‘They’re pros’: Boise State chose tournament that could alter college hoops landscape

Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Boise State basketball is taking a step into unexplored territory next week.

On Monday afternoon, the Broncos will walk on the court at MGM Arena in Las Vegas, and for the first time in college athletics history, thousands of dollars officially will be on the line for the winning programs.

The inaugural College Basketball Crown kicks off Monday. It’s a 16-team, single-elimination tournament that will award a total of $500,000 in Name, Image, and Likeness reward money, with $300,000 of that going to the champions.

Boise State (24-10) is among the favorites to win the competition, which features a field littered with teams with losing records or that struggled in their power conferences.

Despite that, the Broncos’ opening game is against another so-called midmajor, the Atlantic 10’s George Washington (21-12). Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Mountain time Monday.

“We’re not amateur athletics anymore, they’re pros,” Boise State head coach Leon Rice said Thursday. “They’re pros, and we have to transition to that in everything. And this is another example of that. I think it’s going to have a big effect on what happens in the future of postseason tournaments.”

As soon as Selection Sunday concluded two weeks ago, the Broncos learned they would not be heading to a fourth straight NCAA Tournament. They were left with a decision: Accept an invite to the NIT or partake in the first-ever Crown.

Rice pulled aside Boise State’s three seniors — Tyson Degenhart, Alvaro Cardenas and O’Mar Stanley — and asked what they’d prefer.

“We felt like (the Crown) would be the better one,” Degenhart said Thursday. “Just in the sense of, obviously, the NIL is a big thing, but it also gave us some time off in between as well.”

If Boise State had decided to play in the NIT, its first-round matchup would have been on March 18 or 19, just two or three days after the Broncos had finished a three-game run to the Mountain West Tournament championship contest.

Degenhart said that while the reward money motivated the team to join the Crown, they wanted to be part of the inaugural year of an event that Degenhart thinks will “get better and better” each year.

There’s always the distinct chance that Boise State walks away without earning a dime, too. According to previous Idaho Statesman reporting, money is awarded only to the final four teams: $50,000 for reaching the semifinals, $100,000 for reaching the final and $300,000 for winning the tournament. Award totals aren’t cumulative.

Rice said the players had not decided on a way to divide the money should they make the final four, but he’d provide them with a few options. He also said the players are welcome to propose ideas to him.

“I think that’s a problem for another day, but I think it’d be important to share the wealth a little bit,” Degenhart said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to get a bunch of deals. And I just want to make sure everyone feels like they earn something in this tournament, because they do play a part.”

If Boise State beats George Washington, it will play the winner of the game between Utah (16-16) and Butler (14-19) on Wednesday. The semifinals will take place early on Saturday, April 5 — the same day as the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament — and the championship game will be played on Sunday, April 6, at 3:30 p.m. Mountain time.