'The Ville' Returns for Year Four in TBT

The Basketball Tournament will have a retooled look this summer.

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. | Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - "The Ville" is running it back, again.

The Basketball Tournament (TBT) announced Monday that the Louisville men's basketball alumni team will once again be participating in the 2026 iteration of the event. It will mark The Ville's fourth consecutive year taking part in TBT.

This year, the winner-take-all tournament will see its format dramatically changed. Normally a 64-team competition, TBT also announced Monday that the 2026 iteration will be comprised of just 16 total teams. The grand prize of $1 million has also been upped to $2 million.

Additionally, instead of being straight single-elimination, it will shift to a hybrid format. The first round will be a best-of-three series, then then eight remaining teams will be play a standard single-elimination format. The bracket will have two separate sides: eight alumni teams (such as The Ville) and eight non-alumni teams (such as Sideline Cancer, Eberlein Drive, etc.).

The Ville will get their run in the 2026 TBT started against a familiar foe: the Kentucky alumni team "La Familia." Game 1 will be played on Saturday, July 18 at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky., while Game 2 will be on Monday, July 20 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky. The "if necessary" Game 3 will be on Wednesday, July 22, with the host site being determined by which venue sells the most tickets.

Last week, it was announced that former Louisville All-American Russ Smith has acquired the rights to The Ville, and would serve as their general manager - while also still being a player. Wayne Blackshear, a former 1,000-point scorer at UofL, will be his assistant general manager, while North Hardin head coach and former Louisville walk-on Michael Baffour will be The Ville's head coach.

While no additional players have been announced yet, Smith said that he wants the roster to comprise exclusively of former Louisville players.

“We have such a special relationship with our fans as former players at Louisville," Smith said in a statement last week. "It is imperative we continue to build on that legacy and give Cards fans another way to engage and support guys that played here, all of which are still playing elite pro level ball globally.

"We are keeping this a 100% Louisville Alumni team. While it started with the core of the 2013 National Championship guys, we will start to bring on other talent from programs in the years since, and that will include names the fans love to watch.”

First established in 2014, TBT is an exhibition tournament that has seen its popularity rise over the last few years. While anyone over 18 years old and not currently on an NBA roster can play, teams typically have consisted of former collegiate and professional basketball players.

TBT is also home to the Elam Ending, which is an alternate way to conclude basketball games without them turning into an intentional foul fest. At the first dead ball under four minutes in the fourth quarter, a target score for both teams is then established by adding eight points to the leading team’s score.

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(Photo of Russ Smith: Clare Grant - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)