Players Era Festival Poses Huge NIL Opportunity for College Basketball

This one-of-a-kind tournament will give ample opportunity for players to start NIL deals.

Nov 20, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Alabama guard Labaron Philon (0) gets a dunk with Illinois center Tomislav Ivisic (13) trailing in the CM Newton Classic at Legacy Arena. Alabama defeated Illinois 100-87. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This Thanksgiving season, tournament-style basketball is taking a new form for Alabama basketball. Part of the elite "Feast Week," a new tournament will make its debut amongst the holiday game-play.

This new tournament, The Players Era Festival, will be held in Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena, where teams will compete for a chance to secure certain NIL payouts.

The winning team of this tournament will receive $9 million in NIL for the 2024 competition, and although pay-for-play style tournaments are against NCAA regulations, each participating team will receive $1 million in NIL payouts. This is possible through the teams' actions of "engaging in ancillary events separate and distinct from the team’s participation in the Festival games."

Student-athletes coming out victorious will receive $50 million in NIL over the next three years.

Starting Nov. 26, the teams making an appearance in Vegas include No. 8 Houston, No. 13 Creighton, No. 22 Texas A&M, San Diego State, Notre Dame, Oregon, and Rutgers.

Millions are at stake for teams and players, but just winning the tournament won't guarantee the players NIL funds. NIL payouts will come from services and activities performed by the players, all of which are sanctioned by current NCAA regulations.

Stemming from a recent change in format, the games on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27 will now be group play, with Power and Impact as the two divisions. Marked as the "anchors" of this tournament, Alabama, Houston, and Rutgers will be joined by Notre Dame to make up the Impact division. The Power division will include the remaining teams: San Diego State, Oregon, Texas A&M, and Creighton.

Game-play amongst the two divisons will take place within two days, and the results will determine the seeding for championship play taking place on Nov. 30. Championship Day will take on the following format, ensuring the Power and Impact divisions face each other:

7th Place Game: Impact 4 seed v. Power 4 seed
5th Place Game: Impact 3 seed v. Power 3 seed
3rd Place Game: Impact 2 seed v. Power 2 seed
1st Place Game: Impact 1 seed v. Power 1 seed

More detailed information regarding seeding and division-play can be found on the event's website.

Ranking, points scored, and points allowed will all be crucial pieces of tournament play to determine seeding and group formatting.

Although the tournament has received criticism from the NCAA, all payouts will abide by the regulations surrounding college basketball and NIL. The success of The Players Era tournament could revolutionize college basketball and NIL going forward, providing opportunity for hardworking and high-performing teams.