New Crown-Shaped Trophy Blends Tradition and Innovation, Giving Champions a Title They Can Literally Wear
Los Angeles (March 28, 2025) – The College Basketball Crown today unveiled the 2025 Crown Trophy for the inaugural tournament, introducing the first wearable trophy of its kind in modern sports. Designed by award-winning agency rEvolution, the trophy is meant to be physically worn by the future College Basketball Crown champions. A bold new symbol of championship prestige, it has been designed to transform tradition into a moment of triumph.
“When AEG and FOX Sports came together to create the College Basketball Crown, the business of creating a proper and impressive trophy for the ultimate champions was a key priority,” said Kara Korber, Sr. Director of Business Development, AEG. “With its one-of-a-kind design, the Crown Trophy, which will be worn proudly by the first-ever champions on April 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, will be just as innovative and unique as the tournament itself.”
Taking direct inspiration from the tournament’s logo, also designed by rEvolution, the trophy merges the iconic seams of a basketball with the regal form of a crown. The final piece is a gold plated, high polished CNC 6061 aluminum crown set atop a black walnut wood base, complete with routed channel and laser-etched details. Measuring at 9.85” w x 11.0” d x 7.0” h (with the base at 11.0” w x 11.0” d x 3.0” h), the coveted trophy features a removable crown designed to be worn by the tournament champions during the FOX-televised final and throughout postgame celebrations.
“Early on in the development of the name and identity for the tournament, the opportunity to align those elements cohesively with an innovative concept for the trophy itself emerged, and it was too exciting to pass up – we think that excitement will be felt in the moment of presentation as well, when the players can finally lift it – and wear it,” said Kevin McGraw, Sr. Creative Director for rEvolution.
Launched by FOX Sports and AEG, the College Basketball Crown is a premier postseason college basketball tournament taking place from March 31 to April 6, 2025, in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena, airing on FOX and FS1. The tournament features 16 elite teams from conferences including the Big Ten, Big 12, and BIG EAST, along with additional at-large participants. Athletes participating in the post-season competition will also be entered in a first-of-its-kind NIL initiative, which will award $500,000 in NIL compensation and student-athlete endorsement deals on behalf of Vivid Seats to the tournament’s top four finishing teams – making the College Basketball Crown a landmark event both on and off the court.
The first round of the College Basketball Crown tournament features eight games. The matchups include Utah vs. Butler, George Washington vs. Boise State, Nebraska vs. Arizona State and Georgetown vs. Washington State, followed by DePaul vs. Cincinnati, Oregon State vs. UCF, Colorado vs. Villanova and Tulane vs. USC.
For more information on tickets and tournament schedule, visit vividseats.com or collegebasketballcrown.com for the latest updates.
ABOUT THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL CROWN
Launched by FOX Sports and AEG, the College Basketball Crown is a premier postseason college basketball tournament debuting in March 2025 in Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena. Featuring 16 elite teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, BIG EAST, and additional at-large participants, the tournament offers a new and highly competitive postseason opportunity for student-athletes and fans alike. The inaugural College Basketball Crown will take place from March 31 to April 6, 2025, with all games airing on FOX and FS1.
Key partners of the inaugural College Basketball Crown include:
- Vivid Seats – Official Ticketing Provider
- GHOST® – Founding Partner; Official Energy Drink and Hydration Partner
- JSX – Founding Partner; Official Air Carrier
- Circa Resort & Casino – Founding Partner; Official Host Hotel
- MGM Resorts International – Official Partner
- Valvoline™ Global Operations – Official Motor Oil Partner
For more information on the College Basketball Crown, visit: https://collegebasketballcrown.com.
