Omaha to host TBT Regional in July

Creighton Bluejay alumni team, Omaha Blue Crew, to serve as headliner team at regional event July 16 – 19 at D.J. Sokol Arena

Omaha, Neb. – The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all event televised live on ESPN, announced that for the first time Omaha will serve as one of the tournament’s regional locations in 2022. The Omaha Sports Commission (OSC) is the local host for the tournament, which will be held July 16 – 19 at D.J. Sokol Arena.

The Omaha Blue Crew, a Creighton Bluejay alumni team, will be the featured squad in the eight-team Omaha regional bracket. The Omaha Blue Crew is led by general manager/head coach and Omaha native Josh Jones, and will primarily consist of former Creighton Bluejay players. 

“We’re very excited to have Omaha selected as a host city for The Basketball Tournament. It’s one of the summer’s premier national sporting events as teams battle for a chance at the $1 million winner-take-all prize,” said Josh Todd, OSC executive director. “Having the Omaha Blue Crew competing in our regional should generate tremendous interest from the local fan base. Last year’s team performed very well and they are building another strong squad for 2022.”

Former Creighton Bluejay star Jones put together the team that competed in last year’s tournament. The Blue Crew won their first game, upsetting a team featuring Kansas State alumni, but lost in the next round to a team featuring former Missouri Valley Conference rivals from Wichita State. 

The 2021 team featured Creighton alums Austin Chatman, Jahenns Manigat, James Milliken, Justin Carter, Martin Krempelj, and Wayne Runnels, Jr, along with former Husker guard Deverell Biggs. 

“I want to thank TBT and the Omaha Sports Commission for working with me to bring a regional to Omaha. I’m excited because there’s no place like home,” Jones said. “This is a huge opportunity for Creighton basketball and our North Omaha family. I’m confident that Bluejay nation and the Omaha Community will pack our arena, making us one of TBT’s premier locations.” 

Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott helped support last year’s team and said he’s pleased to hear that TBT has chosen Omaha as one of its regional locations for this upcoming summer. 

“Being a part of the Creighton basketball family is incredibly special, and I’m looking forward to seeing some of my former teammates have the opportunity to represent their alma mater once again as a part of this really unique opportunity,” McDermott said. “I know that the fan base and city of Omaha will support the Omaha Blue Crew like any other Creighton team and pack the stands in July.”

TBT features an open-application process, allowing any team or group of players in the world to apply through TheTournament.com. A wide variety of elite athletes are expected to compete in the 64-team field, with rosters featuring international pros, ex-NBA players, college alumni teams and future NBA players. All TBT games will be carried live on ESPN networks.

First round games in Omaha begin Saturday, July 16. The remaining four teams compete in the regional semifinals on Sunday, July 17, and the regional championship will be played on Tuesday, July 19. 

The winner of the Omaha regional will play their quarterfinal game against the winner of the Wichita regional, in Wichita, Kansas. The other regional winners will play their quarterfinal games in Dayton, Ohio. Championship Weekend will feature the semifinals on July 31, and the $1 million winner-take-all championship on Tuesday, Aug. 2. 

“For the past five years, it’s almost annoying how many times people have told me how incredible Creighton fans are and how well TBT would be received there,” said Jon Mugar, CEO and Founder of The Basketball Tournament. “We’re excited to partner with the Omaha Sports Commission to bring this great competition to Omaha.”

All-session tickets are available now at the D.J. Sokol Arena box office and Ticketmaster.com. Single-game tickets will go on sale closer to the event date.

THE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT 2022 SCHEDULE

Regional Host Cities  (The final host city will be announced in the near future)

  • Omaha, Neb. – headlined by Omaha Blue Crew (Creighton alumni) – July 16-19

  • Albuquerque, N.M. – headlined by The Enchantment (New Mexico alumni) – July 18-21

  • Cincinnati, Ohio – headlined by Zip ‘Em Up (Xavier alumni) – July 18-21

  • Wichita, Kan. – headlined by AfterShocks (Wichita State alumni) – July 22-25

  • Syracuse, N.Y. – headlined by Boeheim’s Army (Syracuse alumni) – July 22-25

  • Charleston, W. VA. – headlined by Best Virginia (West Virginia alumni) and Herd That (Marshall alumni) – July 24-27

  • Dayton, Ohio – headlined by Red Scare (Dayton alumni) – July 24-27

Quarterfinals

  • Wichita, Kan. – July 28

  • Dayton, Ohio – July 29-30

Championship Weekend in Dayton

  • Semifinals – Sunday, July 31

  • $1 Million, Winner-Take-All Championship – Tuesday, Aug. 2

Ana Bellinghausen