College Basketball Crown scores big with viewers as Nebraska wins 1st tournament
The Crown's final between Nebraska and UCF garnered 822,000 viewers and was the most-watched non-NCAA Tournament college basketball final of the year, according to FOX Sports. Viewership was up 62% versus the NIT championship.
Nebraska defeated UCF, 77-66. The Cornhuskers claimed $300,000 in name, image and likeness money for its program as well. It was Nebraska's first postseason championship since the team won the NIT in 1996.
"We didn't get the goal that we wanted for playing in the NCAA Tournament," Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said after the game. "But we made the most of it and came out here focused and stayed together as a group and played some pretty darn good basketball this week.
"Hopefully it will give us some momentum heading into next season, and I think the experience of playing in a postseason event will help everybody that will be back on our roster next year."
Nebraska defeated Boise State and UCF topped Villanova in the Crown's semifinals.
FOX Sports said the semifinals drew in an average of 706,000 viewers, which was up 145% over the NIT's semifinals this year. It was the most-watched non-NCAA Tournament postseason semifinals of the year.
Nebraska received the first wearable trophy of its kind.
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