Players Era College Hoops Tournament Signs $50M Rights Fees With Big 12

By Barry Janoff

Nov. 24, 2025: Players Era, the basketball group overseeing the men's and women's college hoops tournament in Las Vegas this week, and the Big 12 Conference have signed a partnership that gives the Big 12  “an equity stake in the marquee Players Era Men’s Championship tournament.”

Under the alliance, Players Era “will commit no less than $50 million dollars to Big 12 basketball programs in rights fees” over the next several years.

The financial payout is part of Players Era’s growing commitment to the event.

In 2024, according to CBS Sports, “The eight-team men's basketball tournament promised to pay $1 million to every school — with another million in cash split amongst the teams that finished in the top four. 

“Last December, despite an army of skeptics who tried to warn the coaches that something would go wrong, all eight teams were paid on time and in full as promised.”

Now in its second season, the Players Era Festival and Championship presented by Geico features 18 men’s teams and four women’s teams, with plans to expand to 32 teams in 2026.

The event is being hosted by partner MGM Resorts International at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob Ultra. Games will air on TNT Sports aross TNT, truTV and HBO Max.

“The Big 12 Conference continues to lead collegiate athletics’ movement into a new landscape, and we are incredibly proud to enter into this partnership,” Seth Berger, Players Era CEO, said via the group.

“The Conference has been instrumental to our growth from Day One. The Big 12 now receives guaranteed access to the biggest college basketball event outside of March and it will benefit perennial powers and teams with national championship aspirations.”

According to Berger, “Over the next six years, Players Era will commit no less than $50 million dollars to Big 12 basketball programs in rights fees.”

This year, four men’s squads from the Big 12 are in the Tournament: Baylor, Houston, Iowa State and Kansas.

As part of the deal, the top eight teams in the Big 12 standings receive automatic bids to the following years’ Players Era Men’s Championship, starting with the 2026 event and running through 2030.

“The Big 12 Conference is thrilled to grow its partnership with Players Era,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said via Players Era. “The tournament is a tremendous platform to showcase our Conference, student-athletes and coaches as the best in college basketball, and we look forward to continuing to make Players Era a national marquee event.”

Men’s teams in this year’s completion also include Alabama, Auburn, Creighton, Gonzaga, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, St. John’s, San Diego State, Syracuse and UNLV.  

The Players Era Women’s Championship teams include Duke, South Carolina, Texas and UCLA.

Players Era was created by Berger and EverWonder Studio, an independent content studio led by CEO Ian Orefice, former president of Time and Time Studios; and backed by RedBird IMI and Jeff Zucker. former president of NBCUniversal,

“Credit to the Big 12 leadership for taking such a forward thinking approach that prioritizes creating new and exciting opportunities for the teams and players in their league, reflecting our shared vision for a future of college sports,” Orefice said via Ever Wonder.

“The Big 12 is one of the country’s premier men’s college basketball conferences, and we are thrilled to have their top teams locked in for our event every year as we continue to build our November championships that celebrate the best players and teams in the country and creates a must-see event for college basketball fans.”

Players Era said future plans include a 32-team men's event that will begin with eight teams in four groups that lead into bracket competition across what could span three weeks every November.  

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