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The Ivy League does indeed have a basketball tournament, which was first introduced in 2017 for men's basketball and is held alongside the Ivy League women's tournament. The tournament is held at the end of the regular season and the winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. The tournament follows a single-elimination format, with the top four schools in the standings playing two semifinal games on the first day and the championship game on the second day.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Tournament Name | Ivy League Men's Basketball Tournament / Ivy Madness |
| Year Introduced | 2017 |
| Participating Teams | Top four teams in the Ivy League regular-season standings |
| Tournament Format | Single-elimination |
| Tournament Schedule | Two semifinal games on the first day, the championship game on the second day |
| Tiebreakers | Head-to-head record, record against top teams not involved in the tie |
| Automatic Bid | Winner receives the Ivy League's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament |
| Host Rotation | Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Columbia |
| COVID-19 Impact | 2020 tournament canceled, 2020-21 season canceled, resumed in 2022 |
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What You'll Learn
Ivy League men's basketball tournament history
The Ivy League men's basketball tournament is the postseason conference tournament for the NCAA Division I Ivy League. The tournament was first held in 2017, and takes place alongside the Ivy League women's tournament, at the same venue. The event is currently marketed as "Ivy Madness", with the tagline "The Ultimate Back-to-Back".
The tournament follows a single-elimination format, with the top four schools in the standings at the end of the regular season competing. The No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 seed plays the No. 3 seed in the semifinals on the first day (Saturday). The championship game is played the next day (Sunday). This schedule format is designed to minimise time spent out of classes.
Prior to the introduction of the tournament, the Ivy League's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament was awarded to the Ivy League Champion, as determined by the regular season standings. In the event of a tie, a playoff was held to determine the bid recipient. This happened on eight occasions, including a three-team, two-game tournament in 2001-02.
The first two tournaments, in 2017 and 2018, were held at the Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The 2019 tournament was held at Yale University, and the Ivy League announced that the tournament would continue to be held at a predetermined site, rotating annually through the remaining member schools through 2025. However, the 2020 tournament, due to be held at Harvard, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the entire 2020-21 season was also cancelled due to the pandemic. The tournament resumed in 2022, hosted by Harvard, and in 2023, Princeton hosted. In February 2023, it was announced that Columbia would host the 2024 tournament, rather than Brown.
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Ivy League women's basketball tournament
The Ivy League does indeed have basketball tournaments, for both men and women. The women's tournament has been running since 1974, and is usually held alongside the men's tournament, at the same venue. The first two tournaments for both men and women were held at the Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, in 2017 and 2018. The 2019 tournament took place at Yale University, and the 2022 tournament was hosted by Harvard.
The Ivy League women's basketball tournament is a postseason tournament. However, unlike the men's tournament, the women's regular-season champion is not guaranteed a postseason berth if it does not make the NCAA tournament. Nevertheless, the Women's National Invitation Tournament usually invites the top available team from each NCAA Division I conference once the NCAA women's tournament field has been set.
The tournament follows a single-elimination format, with the top four schools in the standings at the end of the regular season taking part. Two semifinal games are held on the first day (Saturday), with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed playing the No. 3 seed. The championship game is then played the next day (Sunday).
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Tournament format and schedule
The Ivy League Basketball Tournament is an annual postseason tournament for men's and women's basketball teams from the Ivy League. The tournament follows a single-elimination format, with the top four schools in the standings at the end of the regular season advancing to the tournament. The regular season consists of a 14-game conference schedule, and the team with the best record is recognised as the Ivy League champion.
The tournament is held over a weekend, with two semifinal games on the first day (Saturday) and the championship game on the second day (Sunday). The No. 1 seed plays against the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 seed plays against the No. 3 seed in the semifinals. This schedule format is designed to minimise the time spent out of classes, as it mimics the conference season's road trips, which usually consist of two games at two sites over the weekend.
The winner of the Ivy League Tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. Prior to the introduction of the Ivy League Tournament in 2017, the league's automatic bid was awarded based on regular season standings, with a playoff used to break ties. The first two tournaments, in 2017 and 2018, were held at the Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The 2019 tournament was held at Yale University, and the Ivy League announced that the tournament would rotate annually through its member schools until 2025. The order was set to be Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Columbia. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 tournament, which was to be held at Harvard, was cancelled, and the 2020-21 season was also cancelled. The tournament resumed in 2022 at Harvard, followed by Princeton in 2023. In February 2023, it was announced that Columbia would host the 2024 tournament instead of Brown, breaking the previously announced order.
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Tiebreakers
The Ivy League men's basketball tournament is the postseason conference tournament for men's basketball for the Ivy League. The tournament follows a single-elimination format that involves the top four schools in the standings at the end of the regular season. In the event of a tie for any of the top four positions, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
- Head-to-head record between teams involved in the tie.
- Record against the top team(s) not involved in the tie in order of conference record, going down through the seedings until the tie is broken.
- If there are multiple ties in the standings, and the lower tie(s) can be determined, ties will be broken in rank order beginning with the highest seed.
Prior to the introduction of the Ivy League Tournament in 2017, the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament was awarded to the Ivy League Champion as determined by the regular-season standings. In the event of a tie, a playoff was held to determine the bid recipient. This happened on eight occasions. In 2001–02, a three-team, two-game tournament was held when three teams tied for the league title.
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Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted basketball tournaments and leagues worldwide, causing cancellations, postponements, and format changes. The Ivy League, being proactive in safeguarding its athletes and community, made several difficult decisions during the pandemic.
In 2020, the Ivy League Basketball Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. The league champion, Yale, was automatically awarded a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Ivy League also canceled its entire 2020-21 season due to the ongoing pandemic, demonstrating its commitment to health and safety.
The pandemic's impact extended beyond the Ivy League. The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, including the basketball tournament, were postponed to 2021, marking the first time in Olympic history that the Games were rescheduled. The tournament was held behind closed doors, without spectators, due to the pandemic's severity in the Greater Tokyo Area.
Numerous basketball leagues and competitions worldwide were affected. FIBA, the international governing body of basketball, suspended all its competitions, including the Basketball Champions League, in March 2020. The Korean Basketball League, the Women's Korean Basketball League, and the Philippine Basketball Association all experienced cancellations or indefinite suspensions during the 2019-20 season due to COVID-19. The National Basketball Association (NBA) also suspended its 2019-20 season when a player tested positive for coronavirus.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced basketball organizers and leagues to adapt and make challenging decisions to protect the health and safety of athletes, staff, and fans. The impact of the pandemic on basketball was extensive, leading to canceled seasons, altered schedules, and empty arenas, raising questions about the future of the sport during and after the pandemic.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Ivy League has a postseason men's basketball tournament and a women's tournament, both introduced in 2017.
The tournament follows a single-elimination format. The top four schools in the standings at the end of the regular season play two semifinal games on the first day, with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed playing the No. 3 seed. The championship game is played on the second day.
The Ivy League basketball tournament is an annual event.
