ESPN acquires broadcast rights for 2026 Players Era Tournament, field to increase to 24 teams

ESPN has acquired the broadcast rights for the 2026 Players’ Era Tournament, which will once again be held in Las Vegas. The two parties announced the move Thursday morning.

Along with its new network, the tournament will expand from 18 to 24 teams. The event began in 2024 with eight teams and increased to 18 teams last season. The first two iterations were broadcast on TNT, and were won by Oregon (2024) and eventual National Champions Michigan (2025).

“College basketball is the hottest and one of the fastest-growing sports properties in the country,” Players Era CEO Seth Berger said in a release. “The players have never been better, and record ratings for early season college basketball reflect that. Led by top programs from multiple conferences across the sport, the teams in our field are stronger than ever. We can’t wait to bring March to November with the number one college basketball network in the world, ESPN.”

The 24 teams will be split into groups of two. The first group, titled the ‘Players Era Eight’, will play the week before Thanksgiving. The ‘Players Era Sixteen’ will play the week of Thanksgiving.

Full list of teams participating in 2026 Players Era Tournament

• Alabama (Players Era Sixteen)
• Auburn (Players Era Eight)
• Baylor (Players Era Sixteen)
• Creighton (Players Era Sixteen)
• Florida (Players Era Eight)
• Gonzaga (Players Era Sixteen)
• Houston (Players Era Eight)
• Iowa State (Players Era Sixteen)
• Kansas (Players Era Eight)
• Kansas State (Players Era Sixteen)
• Louisville (Players Era Sixteen)
• Maryland (Players Era Sixteen)
• Miami (Players Era Sixteen)
• Michigan (Players Era Sixteen)
• Notre Dame (Players Era Eight)
• Oregon (Players Era Sixteen)
• Rutgers (Players Era Eight)
• San Diego State (Players Era Sixteen)
• St. John’s (Players Era Sixteen)
• TCU (Players Era Sixteen)
• Tennessee (Players Era Sixteen)
• Texas Tech (Players Era Sixteen)
• West Virginia (Players Era Eight)
• UNLV (Players Era Eight)

Per Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, Kansas is being paid the most of any team to participate in the event. Most programs participating in the event will receive around $1 million in NIL.

Last season, Michigan absolutely bulldozed its way through the Players Era Tournament. The Wolverines blew out San Diego State 94-54 in their first game, and dominated No. 21 Auburn 102-72 in their second game. The Players Era Tournament Championship was awarded to the team with the best record and largest margin of victory (70 points), meaning Michigan was deemed the winner. It then went on to win the National Championship months later.