Players Era Tournament increasing to 24 teams in two separate brackets in 2026
CBS Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- The Players Era college basketball event is returning to Las Vegas in 2026 with a 24-team format, featuring separate eight-team and sixteen-team tournaments held around Thanksgiving.
- ESPN has acquired the broadcast rights for the Players Era games, taking over from TNT, which aired the event's first two editions in 2024 and 2025.
- Prominent teams include reigning national champions Michigan and Florida, along with other top-ranked programs like Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, and Alabama; the Big 12 conference will have eight teams due to a joint venture with Players Era.
- The event offers significant financial incentives, with an average payout exceeding $1 million per team, and has influenced the landscape of other early-season college basketball tournaments.
- Specific game matchups, schedules, and ticket details will be announced later, and a smaller women's Players Era event is also planned for 2026.
