Colorado Buffaloes Basketball Season Continues With SEC Matchup

Despite missing the NCAA Tournament, the Colorado Buffaloes are set to compete in the College Basketball Crown Tournament.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle coaches in the first half of the NCAA Basketball game at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati on Jan. 14, 2026. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes have been selected as one of eight men's basketball teams to compete in the College Basketball Crown Tournament (CBC), and Colorado's first game will be against the Oklahoma Sooners on April 1.

College Basketball Crown Details

Tip off between Oklahoma and Colorado is set for 6 p.m. MT on April 1, and the game will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first round of the CBC is the quarterfinals, and all four matchups will be broadcast on FS1.

Mar 13, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Porter Moser reacts to a called foul against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

If the Buffaloes are able to advance past the Oklahoma Sooners, Colorado would then face the winner of Baylor and Minnesota in the semifinals.

In addition to Colorado, Oklahoma, Baylor, and Minnesota, the other side of the CBC consists of Stanford vs. West Virginia and Rutgers vs. Creighton.

Typically, the top teams that didn't make the NCAA Tournament are often invited to compete in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), a 32-team bracket. However, the NIT has decreased in popularity among Power 4 teams over the years, and the CBC has been introduced as an alternative.

Additionally, the CBC offers a prize pool of $500,000 in name, image, and likeness (NIL) money for the top teams in the tournament. The first iteration of the tournament took place in 2025, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers came away with $300,000 after winning the CBC.

Mar 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle talks to his players in the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at the CU Events Center. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The original field consisted of 16 teams before shrinking down to eight teams for 2026, but the prize money appears to have stayed the same.

Colorado Buffaloes Outlook

Despite missing the NCAA Tournament, the Buffaloes now have a chance to continue developing their young and talented core with live game action.

Colorado finished the regular season and the Big 12 Tournament with a 17-15 record. The Buffs' chances of crashing March Madness ended quickly with an early exit in the conference tournament against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

With the season not quite over, will Buffs sophomore Sebastian Rancik make his return from injury for the CBC? Rancik missed the last few games of Colorado's season while dealing with an undisclosed injury that he suffered in practice. If the Buffaloes were able to advance in the Big 12 Tournament, there was a possibility that the additional time would give Rancik a chance to play.

Feb 11, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Sebastian Rancik (7) looks to pass the ball against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half at United Supermarkets Arena. | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

While Colorado could certainly keep Rancik out of the lineup for precautionary purposes, his injury status will be one to monitor in the lead up to the CBC.

Buffaloes coach Tad Boyle has relied on junior forward Bangot Dak and junior guard Barrington Hargress as the experienced leaders for Colorado, but freshman guards Isaiah Johnson and Josiah Sanders have stepped up as key contributors alongside Rancik.

If the CBC is only an opportunity for Colorado to continue developing its young players, then the Buffaloes' trip to Las Vegas will have been worth it. Meanwhile, if the team can string together a few wins, the program could earn some NIL funding, potentially key to keeping Boyle's roster intact.

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