament airs in the U.S. on Fox and its sister network Fox Sports 1 (FS1).
Teams in TBT are arranged by the general manager, sometimes based on which college basketball program the players competed for. The tournament has had as many as 97 teams, in 2015, and as few as 24 teams, in 2020. Since 2016, the tournament has most often used a 64-team field. In 2019, the 64 teams were divided into eight regions, with each regional winner advancing to the championship venue. In 2020, the tournament field was reduced to 24 teams with all games played at a single venue, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. In 2021, the 64 teams were organized into four regions, with each region's top two teams advancing to the championship venue. The 2022 event returned to the former eight-region format, with the eight regional winners advancing to what TBT organizers call "Championship Week", with quarterfinals at two sites followed by semifinals and the final at the championship venue.
The championship prize money was originally $500,000 in 2014, was increased to $1 million in 2015, and was $2 million from 2016 through 2019. Since 2020, the top prize has been $1 million. The prize money goes to the winning team's personnel. There are also prizes for the top 1,000 bracket entries submitted by fans that score the most points through their picks, on a deescalating scale starting at $4,000 for the winner. The 2019 tournament included prizes other than the overall winner-take-all purse; each regional winner received 25% of its region's ticket proceeds.
† Defending champion received a play-in to the round-of-16
‡ Four teams in the field of 64 select via a 16-team two-round play-in
TBT uses a modified version of NCAA men's basketball rules. As of the 2019 edition, the most significant exceptions were:
TBT has had a number of current and former NBA players participate, including Hakim Warrick, Jason Williams, Dahntay Jones, Mike Bibby, Royal Ivey, Matt Bonner, Jimmer Fredette, and Brian Scalabrine. Former WNBA player Nikki Teasley played in the 2014 tournament. The 2018 tournament included the basketball return of Greg Oden, who last played in the Chinese Basketball Association during their 2015–16 season. The 2019 tournament had been expected to be the first to feature an active female professional. Megan Gustafson, who had been cut by the Dallas Wings before the 2019 WNBA season, was slated to play for Iowa United, a team made up primarily of alumni of the state's four NCAA Division I schools. However, due to a rash of early-season injuries on the team, the Wings re-signed her in mid-June, ruling her out of TBT.
Many teams feature professional players reunited under a former college or university name, with teams representing Arkansas, Bellarmine, Bradley, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Dayton, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Miami, Marshall, Milwaukee, New Mexico, North Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Texas Tech, UCLA, VCU, West Virginia, Wichita State, Xavier and many others. Teams have received fan support from active NBA players such as Kyle Lowry and Obi Toppin. Five alumni teams have won TBT—Buffalo, Marquette, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Syracuse.
The Basketball Tournament
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an open-invitation, single-elimination tournament played each summer in the United States, with the stakes being a cash prize (the most recent tournament in 2025 had a $1 million purse going to the winners). The number of teams playing in the tournament has varied since its establishment, but in recent years has settled into a 64-team field.
The event was founded in 2014 by real estate developer and TV producer Jonathan Mugar, and as of 2025, the tournament airs in the U.S. on Fox and its sister network Fox Sports 1 (FS1).
Teams in TBT are arranged by the general manager, sometimes based on which college basketball program the players competed for. The tournament has had as many as 97 teams, in 2015, and as few as 24 teams, in 2020. Since 2016, the tournament has most often used a 64-team field. In 2019, the 64 teams were divided into eight regions, with each regional winner advancing to the championship venue. In 2020, the tournament field was reduced to 24 teams with all games played at a single venue, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. In 2021, the 64 teams were organized into four regions, with each region's top two teams advancing to the championship venue. The 2022 event returned to the former eight-region format, with the eight regional winners advancing to what TBT organizers call "Championship Week", with quarterfinals at two sites followed by semifinals and the final at the championship venue.
The championship prize money was originally $500,000 in 2014, was increased to $1 million in 2015, and was $2 million from 2016 through 2019. Since 2020, the top prize has been $1 million. The prize money goes to the winning team's personnel. There are also prizes for the top 1,000 bracket entries submitted by fans that score the most points through their picks, on a deescalating scale starting at $4,000 for the winner. The 2019 tournament included prizes other than the overall winner-take-all purse; each regional winner received 25% of its region's ticket proceeds.
† Defending champion received a play-in to the round-of-16
‡ Four teams in the field of 64 select via a 16-team two-round play-in
TBT uses a modified version of NCAA men's basketball rules. As of the 2019 edition, the most significant exceptions were:
TBT has had a number of current and former NBA players participate, including Hakim Warrick, Jason Williams, Dahntay Jones, Mike Bibby, Royal Ivey, Matt Bonner, Jimmer Fredette, and Brian Scalabrine. Former WNBA player Nikki Teasley played in the 2014 tournament. The 2018 tournament included the basketball return of Greg Oden, who last played in the Chinese Basketball Association during their 2015–16 season. The 2019 tournament had been expected to be the first to feature an active female professional. Megan Gustafson, who had been cut by the Dallas Wings before the 2019 WNBA season, was slated to play for Iowa United, a team made up primarily of alumni of the state's four NCAA Division I schools. However, due to a rash of early-season injuries on the team, the Wings re-signed her in mid-June, ruling her out of TBT.
Many teams feature professional players reunited under a former college or university name, with teams representing Arkansas, Bellarmine, Bradley, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Dayton, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Miami, Marshall, Milwaukee, New Mexico, North Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Texas Tech, UCLA, VCU, West Virginia, Wichita State, Xavier and many others. Teams have received fan support from active NBA players such as Kyle Lowry and Obi Toppin. Five alumni teams have won TBT—Buffalo, Marquette, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Syracuse.