College basketball’s November calendar just became even more loaded after Players Era expansion

College basketball’s November calendar just became even more loaded after Players Era expansion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

College basketball’s push toward massive early-season events took another major step Thursday when the Players Era Championships officially expanded to 24 teams and secured ESPN as its exclusive broadcast partner. What started as a flashy NIL-driven experiment is quickly turning into one of the sport’s most important November showcases. Between the expanded field, national television exposure and heavyweight programs involved, the event now feels much closer to a second March-style stage than a typical early-season tournament.

Advertisement

And with bluebloods, Final Four contenders and reigning national champion Michigan all heading to Las Vegas, the 2026 edition may feature one of the deepest November fields college basketball has ever seen.

Michigan, Kansas and Florida headline loaded Players Era field

The expanded format will now split 24 teams across two separate bracket-style tournaments played over two weeks in Las Vegas.

The first event, called the Players Era 8, tips off during the week of Nov. 16 and already looks stacked. Florida headlines that field after entering the offseason as a potential preseason No. 1 team. Kansas, Houston, Auburn and Rutgers are also included, giving the opening week immediate national relevance.

Advertisement

Thanksgiving week brings even more star power.

Michigan enters the Players Era 16 as the reigning tournament champion after using last year’s dominant Las Vegas run to help launch a national title season under Dusty May. The Wolverines will be joined by Alabama, Gonzaga, Louisville, Tennessee, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Baylor, St. John’s and several other major programs.

In total, 13 of the 24 teams made the 2026 NCAA Tournament, while 10 programs currently appear in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings.

That kind of concentration of…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/college-basketball-november-calendar-just-164742555.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-05-07 16:47:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.