ESPN Gets Rights To College Hoops Players Era Events, Expanding To 24 Schools

By Barry Janoff

May 7, 2026: In 2024, Players Era was introduced to the college hoops calendar as an under-the-radar eight-team event in Las Vegas that offered millions in NIL compensation to participating schools.

In 2026, Players Era has expanded to 24 participating teams competing this November in two separate tournaments, with each featuring bracket play where a champion will be crowned, both in Las Vegas and again offering millions in NIL compensation. 

To bolster its expansion, Players Era, an EverWonder Studio company, and ESPN have signed a multi-year agreement for ESPN to serve as the exclusive broadcast partner for the Players Era Men’s Championships, starting with the 2026 tournaments 

Players Era and ESPN Events will also now collaborate on all staging and operational elements of the Players Era Men’s Championships.

TNT Sports carried the event for the first two seasons, in 2024 and with 18 teams in 2025. 

Financial terms of the alliance were not discloses.

“College basketball is the hottest and one of the fastest-growing sports properties in the country.,” Players Era CEO Seth Berger said via the group. “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 (Madness) to November with the number one college basketball network in the world, ESPN.”

Both Players Era tournaments feature some of the top teams in college basketball,including the last two NCAA Men’s Basketball national champions: Michigan and Florida.

The Players Era Eight is scheduled for the week of Nov. 16, including Kansas, Florida, Houston, Auburn, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Rutgers and UNLV.

The Players Era Sixteen will be played over five days during Thanksgiving Week and include reigning national champion Michigan, along with Gonzaga, St. John’s, Baylor, Louisville, Iowa State, Alabama, Tennessee, Miami, Texas Tech, Maryland, TCU, Oregon, Creighton, SDSU and Kansas State.

Games during the first two years were played in MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena.

This past November, Players Era and the Big 12 Conference 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 year

Additional details — including matchups, schedule, broadcast information and ticket on-sale dates — will be announced in the coming weeks.

Information about the 2026 Players Era Women’s Championship, which begin last season, also will be shared at a later date.

“Players Era features elite programs, meaningful competition and high-stakes matchups to start each season,” Dan Margulis, ESPN senior director-college basketball programming and acquisitions, said via the network.

“These tournaments immediately strengthen ESPN’s industry-leading college basketball portfolio and underscores our commitment to showcasing the best teams and storylines across the sport. We’re excited to partner with the Players Era team to continue to elevate the Players Era Men’s Championships and showcase them to fans across the country.”

Players Era, a subsidiary of EverWonder Studio, was founded in 2024 to “create a more equitable model for college sports that centers around valuing the players and expanding global fandom through the creation of first-of-their-kind world-class events.”

The 2026 season-opening Eternal City Tip-Off featuring the men’s and women’s teams from Notre Dame and Villanova in Rome is Players Era’s first-ever international event (Nov. 1, Fox)). the company said it is “planning further opportunities for expansion and exciting showcases as it grows its overall impact.”

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

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