The 2026 College Basketball Invitational has been canceled, leaving the College Basketball Crown as the only men’s postseason tournament besides the NCAA and NIT.

“Due to circumstances beyond our control, the CBI will not be held this year,” the CBI announced in a social media post Thursday. “We will see you next year!”

Messages seeking comment were left with the Gazelle Group, the New Jersey-based sports marketing firm that has put on the CBI since 2008.

The CollegeInsider.com Tournament folded last year.

Teams participating in the CBI and CollegeInsider.com tournaments were required to pay an entry fee.

The CBI had 16-team fields from 2008 to ’19 and was considered the third-best postseason tournament behind the NCAA and NIT. The tournament was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic, had an eight-team field in 2021 and was back to 16 teams for 2022 and ’23. There were 14 teams in ’24 before dropping to 11 in ’25.

The Crown had a 16-team field for its inaugural tournament last year but will have eight teams this year. The Crown is an attractive option for teams that miss the NCAA tournament because participating teams receive name, image and likeness payments to divide among their players.

Karachi is often described as the city that never sleeps, but its nights grow even more vibrant during the holy month of Ramadan, with sports and community activities continuing until the early hours of the morning.

One such celebration of sport unfolded at Ziauddin Park, where a two-day Ramadan RAKA Volleyball Festival brought together more than 40 amateur teams in a lively competition that blended sport with the festive spirit of the city.

According to event organiser Amina Rashid Khan, the RAKA Volleyball Tournament began as a small gathering among friends with just six teams. Over time, it steadily expanded into a much larger event, now attracting dozens of teams from across the city.

“The idea was not only to compete but to create a space where people could come together, enjoy the game and spend time in a positive environment,” Amina said. “That’s why the atmosphere here feels more like a festival than just a tournament.”

More than 40 teams featuring male and female participants of different age groups took part in the competition. The event was strictly an amateur tournament, with professional players not allowed to participate, ensuring an even playing field for community-level athletes.

To maintain competitive balance, teams were divided into three categories based on skill level: Chillers, Thrillers and Killers.

The Chillers category featured relatively less experienced players, while the Thrillers division included intermediate-level teams. The top-tier Killers category consisted of the most skilled participants.

Murtaza Lakda’s team won the Chillers category, while Hatim Aftab’s team secured the title in the Thrillers division.

In the premier Killers category, Ali Rehman’s team emerged victorious after a series of closely contested matches.

Speaking to Geo News, Ali Rehman said that the competition in the top division was particularly intense because several strong teams were competing for the title.

“The matches were very tough this time,” he said. “Winning the title is a great feeling, but being part of such a wonderful tournament is even more special.”

Participants said they thoroughly enjoyed the event and noted that sports activities in Karachi during Ramadan extend beyond cricket, with volleyball and other games also drawing enthusiastic crowds.

They added that tournaments like the RAKA festival help provide emerging players with opportunities to showcase their talent.

The atmosphere at Ziauddin Park resembled a community fair during the tournament, drawing families and children who gathered to watch the matches and cheer for their favourite teams.

Among them was 13-year-old spectator Ahmed Shahbazkar, who said the event inspired younger players to take an interest in volleyball.

“Volleyball is not only for adults,” he said. “Kids can play it too. Seeing young players competing here with others has really encouraged me.”

The Ramadan RAKA Volleyball Festival highlighted how sport in Karachi is more than just winning or losing; it is part of the city’s rhythm, bringing communities together and offering young athletes their first steps toward the future.

President Donald Trump confirmed in a sit-down interview with boxer Jake Paul this week that he will attend the historic UFC event in Washington, D.C., scheduled for the president’s 80th birthday as part of the America 250 celebration.

Trump, a longtime supporter of the UFC, spoke about the highly anticipated event scheduled to take place on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14 that will feature two championship bouts. 

“I will,” Trump responded when asked by Paul if he will be at the event, which has been dubbed UFC Freedom 250. “It’s going to be amazing at the White House. And Dana [White] is a great guy. He’s a good fan of yours, you know. Dana is a good guy. The best. I mean, there’s nobody like him.”

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Trump also spoke about the card, which was released days earlier and includes Ilia Topuria going up against Justin Gaethje for the UFC World Lightweight Championship and Alex Pereira taking on Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship.

“[White] had the idea of staging it right at the front door of the White House. We’ll be right in the front door of the White House. And he’s got a tremendous card. I don’t even know if it’s filled out, but I just saw it and it looks like it’s going to be all top guys. They all want to fight at the White House. So it’s going to be in honor of the 250th year. It’ll be great.” 

People hold a flag as President Donald Trump arrives at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The card also includes Sean O’Malley taking on Aiemann Zahabi, Michael Chandler squaring off against Mauricio Ruffy, Kyle Daukaus battling against Bo Nickal and Steve Garcia going up against Diego Lopes.

DANA WHITE DISMISSES NOTION WHITE HOUSE UFC EVENT WILL BE ‘TOO POLITICAL’: ‘IT’S A HISTORY-MAKING EVENT’

White said Thursday that the UFC is planning to offer 85,000 free tickets for the outdoor viewing area at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. Tickets for the South Lawn will not be sold, but instead will be comped to members of the military, ESPN reported.

Despite the location and presence of Trump, White has dismissed the notion that the event will be “too political.”

“I mean, I don’t know how it would be too political other than it’s at the White House,” he said in January during an interview with Bloomberg. “Listen, if you look back throughout history, I think [former President] George Bush was a big baseball fan, [former President Barack] Obama was an NBA fan and Trump is a UFC fan. I don’t think that any of those guys being fans made any sport too political.” 

UFC president Dana White and former United States president Donald Trump attend the UFC 296 event at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 16, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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The UFC event is just one of the many events Trump has planned for the celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Last month, it was announced that an IndyCar race will take place in August and will be free for fans to come and watch.

Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report. 

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