The TBT is coming back to Louisville, but it’ll look different
The Ville's Russ Smith (6) goes for a layup against Sideline Cancer's Marcellus Earlington (11) during their game on Monday, July 22, 2024 in Louisville, Ky. at Freedom Hall during the second round of The Basketball Tournament. The Basketball Tournament is looking to capitalize on the Louisville-Kentucky rivalry with a revamped format for its 2026 event.
Instead of the 32-team, single elimination format that has existed since the TBT’s inception, the event is switching things up to a 16-team format that will now feature a $2 million, winner-take-all prize. The event will feature a pair of 8-team brackets, one featuring alumni teams and the other featuring non-alumni teams. The first round will be a best-of-3 series, with the winners advancing to a single-elimination tournament.
Naturally, one of the first round series will pit Louisville’s alums against Kentucky’s. BREAKING NEWS: Kentucky Alumni vs Louisville Alumni in a TBT BEST OF 3 SERIES! 🔵 Game 1: Memorial Coliseum: https://t.
co/l7V53Bb5hN 🔴 Game 2: Freedom Hall: https://t. co/UmocrdRmXy Game 3: (If necessary) GOES TO MOST TICKETS SOLD IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS! 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 pic.
twitter. com/uj25oBCHuc — TBT (@thetournament) May 18, 2026 Honesty, this is a smart move by the TBT folks. Local interest in the event has dwindled since U of L turned back into a competent men’s basketball program, but the games against the Kentucky alums will still draw interest.