Each summer dating back to 2014, the aptly titled The Basketball Tournament has awarded a cash prize to the team that wins the championship.
Teams must apply to participate and are made up of amateur and former professional players from around the world. Currently, the field is set to 64 teams, but it has been as low as 24 (during COVID-19) or as many as 72 in the past.
The championship winner is awarded $1 million and is split up among the players on the team. Rules are nearly identical to college basketball, with the following differences:
- 2 free throws are awarded beginning with the 5th foul (no bonus)
- 9-minute quarters instead of 20-minute halves
- 6 total fouls before ejection instead of 5
- players from either team can touch the ball after it has touched the rim, except after time has expired
- An Elam Ending format is used where a target final score is set after the third period. The target is set by adding 8 points to the leading team’s score. The shot clock is turned off in the fourth period, and the first team to reach the target wins. This eliminates the need for overtime periods.
Here is a more detailed explanation of TBT’s use of the Elam Ending format.
TBT teams are divided into regions for tournament play. There are also teams that are made up of former alumni from a given university.
The Tournament is single-elimination, just like March Madness.
Many of the sites we feature in our online sportsbook reviews have created individual game lines and TBT futures for regional and overall winners.
According to the following four sets of regional futures, you can expect Blue Collar U/Boeheim’s Army, the Gutter Cats, Best Virginia, and Red Scare to make up the TBT Final Four.
Syracuse Regional Odds To Win
- Blue Collar U +120
- Boeheim’s Army +120
- The Nerd Team +700
- Virginia Dream +1100
Louisville Regional Odds To Win
- Gutter Cats +150
- The Ville +290
- Eberlein Drive +325
- Gataverse +650
- Shell Shock +1100
- War Ready +1300
- Jackson TN Underdawgs +1700
- The Nawf +5000
West Virginia Regional Odds To Win
- Best Virginia +125
- Sideline Cancer +250
- Challenge ALS +575
- Herd That +600
- DawgTown +1100
- Zoo Crew +1200
- Ram Nation +3000
- DuBois Dream +5000
Dayton Regional Odds To Win
- Red Scare +155
- Friday Beers +225
- Carmen’s Crew +400
- Team Colorado +700
- Men Of Mackey +850
- Team Overtime +1800
- Athletics Miami +4000
- India Rising +8000
When betting on March Madness, each round of action occurs at the same time across the tournament. TBT rounds do not happen concurrently, which is why each set of basketball futures features a differing number of teams.
The TBT Finals occur on August 3rd, granting gamblers nine more days to get in on the action.
The Basketball Tournament games can be seen on the ESPN+ streaming service (monthly subscription required).
Sources
- The Basketball Tournament Official Website
- Bovada Sportsbook (Bovada.lv Review)
