A Historic Return for The Basketball Tournament
The Basketball Tournament, the single‑elimination showcase that turned alumni hoops into a summer staple, is set to return in 2026 with a $2 million prize pool and a fresh format that promises even more drama.
At the heart of the opening series, La Familia — a squad of former Kentucky Wildcats — will host The Ville, a team composed of former Louisville Cardinals, in a best‑of‑three showdown that begins on Saturday, July 18, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington.
Game two will shift to Freedom Hall on July 20, and if a third contest is required it will be staged on July 22 at the venue whose ticket sales outpace the other, underscoring the tournament’s fan‑driven scheduling twist.
The winner of that series will advance to meet the victor of a parallel bracket that pits former Syracuse and Seton Hall alumni against each other, with the championship game slated for August 2 on the home court of the alumni bracket champion.
All 16 teams in the field consist of eight alumni squads and eight non‑alumni entries, expanding the competition while preserving the nostalgic appeal that has drawn crowds of more than 13,000 to Freedom Hall in previous years.
Participation details reveal a who's‑who of recent Wildcats and Cardinals talent: Willie Cauley‑Stein, Archie Goodwin and Reid Travis suit up for La Familia, while Russ Smith leads the Louisville front office and plans to play. Jon Hood coaches La Familia, Twany Beckham serves as general manager, and Edgar Sosa and Malik Williams are among the confirmed Ville players.
Tickets are currently on sale through TBTHoops.com, and the latter two games will be broadcast on FS1, giving viewers a chance to follow the action live.
The 2024 edition still holds the record for the largest crowd in TBT history, with an announced attendance of 13,506 at Freedom Hall, a benchmark that adds extra intrigue to this year's matchups.