Recent Champs Michigan and Florida Headline Fields in Players Era as Its Splits Into 2 Tournaments
ESPN will carry all 37 games as the event grows to 24 teams and shifts to two bracket tournaments.
- ESPN secured exclusive rights to the Players Era Men's Championships, a 24-team tournament held annually in Las Vegas starting next season.
- The tournament is expanding from 18 to 24 teams split into two brackets, replacing the Maui Invitational and Battle 4 Atlantis as college basketball's premier early-season showcase.
- Thirteen of the 24 participating teams reached the 2026 NCAA tournament, with reigning champion Michigan and Florida headlining the fields; teams receive at least $1 million in NIL opportunities.
- EverWonder Studio and ESPN finalized a multiyear agreement to "bring March to November," with the network broadcasting all 37 games next season exclusively.
- Players Era CEO Seth Berger said "College basketball is the hottest and one of the fastest-growing sports properties in the country," positioning the bracket-play format to cement the event's elite status.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Associated Press News
Recent champs Michigan and Florida headline fields in Players Era as its splits into 2 tournaments
The Players Era will expand from 18 to 24 teams this year and split into two tournaments. The two most recent national champions headline a pair of loaded fields.
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Players Era hoops tournament expanding to 24 teams
The Players Era men's college basketball tournament is expanding to 24 teams this November in Las Vegas.
Players Era Championships expands to 24 teams
Players Era, the EverWonder Studio company behind the November tournament, and ESPN have reached a multiyear agreement for ESPN to serve as the exclusive broadcast partner for the Players Era Men's Championships. The event is also expanding to 24 teams.
ESPN Named Exclusive Broadcast Partner for Expanded 2026 Players Era Men’s Championships
Players Era and ESPN have partnered on a new multi-year agreement that will bring expanded early-season college basketball championships to a national audience beginning in 2026.What’s Happening:Players Era and ESPN announced a multi-year agreement making ESPN the exclusive broadcast partner for the Players Era Men’s Championships beginning in 2026.The tournaments...
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