Players Era Festival confirms schedule, TV partners: Gonzaga reportedly on board for 2025

Eight teams square off in Las Vegas for the 2024 edition, highlighted by Alabama vs. Houston

Dec 2, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; A general overall view of the MGM Grand Garden Arena during the Legends of Basketball Las Vegas Invitational game between the Southern California Trojans and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Organizers for the Players Era Festival have locked in a host venue, broadcast partner, matchups and tipoff times for the revolutionary in-season men’s basketball event that’s set for Las Vegas this November, according to CBS Sports.

MGM Grand Garden Arena will host the NIL-driven event on Nov. 26, 27 and 30, with a two-day gap for Thanksgiving. All 12 games will be broadcast on TNT, TBS and truTV, while streaming will be made available through Max, per CBS Sports.

Concerns over whether the event would fall under the NCAA’s in-season tournament guidelines were heightened late last month after the NCAA reminded multi-team event organizers about its NIL policies. The Players Era Festival has committed to $1 million in NIL payouts to each of the participating schools, while players will have opportunities at future NIL earnings through long-term contracts, according to CBS Sports. While in Las Vegas, the players would have to participate in off-the-court activities to earn the NIL money.

The NCAA’s memo also reiterated its in-season tournament rules, which state that teams from the same conference can't play in the same MTE (Rutgers and Oregon from the Big Ten are in the 2024 field). According to CBS Sports, event organizers divided the Players Era Festival into two four-team “MTEs” (Impact MTE and Power MTE) with Alabama (SEC), Houston (Big 12), Notre Dame (ACC) and Rutgers (Big Ten) in one “MTE” and Creighton (Big East), Oregon (Big Ten), San Diego State (Mountain West) and Texas A&M (SEC) in the other. The NCAA suggested this workaround wouldn’t fly under its guidelines. 

Still, CBS Sports reported the event will be in compliance provided the formalities of NIL distribution and off-the-court activities are handled “carefully.” Organizers have committed to a five-year plan and have been in negotiations with MGM Resorts International to hold future games at its three major venues (T-Mobile Arena, MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob ULTRA Arena). The plan is to add a group-style play with championship matchups in 2025, per CBS Sports.

Gonzaga was among the five schools that reportedly agreed to play in Las Vegas for 2025. Michigan, St. John's, Syracuse and Saint Joe's are also onboard, in addition to the eight teams that are in the 2024 field.

This season, the Bulldogs are set to compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament from Nov. 27-29. Game one from the Bahamas is a matchup with West Virginia on Nov. 27 at 11:30 a.m. PST. If Gonzaga wins, it will see either Louisville or Indiana (9 a.m. PST) the next day, with the potential of facing Arizona on day three in the championship (2:30 p.m. PST).

Here is the complete schedule for the 2024 Players Era Festival (all times in PST).

Nov. 26

• 11 a.m. — San Diego State vs. Creighton

• 1:30 p.m. — Texas A&M vs. Oregon

• 5 p.m. — Alabama vs. Houston

• 7:30 p.m. — Notre Dame vs. Rutgers

Nov. 27

• 1 p.m. — San Diego State vs. Oregon

• 3:30 p.m. — Creighton vs. Texas A&M

• 7 p.m. — Alabama vs. Rutgers

• 9:30 p.m. — Houston vs. Notre Dame

Nov. 30

• 10 a.m. — Alabama vs. Notre Dame

• 12:30 p.m. — Houston vs. Rutgers

• 4 p.m. — Texas A&M vs. San Diego State

• 6:30 p.m. — Oregon vs. Creighton