On Wednesday night, ESPN announced a “multi-year, multi-platform” rights extension with TBT, which has aired on ESPN’s networks since 2015. This year’s tournament will be more condensed than in previous years, taking place from July 4-14 in a quarantined environment in Columbus, Ohio, with all games at Nationwide Arena. TBT will also be a fanless experience, and if a team member from any of TBT’s 24 teams tests positive, his whole team will be disqualified. With just 24 teams, this is the smallest ever edition of The Basketball Tournament. Initially, 24 teams were expected to participate, with the tournament running from late July into mid-August at a variety of sites across the country, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced significant changes.