College Basketball Invitational
Current season, competition or edition: | |
.png) College Basketball Invitational | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | The Gazelle Group |
| Inaugural season | 2008 |
| No. of teams | 16 |
| Country | United States |
| Most recent champion(s) | University of North Texas |
| Most titles | No team has more than one title. |
| TV partner(s) |
ESPNU (2016–present) CBSSN (2014–2015) AXS TV (2009–2013) Fox College Sports (2008) |
| Related competitions |
National Invitation Tournament CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament Vegas 16 |
| Official website | http://www.gazellegroup.com/main/cbi/ |
The College Basketball Invitational (CBI) is a men's college basketball tournament created in 2007 by The Gazelle Group. The inaugural tournament occurred after the conclusion of the 2007–08 men's college basketball regular season. The CBI selects 16 teams that are not selected for the NCAA Tournament or the National Invitation Tournament[1] (NIT), and who are willing to pay a $50,000 entry fee to participate.[2] In the CBI, [3] teams compete on home courts. The CBI is a single-elimination tournament until the final two teams are determined, after which the championship is determined by a championship series with a best-two-out-of-three format.
The Inaugural CBI
The 2008 College Basketball Invitational was the first new postseason tournament since the Collegiate Commissioners Association Tournament in 1974. The opening round was played on March 18, 2008, and March 19, 2008, with the second round being played on March 24, 2008. The semifinals took place on March 26, 2008. The championship was a best-of-three series with games being played on March 31, April 2, and April 4, 2008. The bracketing was done in east, west, south and midwest regions.[4]
Tulsa was crowned the champion in the 2008 tournament.
Television
On February 1, 2016, the CBI announced an exclusive television partnership with ESPN to broadcast the Championship Series of the CBI. In the inaugural year, games were available in local markets on Fox Sports Net and DirecTV.[5] The games could also be viewed on the official website.[6] The 2009 tournament broadcast was changed to HDNet with four first-round games, two quarterfinal games, both semifinal games, and all three championship games being broadcast. HDNet changed its name to AXS and aired the 2013 tournament. CBS Sports Network televised the 2014 and 2015 tournaments. ESPNU has televised the best-of-three Championship Series since 2016.[7]
The following is an overview and list of the announcers and television networks to broadcast the College Basketball Invitational (or CBI).
| Year | Network | Play-by-play | Color analyst |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Fox College Sports | Michael Reghi | Bob Sundvold |
| 2009[8] | HDNet | Rich Cellini | Craig Ehlo |
| 2010[9] | |||
| 2011 | |||
| 2012 | Keno Davis | ||
| 2013[10] | AXS TV | Kenny Rice | Bobby Cremins |
| 2014[11] | CBSSN | Scott Graham | Bob Wenzel |
| 2015[12] | Michael Reghi | John Griffin | |
| 2016[13] | ESPNU | Mitch Holthus | Sean Harrington |
| 2017 | Roy Philpott | Corey Williams | |
| 2018 | Jason Capel |
Champions
Clara
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | MVP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Tulsa | Bradley | Jerome Jordan, Tulsa |
| 2009 | Oregon State | UTEP | Roeland Schaftenaar, Oregon State |
| 2010 | VCU | Saint Louis | Joey Rodriguez, VCU |
| 2011 | Oregon | Creighton | Joevan Catron, Oregon |
| 2012 | Pittsburgh | Washington State | Lamar Patterson, Pittsburgh |
| 2013 | Santa Clara | George Mason | Kevin Foster, Santa Clara |
| 2014 | Siena | Fresno State | Brett Bisping, Siena |
| 2015 | Loyola Chicago | UL Monroe | Earl Peterson, Loyola Chicago |
| 2016 | Nevada | Morehead State | Tyron Criswell, Nevada |
| 2017 | Wyoming | Coastal Carolina | Justin James, Wyoming |
| 2018 | North Texas | San Francisco | Roosevelt Smart, North Texas |
Presenting sponsors
- 2008-2010 None
- 2011-2012 Zebra Pen
- 2013 Buick
- 2014-2016 None
- 2017 Five Four
See also
References
- ↑ "Fourth postseason hoops tourney announced". ESPN. 27 January 2009.
- ↑ Shaffer, Jonas. "Towson men's basketball declines postseason tournament invitations".
- ↑ "Group starts third postseason tourney featuring 16 teams". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
- ↑ "College Basketball Invitational introduced as new postseason event" (Press release). The Gazelle Group. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
- ↑ "Fox College Sports to broadcast inaugural College Basketball Invitational" (Press release). The Gazelle Group. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ↑ "College Basketball Invitational online viewing prices". The Gazelle Group. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
- ↑ "ESPNU to air CBI Championship Series". College Basketball Invitional. Gazelle Group. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ↑ "HDNet to Broadcast 2009 College Basketball Invtnl" (Press release). Albany HDTV. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- ↑ "HDNet to Broadcast Live Coverage of the 2010 College Basketball Invitational" (Press release). PR News Wire. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
- ↑ "2013 March Madness: CBI Championship Schedule" (Press release). Eye on Sky and Air Sports. Retrieved 2013-03-28.
- ↑ "2014 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Championship Schedule" (Press release). Eye on Sky and Air Sports. Retrieved 2014-03-29.
- ↑ "2015 CBI, CIT, & NIT TV & National Radio Info" (Press release). Eye on Sky and Air Sports. Retrieved 2015-03-29.
- ↑ "ESPNU to air CBI Championship Series". College Basketball Invitational. Gazelle Group. Retrieved 11 February 2016.