The Basketball Tournament has returned.
On July 16th, the ninth-annual high-stakes tournament is set to take place across the country.
The Basketball Tournament is a 64-team, single-elimination tournament where teams compete for a grand prize of $1 million.
Teams are packed with former NBA players and college stars, all competing to take home the million-dollar prize. But how do teams qualify for The Basketball Tournament and how does it work?
Find out below.
How does The Basketball Tournament work?
The Basketball Tournament is a March Madness-style bracket with 64 teams competing in a single-elimination tournament.
🚨 THE TBT 2022 BRACKET 🚨
— TBT (@thetournament) June 22, 2022
Games tip-off July 16 live on @espn! pic.twitter.com/GBL0M1F5Bg
Teams are divided into eight different regions, with the winner of each region meeting in Dayton, Ohio for what would be considered the "Elite Eight" portion of March Madness. This year's regions are Omaha, Rucker Park, Xavier, New Mexico, Wichita, Syracuse, West Virginia and Dayton.
It's a winner-take-all tournament, so only the championship team receives the $1 million prize money, which is divided up among the players on the roster or can be donated to charity.
How do teams qualify for The Basketball Tournament?
Believe it or not, The Basketball Tournament is an "open" tournament, so anyone can apply to put a team in. But it comes at a price.
If your team's application is accepted, each player must pay a $1,000 registration fee to officially make a roster. Each team consists of a minimum of seven players or a maximum of 12 players and must have a general manager. Coaches are optional, and teams can have as many as they'd like.
Teams usually consist of former NBA players, overseas professionals and college hoops stars.
How to watch The Basketball Tournament
- When: July 16th through August 2nd
- Where: Multiple different regions
- TV Channel: ESPN Networks
- Streaming: ESPN app | Sling TV
The Basketball Tournament will be televised on ESPN's family of networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU and the ESPN app. You can also stream The Basketball Tournament on Sling TV, the official streaming partner of TBT.
Viewers who sign up for Sling TV get half off the first month with no long-term contracts. Watch The Basketball Tournament live on ESPN and enjoy access to sports programming on the ESPN family of networks.
What is the Elam Ending?
Rather than a traditional game clock, The Basketball Tournament employs what's known as 'The Elam Ending' in which teams play to a target score. In addition to assuring that every contest ends on a game-winning shot, it also helps reduce end-of-game fouling that often extends games and makes for an uneven — and unnatural — viewing experience.
TBT's success with The Elam Ending even caught the attention of the NBA which now incorporates it into the annual NBA All-Star Game. You can read more about The Elam Ending here.
What is 'The Sling Shot'?
The Basketball Tournament is introducing a new twist to this year's Elam Ending. Every final shot will now be called 'The Sling Shot', named after Sling TV which is the official streaming partner of The Basketball Tournament. So if you're watching and wondering why announcers are referring to clutch shots at the end of games, there's your answer!
