Stanford's College Basketball Crown Schedule Revealed

Stanford will look to add a postseason championship to this year's resume.

Mar 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) passes the ball to forward AJ Rohosy (4) as Pittsburgh Panthers guard Damarco Minor (7) defends in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Stanford basketball may not be in March Madness, but its postseason hopes are still very much alive. Finishing with 20 or more wins for the second straight year, the Cardinal were a bubble team for much of the season and even had a shot to make the tournament.

But a first round loss in the ACC tournament squashed any hopes for a Cardinal March Madness appearance. Yet, the Cardinal still have a chance to earn hardware for postseason basketball when they take part in the second annual College Basketball Crown.

Promoted by Anshutz Entertainment and Fox Sports and played for the first time last season, the CBC features Power Four teams that did not make March Madness and gives them the chance to play in a competitive setting despite the circumstances. With the winning program winning an NIL prize pool of $500,000, the tournament has high stakes.

The Cardinal earned an invite for the first time last week, and will take on West Virginia in the first round/quarterfinals on Thursday, April 2.

Tip-off for the game is set for 5 p.m. (PDT) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with all quarterfinal games taking place there before the rest of the tournament moves to T-Mobile Arena. All of the quarterfinal games will be shown on FS1, while the semifinals and finals will be shown on the main Fox channel.

If the Cardinal beat West Virginia, they will take on the winner of the Rutgers-Creighton matchup for a spot in the tournament finals. If the Cardinal make it all the way to the final, they would face one of Baylor, Colorado, Oklahoma or Minnesota.

Finishing at 20-11, this season was an up-and-down one for the Cardinal, who were hoping to make a run at March Madness this season after falling just short last year.

Losing stars Maxime Raynaud and Jaylen Blakes after last season, the Cardinal needed to figure out a new identity. While they received a historic season out of freshman guard Ebuka Okorie, they had a very different play style than last year's squad.

Winning the College Basketball Crown would be a good start to help build a solid foundation for the Cardinal and their quest for sustainable success. Hungry to break their decade-plus streak of missing March Madness, the Cardinal hope that they can win the CBC and set themselves up for a shot at making the dance next year.

For more comprehensive Stanford coverage, follow us on X, @StanfordOnSI or head on over to our Facebook page and give it a like!